Belle Benfield

When the blossoming of  St John’s wort and the solstice collide, my heart jumps for joy; summer is truly here. St John’s wort is a member of the hypericum family with small bright yellow flowers that grow in bunches. It’s Latin name Hypericum perforatum refers to one of its main identifiable features: If you hold…

As summer fades to autumn, look out for the red flashes of rosehip decorating the hedgerow.  You can make rosehip syrup which is both delicious and also offers a wealth of medicinal benefits. Rosehips are the vibrant red or orange fruits that adorn wild rose bushes throughout the UK countryside, typically ripening in late summer…

One of the herbs that has been my biggest support through post-partem and beyond as a busy working mama is Theobroma cacao. The beans from this wonder-plant are processed to eventually become the main ingredient of chocolate. The cacao in commercial chocolate, grown as a commodity on a large scale, purely for industrial chocolate production…

Healing Bruises, Breaks and Sprains with a Comfrey Poultice Last week, I was carrying Bee and walked full speed into the end of a metal banister, smashing the back of my hand between the banister and Bee. The crunch felt big. That evening, as I was out and about, my hand started swelling up and…

In September, there are elderberries in the hedgerow that have escaped the birds. Umbrellas of berries dripping from the trees. Elderberry is one of our potent antiviral medicines. A fantastic herb to store at this time of year to have on hand if you feel run down or can sense the start of a cold…