Hi

If you have been a paid subscriber here you will get an email and a refund of your remaining subscription. I have now turned off paid subscriptions and removed the paywalls. I have not been posting here for awhile and in the middle of a cost of living crisis where we are all trying to pull back from too many subscriptions I thought I’d take this one off the list. All my content is still available and when I do post content you can still have access to it, it will just be more sporadic and available to all free subscribers.

Most of my energy is going into big life transitions, artworks and working with Cat Green in The Home Herbalist Club. If you would like a better value for money subscription join Cat and I in The Home Herbalist Club.

The Home Herbalist Club is your all-in-one, heart-led home for learning herbal medicine. A place to grow your skills, confidence, and connection to nature while caring for yourself and your family naturally.

More info on the Home Herbalist Club

Subscribe now

Acknowledging the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people of the Kulin Nation on who’s lands I am currently living and working and who’s Sovereignty has never been ceded.

Earlier this year Cat Green from Everyday Empowered (the wonder woman behind Sunny Coast HerbFest) asked me to join her in a new herbal offering in the form of The Home Herbalist Club. We have been working with a wonderful group for a few months now and it has been an absolute joy getting to know them on our monthly LIVE calls. We are now excited to announce that we are opening the doors for a few days so that the people who missed out on the first round and have been waiting to get in have a chance to join. Door are only open until this THURSDAY 12th MARCH so if your keen get in ASAP.

Cat and I get asked all the time about herbal medicine education for people who do not want to be clinical herbalists in private practice. There are many ways people want to work with herbs that do not require a full bachelor degree. For a long time there was very few offerings in Australia to fill this gap and we would usually recommend US based courses. But now Cat has created an offering to fill that gap for an Australian (and international) audience. Pitched at people who want to use herbs on themselves and their families this course provides a beautiful container full of education and support.

I will be there as an educator and mentor and to handle any tricky technical questions so that you can feel safe and confidant and stay within your scope of practice.

Whats in the Home Herbalist Club?

The Home Herbalist Club is your all-in-one, heart-led home for learning herbal medicine. A place to grow your skills, confidence, and connection to nature while caring for yourself and your family naturally.

That’s what the Home Herbalist Club will give you!

It’s your one-stop-shop for herbal newbies and intermediate DIYers alike. You’ll get clarity, confidence and hands-on skills so making and using herbal remedies will feel second-nature, like brushing your teeth!

Complete home herbalist pathway!

Go from beginner to pro home herbalist with our step-by-step pathway!

This course gives you a strong, hands-on foundation, showing you exactly how to make your own teas, tinctures, syrups, infused oils, non-tox bodycare products and heaps of other medicine-making techniques that truly work.

You’ll understand how herbs support wellness and learn to confidently use them for everyday needs, from colds and flu, sleep, stress, energy, ADHD, headaches, digestive issues and So. Much. More!

With a vitalist approach to herbal medicine, you’ll learn more than just how to use herbs but also about herbal energetics, herbal tastes and lifestyle medicine strategies for truly holistic wellbeing.

Along the way, you’ll gain practical skills in sourcing, growing, and foraging, and learn how to weave them into your home and family routines so herbal care becomes second nature.

This complete home herbalist pathway goes from intro to intermediate and you can jump in at whatever level you’re at and confidently create embed herbal practices seamlessly into your daily life as you

Take it at your own pace as you build a lifelong relationship with the plants and our home healing traditions and confidently weave herbal practices seamlessly into your life, as a foundation, not an add-on.

FOUNDING MEMBERS: THE INTRO COURSE WILL BE BUILT WHEN YOU START AND WE’LL BUILD THE INTERMEDIATE COURSE TOGETHER IN 2026

Fresh Monthly Content

Each month you’ll get an new Herb of the Month deep dive, seasonal recipes, and homesteading templates so you get in your herbal groove.

Cause herbalism isn’t just about the herbs, but about how you weave effortless rhythms into your daily life so herbalism becomes your lifestyle not an add-on.

Mentoring + Support

Home herbalism isn’t one-size-fits all, and I’m here to help you feel confident that what you’re doing is actually right for YOU and YOUR family, rather than some generic online recipe.

Reclaiming our home healing traditions is important work and you don’t need to wing it or do it alone!

As part of the Club, you’ll get mentored and cheered on at live monthly ‘teatime’ sessions and 3 x weekly replies to your online questions in our private members area!

Can’t wait to be your herbal wingwoman as you create the herbal home of your dreams!

* $27AUD/ month FOUNDING MEMBER PRICE

The window to join is only open for a limited time.

We hope to see you in the club!

Im interested

I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

I know I have been very quiet on here this year. I have stepped away from the computer after years of writing books, courses and content and reset my nervous system in the real world. But I’m inspired to get back on now to share some very exciting news. Cat Green from Everyday Empowered (the wonder woman behind Sunny Coast HerbFest) has asked me to join her in her in a new herbal offering in the form of The Home Herbalist Club.

