Yarrow is a herb, found in the temperate regions of Europe, North America and Asia. It has been used medicinally for thousands of years by many cultures. In North America the Navajo people considered yarrow one of the ‘sacred life’ medicine herbs. In Greek myth, the god Achilles used yarrow […]
The menopause is one of those life events that trigger fear and apprehension in some women, while for others it is a welcome relief from premenstrual issues as well as menstruation itself. From a medical perspective, if a woman has not had a period for twelve consecutive months it is […]
We are all familiar with nettles and I doubt if any of us have evaded their power to sting. However they have other attributes, and we should not be so quick to remove them from our gardens, as they give many benefits. Firstly, nettles improve soils that are over-fertilised with […]
It is wonderful see the young seedlings that were sown a few weeks ago beginning to appear over the ground. The first leaves of lettuce, chard, and other salad plants remind us of sunny summer days, lighter food, and outdoor dining. However, this is also the time to think of […]
Dandelion is one of the first herbs to flower in southwest Ireland. Blooming from February onwards, the flowers are a very valuable source of nectar for bees. Belonging to the Asteraceae family and in Irish is called ‘caisearbhán’, the dandelion derives its English name from the French, ‘dents de lion’ […]
This is a good month to decide if you want to have herbs growing in your garden. So many of the ones used therapeutically may be obtained from the wild but some, such as marshmallow, elecampane and lovage need to be planted to ensure supply. Culinary herbs need to be […]