Early Spring at the Allotment

This morning was sunny and bright and I was looking forward to spending some time down at my allotment. I had carved the time out of my crowded diary four weeks ago and I was delighted to see that the weather had been very kind. Perfect in fact, the ground too frozen to dig, but the bright sunshine and hard ground were ideal for cutting back some of last year’s growth without turning the soil into a compacted quagmire.

Part of self sufficient herbalism is being able to cultivate one’s own herbs. Having had the luxury of a half acre field in the past I’m now managing with an allotment. Space is tight for my needs but I still manage to grow and harvest a very wide range of medicines for my clinic.

If you like the idea of self sufficient herbalism and want to keep up with my medicine making, foraging and growing then follow me on Twitter or ‘like’ my Facebook page. To find out more about Myrobalan Clinic please visit www.myrobalanclinic.com

If you are planning to grow your own medicines then you need to be able to recognise medicinal plants at different growth stages and at different times of the year. The following photos show the plants that were visible this morning.

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Agrimonia eupatoria (Agrimony)

Alchemilla mollis (Lady’s Mantle)

Melissa officinalis (Lemon Balm)

Marrubium vulgare (Horehound)

Chelidonium majus (Greater Celandine)

Symphytum officinale (Comfrey)

Nepeta cataria (Catmint)

Verbascum thapsis (Mullein)

Cynara scolymus (Artichoke)

Galega officinalis (Goat’s Rue)

Primula veris (Cowslip)

Achillea millefolium (Yarrow)

Oreganum marjorana (Marjorum)

Mentha spicata (Spearmint)

Lactuca virosa (Wild Lettuce)

Verbena officinalis (Vervein)

Viola odorata (Sweet Violet)

Fragaria vesca (Wild Strawberry)

Solidago virgaurea (Golden Rod)

Phytolacca americana (Pokeroot)

Viburnum opulus (Cramp Bark)

About Myrobalan Clinic

I'm Lucy, a registered medical herbalist with a full time high street practice in Castle Cary, Somerset, UK. I combine Tibetan Medicine with Western Herbal Medicine in order to help my patients treat the underlying reasons for their illness, rather than just suppressing the symptoms. I grow or gather around 75% of the herbs that I work with in my practice, and I make every single tincture, capsule, tea blend and topical treatment that I prescribe to patients. I'm an absolutely passionate proponent of self sufficient herbalism for its many benefits; including those relating to the environment, our connection with herbs and for the exceptional quality of medicines that it enables us to produce. My book, 'Self Sufficient Herbalism', published by Aeon Books, explains why as well as providing a detailed step by step guide as to how to go about this way of working. I love my job - it's so rewarding to see people taking control of their health and feeling healthier and more positive.

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