Cat and I get asked all the time about herbal medicine education for people who do not want to be clinical herbalists in private practice. There are many ways people want to work with herbs that do not require a full bachelor degree. For a long time there was very few offerings in Australia to fill this gap and we would usually recommend US based courses. But now Cat has created an offering to fill that gap for an Australian (and international) audience. Pitched at people who want to use herbs on themselves and their families this course provides a beautiful container full of education and support.

I will be there as an educator and mentor and to handle any tricky technical questions so that you can feel safe and confidant and stay within your scope of practice.

Whats in the Home Herbalist Club?

The Home Herbalist Club is your all-in-one, heart-led home for learning herbal medicine. A place to grow your skills, confidence, and connection to nature while caring for yourself and your family naturally.

That’s what the Home Herbalist Club will give you!

It’s your one-stop-shop for herbal newbies and intermediate DIYers alike. You’ll get clarity, confidence and hands-on skills so making and using herbal remedies will feel second-nature, like brushing your teeth!

Complete home herbalist pathway!

Go from beginner to pro home herbalist with our step-by-step pathway!

This course gives you a strong, hands-on foundation, showing you exactly how to make your own teas, tinctures, syrups, infused oils, non-tox bodycare products and heaps of other medicine-making techniques that truly work.

You’ll understand how herbs support wellness and learn to confidently use them for everyday needs, from colds and flu, sleep, stress, energy, ADHD, headaches, digestive issues and So. Much. More!

With a vitalist approach to herbal medicine, you’ll learn more than just how to use herbs but also about herbal energetics, herbal tastes and lifestyle medicine strategies for truly holistic wellbeing.

Along the way, you’ll gain practical skills in sourcing, growing, and foraging, and learn how to weave them into your home and family routines so herbal care becomes second nature.

This complete home herbalist pathway goes from intro to intermediate and you can jump in at whatever level you’re at and confidently create embed herbal practices seamlessly into your daily life as you

Take it at your own pace as you build a lifelong relationship with the plants and our home healing traditions and confidently weave herbal practices seamlessly into your life, as a foundation, not an add-on.

FOUNDING MEMBERS: THE INTRO COURSE WILL BE BUILT WHEN YOU START AND WE’LL BUILD THE INTERMEDIATE COURSE TOGETHER IN 2026

Fresh Monthly Content

Each month you’ll get an new Herb of the Month deep dive, seasonal recipes, and homesteading templates so you get in your herbal groove.

Cause herbalism isn’t just about the herbs, but about how you weave effortless rhythms into your daily life so herbalism becomes your lifestyle not an add-on.

Mentoring + Support

Home herbalism isn’t one-size-fits all, and I’m here to help you feel confident that what you’re doing is actually right for YOU and YOUR family, rather than some generic online recipe.

Reclaiming our home healing traditions is important work and you don’t need to wing it or do it alone!

As part of the Club, you’ll get mentored and cheered on at live monthly ‘teatime’ sessions and 3 x weekly replies to your online questions in our private members area!

Can’t wait to be your herbal wingwoman as you create the herbal home of your dreams!

* $27AUD/ month FOUNDING MEMBER PRICE

The window to join is only open for a limited time.

We hope to see you in the club!

Im interested

I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

June 15, 2025 | 9:30am – 2pm at Coolum Primary School oval.

Join us for the Sunshine Coast’s biggest herbal event of the year!

We’ll celebrate, be inspired by great speakers, see practical demonstrations and stock up on artisan, handcrafted/ grown herbal products.

Just $20 for a day of learning and connection; under 14s free.

Get tickets

HerbFest is our biggest herbal event of the year! Join us to celebrate our local herbal community, learn and stock up on artisanally made herbal products.

Full of practical herbal education – this year you’ll learn about:

🌿Shamanic Herbalist Heidi Wedd talking “Rewilding from the Inside Out: Herbs as Spiritual Teachers.”
🌿Acupuncturist Dr Sally Taylor will teach us the secret language of plants and the five elements
🌿Pat Collins will show you some Indigenous Plants and how to use them
🌿Deanne Apostolou will give you the low down on nervine herbs for stressful times
🌿Heidi Merika will demonstrate a wild and weedy insect repellent
🌿Karen McElroy is going cosmic looking at Herbal Medicine and Anthroposophy: Tapping into the Wisdom of Nature and Human Intuition
🌿Jim and Juila from Lighthouse Regenerative Farm will look at the role of herbs in backyard food forests

View Timetable

And more — with interactive workshops still to be announced.

Plus herbal artisan market stalls and food and drinks

Books available at HerbFest

Copies of Wildcraft and From the Wild will be available for purchase and signing on the day

This Substack is now Free

If you are still a paid subscriber you can choose to cancel your paid subscription as all content I’m offering this year is going to be free for everyone. Of course your welcome to still be a paid subscriber if you would like support my work (I’m super grateful for that support and will love you very much) but its totally optional.

I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

I’m excited to join forces with Mullumbimby Herbals and The Elder Tree, for an interactive exploration of how to utilise common garden weeds as food and medicine. You will have the opportunity to taste, touch and smell these beautiful plants as you learn simple ways to incorporate them into your everyday life. I will share ways to connect deeply with the plants on both a physical and energetic level, and discuss some simple, nutritious wild plant recipes and first aid remedies for everyday use. This will be a vibrant and fun opportunity to learn to view the plants you see everyday, in a completely new light. We will make a wild weed pesto so you can use and taste the plants on the day.

