herbs

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6 Ways to Learn About Herbalism for Free

We have been brushing up on our herb knowledge for years and if you are truly passionate about the subject you will know that it is a never ending commitment to life long education. Learning about plants, natural remedies, foraging, botany and forestry is time well spent.

Herbalism is something that can be taught in the classroom but like everything in life, nothing beats real life experience.

To truly understand the value of herbs in your daily, weekly, monthly life then you must practice, experiment and dedicate time to each individual herb you wish to study.

Here are a few of the free ways that you can learn about herbalism:

Head to the Library

A free space that provides you with all of the materials you need to learn about every herb, plant and chinese medicine techniques; the library is like a slice of heaven for any life long learner. Enjoy spending an afternoon browsing through the many books that will provide you with insights, inspire your foraging adventures and allow you to expand your knowledge of herbalism in all of its glory.

Free Courses for Herb Enthusiasts

Learn about herbalism with an online course. There are plenty of herb related courses you can take to get inside knowledge of herbalism. Check out the beginners course from the Herbal Academy and if you are interested in the plants that are used in natural Chinese medicine, this one has five sessions and will teach the basics of Everyday Chinese Medicine.

Watch Herbal YouTube Channels

We love watching videos on YouTube that can teach us something new and herb related tutorials are a treat for anyone interested in learning about plants. Eat the Weeds, Mountain Gardens and Avena Botanicals have some super videos packed full of herbal information for you to digest.

Visit your nearby Plant Shop

Your local plant shop and neighbourhood stores will provide more insights than you can imagine. We regularly visit the local garden centre, plant shops and hardware stores to pick the brains of the staff who have provided years of expertise when planting and growing herbs. Check out the plant descriptions, examine the growth of the plants from season to season and ask as many questions as you can.

Listen to Herbal Podcasts

Tune in to the Natural MD Podcast where we learn how natural medicine. She provides a weekly podcast on women’s health that will teach you something every time you listen in. Listen to the For the Wild podcast from fellow foragers and nature enthusiasts. It focuses on the protection of land, storytelling and our relationship with the landscapes around us.

Get to Grips with Herb Gardening

There is probably no better way to get familiar with the native and non-native herb species around you than by working with them on a weekly basis. The best way to do this is to grow them from seed or stem. A major plus with herbs is that you don’t need a lot of space to grow them in abundance and you can have several different herbs growing alongside each other. Try the mint family, basil, thyme, rosemary and wild herbs as a beginner.

Pick up a copy of our Herb Planner Pack here and start recording your herbal remedies, wild adventures and herb knowledge.

If you have anymore suggestions of how we can brush up on our herbal knowledge please get in touch with us. We are always interested in learning about herbalism, the benefits of herbs, the uses of herbs and how we can incorporate more wild herbs into our everyday cooking.

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The Top 10 Must Have Herbs

If it was up to us herbs we would live in herb paradise all year round. We love all herbs, great and small. The flavours, the smells and the nutrients that we get from herbs make them an irreplaceable part of our diet today. Herbs can transform the everyday meal into a special treat. The great thing about our renewed love for all things green is that our minds are curious and we are starting to really experiment with herb flavours.

List of the top 10 must have herbs for your kitchen

  1. Basil
  2. Thyme
  3. Mint
  4. Coriander
  5. Lavender
  6. Chamomile
  7. Sage
  8. Yarrow
  9. Rosemary
  10. Dill

BENEFITS OF HERBS

Here is why this list of herbs is extra special. Firstly, herbs pack a punch when it comes to flavouring our meals. They can help to cool things down, heat things up and balance our ingredients. Next, our list of herbs includes some native wild species that can be found close to home and we know that herbs also contain many essential vitamins and nutrients. We hope that you enjoy this herbtastic collection.

If you are in search for organic Irish herbs feel free to get in touch with us and we will connect you with the best herbal magic.

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Yarrow Benefits and How to make Yarrow Tea?

History

White flower headed Yarrow, aka Achillea millefolium, is said to derive from the Greek hero Achilles, who had an affinity to Yarrow, after being shown its many uses by Chiron the Centaur, and used this herb to heal soldiers during the Trojan war.

This sweet scented health has a rich healing history from around the world. Renowned for its ability to heal and repair, its feathery leaves have been used since ancient times to heal cuts, wounds and burns.

It grows abundantly beside roadsides and paths. Foraging for yarrow is fun in summertime but be careful for lookalikes.

Traditional Uses and Health Benefits

There is a good reason why this herb is known as a healing herb.

Yarrow has many funny nicknames including Nosebleed. If you have a nosebleed, you can stuff the leaves up your nose to stop the blood flow. Antiseptic and anti- inflammatory, it has the ability to rapidly stop the blood flow.

Yarrow is commonly used to help with issues like diarrhea and stomach issues. It is also used to help clear coughs, asthma, colds and liver disorders.

In manufacturing, yarrow is used as a cosmetic cleanser and in shampoos. The leaves and flowers are sometimes used in salads.

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Three ways to use yarrow

  1. Yarrow Tincture: You can make this traditional tincture by plucking off the flower heads, putting them into a glass container and covering them with alcohol for 6 weeks. Traditional dosage: 2 ml taken 2 times per day.
  2. Yarrow Herb Tea: Use 1-2 teaspoons per cup of boiling water and steep for 5 -10 minutes depending on taste.
  3. Yarrow Salad: The fern like leaves from this hero herb are sometimes used in salads.

How to make Delicious Yarrow Tea

For yarrow tea, simply put a 1-2 teaspoons of dried yarrow flowers in a tea pot, let it sit for 20 minutes, strain into a cup and enjoy a healthy tea.

If you want to treat yourself to a box of freshly dried yarrow you can get it in our Wild Store today.

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DIY Smudge Sticks with Foraged Herbs

Smudging is a custom that originated in the Americas. Indigenous tribes used the ritual of smudging to cleanse the air, banish negativity and bring positive energy into an area. It is also known as a Sacred smoke bowl blessing. Yes, you can use plants to drive away negativity.

We do not follow the indigenous tribes rituals but it does inspire us to create our own version of smudge sticks for individual use. If you have had a stressful day then a little bit of smudging will go a long way to creating a relaxing, peaceful environment.

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How to make a homemade Smudge stick

  1. Gather wild herbs. Sage is commonly used but other wild plants such as spruce sprigs, thyme, rosemary, lavender and rose flowers work well.
  2. Bundle the herbs and tie them tightly at the bottom.
  3. Wrap the string around the herbs, criss-crossing the string to ensure the herbs stay in place.
  4. Cut off any excess string.
  5. Now it’s time to light your herbs. Leave it burn for a couple of seconds before blowing out the flame. Now use the smoke to cleanse the air.
  6. Use a heat resistent bowl filled with a cup of sand to distinguish the herbs.

Foraging for Smudge stick ingredients

Keep in mind that some herbs work well together and compliment each other. Lavender and Sage, Mint and Tarragon or Pine and Rose work well. At different times of the year there will be smudge stick ingredients available.

Tips for using Smudge sticks

Be careful when lighting any herbs of plants indoors. Always keep a bowl of sand near the smudge stick. Never leave a smudge stick unattended. Don’t over smudge.

We hope that you enjoy using your smudge sticks. To join us on some wild herb foraging adventures please get in touch with a member of our travel team.

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