Belle Benfield

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…

This summer, I worked at 3 festivals in 6 weeks – and while that is fresh in my mind, I thought it would be useful to share with you the herbs I had with me that came in handy over a full weekend of camping, walking and of course dancing, in all the elements. HERBS…

One of the abundant medicinal plants to harvest in spring is ground ivy (Glechoma hederacea). You know you have found this plant when you rub it between your fingers and it has a really strong aromatic smell. It’s in the mint family and has tiny purple flowers that look a lot like the flowers on…