Date: Sunday 13th April 2025

Time: 9am – 12 noon

Location: Mullumbimby Community Gardens,

156 Stuart St, Mullumbimby NSW 2482

Cost: $75 Concession available on request

Book now

HerbFest 2025 Sponsor call out

The date for HerbFest 2025 has been set for June 15, 2025 at Coolum Primary

If your interested in being a sponsor for this years event please contact Cat Green at hello@everydayempowered.com.au. More details coming soon!

HerbFest Details

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I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

This is the last Substack for the Wildcraft series. Thank you to everyone who has joined me for the Wildcraft series here this year. Your support has meant so much to me. I’m sending my deepest love and gratitude for this festive season. May your heart be filled with love and your life be filled with blessings.

As much as I feel the pressure within me to share ‘what’s next’, (there is a online mini foraging course in the works and some wildcraft workshops coming up next year, I’ll be sharing more in January) but beyond that I honestly just can’t right now. I’m in too deep of a liminal space to give sold form to things right now. I’m in the cocooning stage were the caterpillar has dissolved but the butterfly has not yet emerged.

Societal pressure urges us to be productive at all times. Pumping out content, showing up, endlessly needing more money for an ever increasing cost of living, giving, giving when there’s nothing more to give, holding space, being available to everyone all the time. I. Just. Can’t.

I’ve been taking great solace in the book Wise Power by Red School founders Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer.

According to this book I’m in the ‘Repair’ stage of my menopausal journey. There are 4 stages.

Stage 1.Betrayal - Stepping into the unknown

Stage 2. Repair - Do nothing for a while. (A sabbatical is recommended)

Stage 3. Revelation - Receive yourself

Stage 4. Visioning -Recognising your unique gifts

The Repair stage is a bit of void and I’m here to honour it. I gave everything I had in my 30s and 40s to birth and raise two children, write and publish two books, run hundreds of courses and teach thousands of people. As much as society is pressuring me to ‘keep going’ ‘don’t stop’ ‘be more productive’, BE MORE!!!

I’m done with the capitalist dream. It’s over boys, the feminine is not just rising, she has risen! and she has her own ways that feel more urgent and more needed right now. She honours cycles, knowing that there are times for productivity and times for stillness, times for talking and sharing and times to be still and listen, times for taking and times for giving. I can sit with my financial uncertainty (the beast breathing down my neck, drooling on my shoulder) while I honour my stillness. Feeling the words of kae Tempest from her beautiful poem Hold Your Own (2019)

Know the wolves that hunt you
In time, they will be the dogs that bring your slippers
Love them right and you will feel them kiss you when they come to bite
Hot snouts digging out your cuddles with their bloody muzzles
Hold

I’m holding…

Liminal spaces

It’s a strange time not just for me personally as I navigate the inner world of my menopausal journey but for the world as a whole as we navigate the uncertainty of the times a head. We are sitting in this eerie liminal space where the old ways of being no longer feel relevant but the new ways have not yet fully emerged. Planning to far ahead feels pointless.

According to googles AI

“Liminal spaces are transitional spaces that are often associated with feelings of eeriness or discomfort. They can be physical, emotional, or metaphorical, and are characterized by a sense of being in between one place or time and the next. The word "liminal" comes from the Latin word limen, which means threshold.

Here are some examples of liminal spaces:

• Physical spaces: Empty parking lots, hallways, stairwells, abandoned malls, airports, and streets

• Emotional spaces: Divorce

• Metaphorical spaces: A decision

• Internet aesthetics: Images of empty or abandoned places that appear eerie, forlorn, and often surreal

• IKEA: The showrooms are immaculately constructed and can provoke a sense of calm”

  

You are welcome to sit with me in this liminal space as I move through it over the coming weeks and months. I don’t know how long it will last?? Not knowing is part of the process. Mainly right now I’m just painting. I have energy for nothing but art right now. I will paint my way through this space and see what emerges. I have become childlike in this liminal space and my childlike self loved to paint and draw. So now I’m remembering. I’m working on this character study from Rachel Azzopardi Carbonese portrait painting fundamentals online course. The remembering is awkward, I’m clumsy and my skills weak and undeveloped but the inspiration is insatiable.

As we wind up 2024 I want to invite you into your own liminal spaces, to give permission, and acknowledge their existence. Take all the time you need.

Subscribe now

Wild Raspberry Cordial - A recipe from From the Wild

Wild Raspberry Cordial

(30 minutes, makes 500 ml)

This wild raspberry cordial is so yummy! It has a strong raspberry taste and the lemon gives it just that bit of an extra sour kick which balances the sweetness of the sugar perfectly. Studies show that wild raspberry cordial is good for diarrhoea and reducing naughty bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract. There is also some anecdotal evidence from farmers to suggest it reduces the risk of infections from parasites, making wild raspberry cordial a great way to maintain gut health.

