herbs, herbs, and more herbs

A couple of years ago I did an introductory course on herbal medicine at Morley College. That was a revelation for me - for years I have planted herbs in my garden because I love them and because the birds bring them along quite often.

I would have loved to follow up the course with a degree and five years at Middlesex University but that's the dream and reality kicks in when the rent/food/gas/electicity have to be paid and I still have one daughter on her way to Uni. Ah well - maybe in another life!

So, the herbal medicine course heightened an already passionate affair with herbs and their uses. As you will already know I love books about gardens and herbs and remedies, the older the better, and charity shops abound with all. Sometimes I browse until I find something suitable, often the book is just lying there on top of all the others like it found me. I remember this happened a few years back - the book was about the way pharmaceutical companies hire people to go off to the unknown to discover new plants that can be used in medicine.

At the moment my daughter has Thrush; a terrible yeast infection, brought about by a course of antibiotics (they must be strong!). She has a penchant for piercings (I know!), the latest being a stud in her upper lip. I don't like that she loves them and often tell her to stop - God moves in mysterious ways for the piercing became infected and one day she came home with a trout pout - poor thing. So infection zapped with antibiotics now leads to thrush infection. The remedies we're using are : live yoghurt with chamomile, lavender and teatree topically. Sitz bath - tblsp rock salt; tblsp apple cider vinegar; 2 drops lavender oil, 2 drops teatree, 2 drops rosemary. Manuka honey 1tspn with 1tspn apple cider vinegar internally every day. Acidophilus tablets - one a day.

The symptoms have calmed right down. We will carry on.

Agnus Castus tree in my garden looks absolutely beautiful at the moment - which stops me being quite so jealous of my next door neighbours banana tree. Who knew that the amazing Agnus Castus would grow in Stockwell, London - mmm the same people who wouldn't believe there is a fully grown flowering banana next door.