If you are concerned about the sugar, you can make it without the sugar by boiling down the raspberries on their own for an unsweetened sour juice.

Ingredients

2 cups wild raspberries

1 cup of golden caster sugar

300 ml of water

1 lemon, zested and juiced

Method

Sterilize a bottle in the dishwasher or by boiling for 10 minutes.

Put raspberries, sugar, water and the lemon zest (but not the lemon juice yet), into a saucepan and bring to a slow rolling boil until the sugar dissolves, then simmer for 5 minutes.

Allow to cool for 15 minutes.

Now add the lemon juice.

Pour through a sieve and press with the back of a spoon to get the liquid and pulp through but not the seeds.

Pour into your sterilised bottle and label with the date and the ingredients.

It can be stored in the fridge for approximately a month.

How to use the cordial

Serve diluted with still or sparkling water and ice.

Use as a sauce over ice cream, yoghurt or pancakes.

Christmas Presents that celebrate the Earth

Wildcraft (Flexicover feild guide)

Wildcraft covers everything from the energetic/ spirit qualities of the plants; to botanical identification; nutritional profiles; chemical constituents; folk medicine; how the plants are used; cautions and contraindication; and some of the most extensive research on the topic of wild plants as food and medicine to date.

Buy Now

From the Wild (Hardcover Book)

Make remedies from 30 of the world’s most common edible wild plants, from cat’s ear to cobbler’s pegs, dandelion to dock, and nasturtium to wild raspberry. Enjoy over 100 recipes including a spring salad full of wild edibles, nettle gnocchi verde and clover muffins, along with lantana itch balm, chickweed anti-inflammatory gel and St John’s wort pain ointment.

Buy Now

The Medicine Makers Bundle (downloadable medicine making videos and PDFs)

This bundle includes 12 videos and 8 PDF documents detailing everything you need to make your own herbal medicines.

Buy Now

I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

So excited to be joining forces with the awesome folk from Mullum Herbals to be offering this wildcraft course in Lismore this weekend on Saturday 23rd.

This course will be an interactive exploration of how to utilise common garden weeds as food and medicine. You will have the opportunity to taste, touch and smell these beautiful plants as you learn simple ways to incorporate them into your everyday life.

I will share ways to connect deeply with the plants on both a physical and energetic level, and discuss some simple, nutritious wild plant recipes and first aid remedies for everyday use.

This will be a vibrant and fun opportunity to learn to view the plants you see everyday, in a completely new light. We will make a wild weed pesto so you can use and taste the plants on the day and a vegan/gluten free afternoon tea is provided.

I’m offering a $20 discount to those who book by close of business on Friday 22nd November.

Buy Now

The Wildcraft Series wraps up

Over November and early December we will be covering our last plant in the wildcraft series that I have been running over 2024. Our last herb will be wild raspberry, a nice festive one to end the year with! Although apologies as we are moving out of season as the weather get warmer, so its getting to you a little later than I hoped. But at least you will be ready when it comes around next spring!

My substack in 2025

With the wrap up of the wildcraft series next year my Substack is going to be more inspired, spontaneous and creative. I will be posting less as lots of people said they were struggling to keep up with content, so I will be more likely to be posting monthly give or take a few weeks depending on what’s going on, than weekly or fortnightly.

Medicine Makers Bundle

If your wanting to get started making herbal medicines at home check out my Medicine Makers Bundle for instructions on how to make huge range of herbal remedies.

This bundle includes 12 videos and 8 PDF documents detailing everything you need to make your own herbal medicines. For only $49 (originally $220!)

More info & Buy Now

Wild Raspberry (Rubus rosifolius. ) Monograph

Common Name: Wild raspberry 

Species: Rubus spp. Pictured is Rubus rosifolius. 

There are 250-700 Rubus species, all with similar properties. 

Genus: Rubus 

Family: Rosaceae 

Distribution 

Native to Europe. Naturalised in Australia, New Zealand, North America and South America. 

How to ID: See last post for identification

How to Harvest  

Leaves 

Raspberry leaves are best harvested in early summer when they have a nice flush of new growth. Harvest by wearing gloves and using a pair of secateurs. Cut the leaves off the prickly stems or cut stems below the lowest leaf. Let them fall into a basket or bag. Leaves can be used fresh or dried  

Berries 

Berries can be picked by hand during fruiting in late spring to early summer. Berries can be eaten fresh or frozen for later use.  

Nutrients 

The fruit of wild raspberries is a great source of antioxidants, carbohydrates, vitamins A, B, C and E and folate, and is rich in minerals, especially manganese, calcium, magnesium, selenium and phosphorus. It also contains ferric citrate (a type of iron), which makes it useful in anaemia. 

Culinary uses 

The fruit is eaten raw or cooked in desserts, jams and sauces. There are a multitude of recipes that call for the use of fresh or cooked raspberries, and the possibilities are limited only by imagination. They can be used daily on breakfast cereal, in fruit salads and smoothies, or eaten on their own as a snack. Raspberry cordial is made for its antibacterial effects. 

Folk Medicine 

The most common species of Rubus used in medicine is R. idaeus, or its variation or subspecies R. strigosus. 

Midwives and herbalists around the world have used raspberry leaf for women during their childbearing years. It is used for its ability to nourish both mother and child, tone the uterus, facilitate an easier labour, ease after birth pains and stimulate breast milk production. It has also been used for nausea in morning sickness, and in menstruation for heavy bleeding and period pain. 

While it is mainly thought of as a herb for women’s reproductive system, it has also been used to treat diarrhoea and constipation caused by a lack of tone in the bowel wall. It can also be used for sore throats, mouths and eyes, particularly where there is inflammation, pain and a discharge of either pus or mucus 

Research         

Clinical trials on rubus spp in particular rubus idaeus have confirmed its use in the following areas; Antioxidantⁱ, antibacterial and anti-diarrhoeaⁱⁱ, reduced complications in pregnancyⁱⁱⁱ, diabetes^iv, cancer^v. 

Clinical trials on Rubus rosifolius have confirmed its use in the following areas; antioxidant^vi, anticancer^vii, diabetes^viii.  

View References

How to use it as a medicine 

Tea (made from leaves) 

Drink an infusion of 2-4 teaspoons of dried leaves (approx. 2-8g) or 3-6 chopped fresh leaves per cup of boiling water, three times per day. For a stronger medicinal drink, you can let it stand overnight and drink it the next day. It can be diluted with water until palatable. 

Tincture (made from leaves) 2-10ml of tincture taken orally in a small amount of water, one to three times daily. 

Cautions and contraindications 

In pregnancy it should not be used in the first trimester without supervision of a trained herbalist. It is recommend from around 18-20 weeks of pregnancy until birth or after, especially if needed for breast milk production 

Avoid in constipation due to dehydration and tightness in the bowel. In constipation caused by a lack of tone, it can be beneficial. Use with caution in iron-deficiency anaemia and malnutrition, as the high tannin content can reduce the absorption of nutrients. This is rarely an issue if taken at least two hours away from meals. The fruit can be beneficial in anaemia due to its high ferric citrate and vitamin C content. 

I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

Wildcraft Weed Walk in Lismore, November 23rd & 24th

Excited To be teaming up with the folks from Mullumbimby Herbals to be running my first wildcraft weed walks in Northern NSW. I will be running 2 courses, one on the Saturday 23rd November from 3-6pm and one on Sunday 34th November from 8-11am. The course is in Lismore just under an hour from Mullumbimby or Byron Bay.

It will be a fun, information packed session full of plant ID, use and harvesting info and we will make a wild weed pesto so you can taste the plants on the day and see how easy it is to use them!!

If your in this area or are keen to travel we would love to see you there.

More info & Bookings

Herbfolk: Make Flower Essences Sunday 17th November

I will be teaching you how to make and use flower essences for profound emotional health and wellbeing.

In herbal medicine, we take a holistic approach to health, understanding that health is built on a foundation of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellness.

Flower essences are subtle vibrational energy that can assist the body to come back into a state of alignment and support emotional health.

When there is stagnation or a block in one area, this can show up in other parts because of the many bi-directional relationships and influences within us.

Flower essences have a role to play in supporting our emotional and spiritual health, and turn our whole bodies.

At this Herb Folk you’ll learn:

🌸What is a flower essence
🌸Materials need for making a flower essence
🌸Types of water used in flower essences
🌸Different ways to make flower essences
🌸Directions for making a flower essence
🌸Flower essence dosages
🌸How to use flower essences to support yourself and family at home

Learn More & Bookings

The Wildcraft Series wraps up

Over November and early December we will be covering our last plant in the wildcraft series that I have been running over 2024. Our last herb will be wild raspberry, a nice festive one to end the year with! Although apologies as we are moving out of season as the weather get warmer, so its getting to you a little later than I hoped. But at least you will be ready when it comes around next spring!

My substack in 2025

With the wrap up of the wildcraft series next year my Substack is going to be more inspired, spontaneous and creative. I will be posting less as lots of people said they were struggling to keep up with content, so I will be more likely to be posting monthly give or take a few weeks depending on what’s going on, than weekly or fortnightly.

Recommended Substack

Travels With Plants

An audio magazine unearthing forgotten tales of wild and ornamental plants as food and medicine. Discover the secret histories and surprising uses of plants, from feral weeds to ornamental curiosities.

By Robin Harford

has the most beautiful Substack FULL of videos dedicated learning about wild plants. I recommended heading over to his page to check it out. You won’t be disappointed. See excerpt from his about page below.

Robin Harford is an ethnobotanical researcher and wild food educator who established his wild food foraging school in 2008. His foraging courses are listed at the top of BBC Countryfile’s ‘Best foraging courses in the UK’.

He is the creator of eatweeds.co.uk. Michelin chef Richard Corrigen recommended the site for inclusion in The Times Top 50 Websites For Food and Drink.

Wildcraft is back in stock (Just in time for Christmas shopping!)

After being out of stock for several months Wildcraft is now back in stock, thanks to the generous support of the Sustainable Living Association who helped with the reprint! It is now available in stores and from my website.

Buy Now

Wild Raspberry Plant ID Video

Wild raspberry is a beautiful wild edible that grows around the world with hundred of species worldwide.

Distribution

Native to Europe. Naturalised in Australia, New Zealand,North America and SouthAmerica.

How to identify it

Rubus rosifolius

Leaves are light to dark green compound leaves (end with two leaves eitherside, with a single leaf at the very end).

Leaves have toothed margins.

Leaves have glandular hairs on both sides of leaflets.

Leaves stay green all year.

Stems are covered in sharp prickles.

Flowers are white, either in panicles or solitary.

Red edible aggregate fruit are 2cm long and ripen in late summer to earlyautumn in Eastern Australia.

Roots form runners,which give rise to multiple plants, facilitating widespreading of plan

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I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

FREE Online Chamomile Class with Cat Green from Everyday Empowered tonight!!!

If you have been thinking about joining Cat and I for Everyday Herbalism but not sure if it’s right for you? You can dip your toe in the water with this totally FREE Chamomile training. Or even if you aren’t interested in the full course but would love to know more about Chamomile then join anyway it’s FREE and Cat from Everyday Empowered is an awesome teacher.

Chamomile is kinda like the quiet kid in class. She’s always there, but after spending some time with her, you realize you didn’t know her very well and that she’s actually really rad and has some cool hidden talents!

This FREE Masterclass is for anyone who wants to get to know how to use this effective, potent, yet widely available herb at home.

Our time together will be a blend of storytelling, science, history and folklore

We’ll explore:

🌿what Chamomile does (herbal actions)

🌿when and how to use chamomile (indications)

🌿 What chamomile tastes like and how that can give us clues to her medicine

🌿when not to (contraindications)

🌿safety issues

🌿how to make simple herbal remedies

🌿how to grow and harvest

How it works:

Location: wherever you’re comfy on zoom

Replays? It will available as a free bonus for our Everyday Herbalism class which you can totally join if you want to.

Cat is going to show you exactly how to make the most effective medicine with chamomile in her FREE Chamomile sesh tonight!

Thursday, October 3, 6pm QLD Time.

Here's the zoom link:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/87855184706

Passcode: 207259

Time: goes for 1 hour-ish

More Info

Everyday Herbalism starts next Tuesday!!

Everyday Herbalism course –

• 4 weeks – short enough to fit in, long enough to actually learn

• direct access to 2 experienced Australian herbalists in a hands-on mentoring environment

• learn herbs and remedies that are immediately useful in your everyday life

• all materials included in this value-packed course – you’ll make remedies using our award-winning DIY Herbal Starter Kit (click here)

Sign Up Note:

Important note: the Checkout on the Everyday Empowered website is not working so if you want to join Email Cat at Hello@everydayempowered.com.au

Hinterland Writers Festival

Green Room Event @ Mapleton Public House

I’m so excited and honoured to be apart of the very first inaugural Sunshine Coast Hinterland Writer’s Festival. Because I didn’t have an offical book launch I’d love for all my dear friends and family and those who have supported me on my journey to join me for this event to celebrate the completion and launch of From the Wild. It really would mean the world to me to have you there to raise a glass and give a cheer!!

Next Saturday 12 October: 2.00pm -3.00pm

All Vegetarian nibbles designed by head chef Cameorn Matthews using Falls Farm produce with Heidi’s recipes inspiring our menu. Glass of Vegan Wine or Non Alcoholic Wine included. Extra drinks available over the bar.

$60 per person.

Book Now

I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

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Is it just me or does life seem a bit hard these days. Maybe it’s menopause, adrenal fatigue or in my darker moments I suspect something more sinister, but I seem to feel increasingly like the muddle headed wombat. Bumbling about trying to do all the things which seem increasingly complicated to do.

I seem to be spending an inordinate amount of time each day overcoming obstacles that involve password authentications, subscriptions and trying to talk to an actual human being in a company. Just completing a few simple tasks can sometimes spiral into a days long event.

So I the midst of all this muddle headedness and trying to wear all the hats in my life and business I can make mistakes. These mistakes come in all shapes and sizes from my daily spelling mistakes (a common theme in the life and times of a dyslexic writer and educator) to spectacular clusterfucks that defy logic and explanation.

Just last week I mentioned a Book giveaway for people to write reviews, turns out you can’t do this. Opps!! Logical now I think about it, and if you tried to write one it probably didn’t come up because they block reviews from people you know or interact with on social media. I honestly didn’t know. Just another example of me trying to wear a hat that doesn’t fit and to be honest, I don’t even like, my marketing hat is an ugly bonnet.

So I’m really sorry if you tried to write a review and it didn’t work. I’m going to run another book give away through my social media so maybe head over to Instagram to find it there in the next day or so.

Everyday Herbalism (4 week online course)

All this complexity has led Cat Green and I to create a Herbal Medicine course with simplicity at its heart and in its soul. Cat and I LOVE simplicity. We love things that are doable in the chaos of life, with children beside you and deadlines to complete and while your on hold for 3 hours trying to speak to a person in a company somewhere…

So we have created Eveyday Herbalism. Is only six herbs so you wont get overwhelmed. It comes with a kit that has everything you need in it so you don’t have to spend hours signing up to online shops or remembering or creating new passwords just to get your chamomile tea.

Best of all Cat and I will be on every call to guide you and hold your hand and gently and share what we know how to do. We love linage based learning where herbalist pass on their knowledge from one generation to the next. This course has been developed by doing what Cat and I do everyday. Use herbs in our everyday lives. Even when we are tired or muddle headed or making mistakes or surrounded by kids or in-laws, these are simple everyday techniques designed to fit in around life.

We take our case studies from participants in the group in order to make the course as real life and relevant as possible. This is your course and we want it to be informative and grow your knowledge but more than anything we want it to be simple, doable and fun.

This is exactly what you’ll get out of our Everyday Herbalism course!

Herbs covered are Calendula, chamomile, tulsi, lavender, thyme and licorice.

In our 4 week, online intro herbal medicine course, you’ll build a solid foundation in:

• learn to think like a herbalist so you can actually use herbs effectively with the core pillars of holistic herbalism

• hands-on practice with all herbs, materials you need included in course – ask us all the questions you want as you explore that clunky beginning, then just practice till you can do it in your sleep!

• build relationships with 6 multi-purpose herbs – we carefully chose these herbs FOR their versatility in your home. Work smarter not, harder, and learning your herbs in depth will see you save money, save shelf space and build mastery much faster than dabbling with many herbs.

Would you love it if making your own remedies is as automatic as boiling eggs or brushing your teeth, something that even a muddle headed wombat could do!

Live online course starts Tuesday October 8 (can use replays) and runs for 4 weeks 

Enrol by Oct 1 so your DIY Herbal Starter Kit arrives in the post ready for the course!

Super keen but don’t have time now? You can do self-paced study anytime that suits you but we only enrol this course once/year.

Learn more

Nettle soup: A recipe to make things right

“Nettle” I said perched precariously upon a log, “sometimes I feel as if I’m not quite right”   

“What’s not quite right?” Nettle replied   

“I don’t know exactly, I wonder if I’m getting sick, I don’t feel quite right, I’m not sure if it’s a virus, or something manmade used against the virus, you know micro technology is a thing these days, or if its nothing to do with that and maybe I’m just low in iron, it’s been awhile since I checked my blood. Or maybe it’s the chemtrails?” I said looking up for the familiar white line of cloud, “maybe it’s the food? They say even the organic stuff can be contaminated, genetic engineering, monoculture, pesticides and all that. I’m really not sure but something’s not right.

Maybe its just stress? You know, there’s never enough money or hours in the day, and there’s the constant entering of passwords that you try to keep the same, but they keep forcing you to modify slightly so you can never quite remember which modification you used so you need to reset your password again and modify it even more. I’m exhausted. It doesn’t feel like the government is on our side, or like the structure of society is geared towards happiness. It makes me uneasy and very tired and then I wonder if I’m getting sick, which makes me wonder if I have a virus and we begin again where we started”    

“I see” said Nettle    

“What do you think it is?”    

“I think it’s the thinking” said nettle “there’s far too much of it”    

“Far too much thinking?”    

“yes”   

“but how do I stop thinking?”    

“when sitting on a log, just sit on a log”    

“But my mind wanders, I can’t stop it”    

“stop thinking and just feel everything around you.”    

I felt the log under my bottom, my feet in my shoes, the breeze on my face, a growl in my stomach.   

“I’m hungry” I said   

“So make soup” replied Nettle “make soup to quiet all the worry, if your worried about getting sick put things in to make you healthy, if your worried about your blood put things in for your blood, if your worried about stress put something in for that. A soup is like a potion, a soup can be magic you know”    

I thought for a minute.   

“I know just the thing”, I rummaged in my backpack and pulled out a bag of dried reishi mushrooms, some dried thyme and a bulb of garlic. “Reishi for the stress, garlic and thyme for my immune system and you my beautiful nettle for iron and protein, Oh and one more thing” I said plunging my hand back into my backpack “a potato for comfort and carbohydrate!”    

“Perfect” Nettle said pleased with my enthusiasm    

I busied myself with making a fire and cooking my soup and all my thoughts drifted away as I concentrated on the tasks at hand, chopping wood, carrying water like a Zen cliché, which made me laugh to myself when I noticed it. I picked a billy full of nettles from the large patch beside the log, gratitude so big my heart was bursting with it.    

“Thank you so much for this nettle”    

Nettle just smiled    

Mushroom, Thyme, Garlic & Nettle Soup 

A recipe from From the Wild by Heidi Merika (available in all good bookshops)

(30 minutes, serves 4-6) 

This soup can be modified to suit whatever you have on hand. The nettles are rich in protein and minerals like iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc and vitamin K. You can use medicinal mushrooms like reishi, shitake or lion’s mane, or flavourful mushrooms like porcini. All of which have their own list of medicinal benefits for either the nervous system, the immune system or both. Thyme is used in traditional herbal medicine for all kinds of infections and to dry up mucus and secretions. You can be as light or as heavy handed with the garlic as you prefer. For a medicinal soup for a cold or as an anti-inflammatory meal you can use plenty of garlic, unless you avoid garlic as a general rule. The white potato can be substituted for sweet potato or omitted if you prefer more of a light broth than a thick soup or are sensitive to starch or Solanaceae vegetables. Play with your own variations until you find your perfect potion! 

Ingredients 

A large bowl of ice water 

Salt 

4 cups of lightly packed nettle leaves and stems 

2 sticks of shallots or 1 bulb (approx. 6 cloves) of chopped garlic 

½ a cup of chopped celery 

1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil 

3 potatoes, peeled and chopped 

½ a cup of mushrooms (use a mix of medicinal - reishi, shitake or lion’s mane, and culinary -porcini, Swiss brown, oyster or chantarelle mushrooms (see note below this list) 

Note: If using dried mushrooms soak the mushroom in the two cups of water and ½ a teaspoon of salt for a minimum of 1 hour (or as long as overnight). Strain and discard the mushrooms and keep the mushroom stock. 

4 cups of vegetable stock 

2 cups of water 

1 teaspoon of dried thyme (or a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme) 

2 or 3 bay leaves 

Freshly ground black pepper 

1½ tablespoons of lemon juice 

Salt to taste 

Method 

Prepare a large bowl of ice water. 

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to the boil. 

Wearing protective gloves, transfer the nettle tops into the boiling water and blanch for 2 minutes. 

Use tongs to lift the wilted, blanched nettles out of the pot and transfer to the bowl of ice water to refresh them. 

Strain in a colander. 

Cut away and discard any large stems from the nettles. (This should be easier to do now that the nettle stingers have lost their sting due to the blanching.) 

You should have 3 to 4 cups of blanched tender nettle tops and leaves for this recipe. Any blanched nettles not used at this point can be frozen for future use. 

Sauté the shallots and celery. 

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil and butter on medium heat. Add the chopped shallots and celery and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. 

Add the chopped potatoes, the mushroom stock, bay leaf, and thyme. 

Bring to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes. 

Roughly chop the blanched nettles. 

Add 3 to 4 cups of the chopped blanched nettles to the pot. 

Add enough water to just cover the nettles and potatoes (1 to 2 cups). 

Return to a simmer and simmer for 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are soft and the nettles tender. 

Remove the bay leaves (and thyme sprigs if using) from the pot. 

If you prefer it chunky serve as is or if you want a smooth soup, using an immersion blender, or working in batches with a standing blender, purée. 

Serve warm.

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I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

Everyday Herbalism - 4 week online Course

Every home used to have someone who cared for the health and well-being of the family. They were the knowledge keepers, the health-makers.

Have you felt called to step back into this important role and provide vital support for your family’s daily health and well-being? Or perhaps the plants are calling you into great relationship and connection with the earth?

Everyday Herbalism is the perfect course to reclaim your ancestral home herbal wisdom!

This is the companion course to our award-winning Herbal Starter Kit – you can take it as a stand-alone or get huge bargain, not to mention convenience, when you bundle it with the kit.

Everyday Herbalism course:

• 4 weeks – short enough to fit in, long enough to actually learn

• direct access to 2 experienced Australian herbalists in a hands-on mentoring environment

• learn herbs and remedies that are immediately useful in your everyday life

• all materials included in this value-packed course – you’ll make remedies using our award-winning DIY Herbal Starter Kit (click here)

  

Course starts Tuesday October 8, 2024 (course runs only once a year).

Learn More & Sign Up

Nettle Monograph

Common Names: 

Urtica dioica – tall nettle, common nettle, large leaf stinging nettle 

Urtica urens - English nettle, dwarf nettle, native nettle, small leaf stinging nettle  

Urtica incisa - scrub nettle, tall nettle 

Species: Urtica Spp. Literature and research focus on Urtica dioica (large leaf) and Urtica urens (small leaf), however there are 30-45 species of Urtica. South-eastern Australia and New Zealand have Urtica incisa, commonly called scrub nettle, as well as Urtica dioica and Urtica urens. 

Genus: Urtica 

Family: Urticaceae 

Distribution 

Native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa, and western North America, and introduced throughout the world. 

See last weeks post for plant ID and Harvesting

Nutrients 

High in protein, chlorophyll, beta-carotene, vitamins B1, B2, B9, C, E and K, as well as silica, phosphorous, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulphur. 

Culinary use 

There are many recipes for nettle. It’s used in place of spinach, and as a cooked green in a large variety of dishes, including soups, stews, pastas and pesto. It is a common tea, and is used in tonic preparations with other nutritive herbs and foods. It should not be eaten raw due to the stinging hairs, but can be juiced. The seeds can be eaten on their own or with other seeds in culinary seed mixes. 

Folk medicine 

Nettle has a long history of use around the world as a food, a medicine and a fibre for textiles. The Third Reich in Germany used it during the Second World War as textile for the manufacture of uniforms. It is traditionally picked in early spring, and used as a steamed vegetable tonic to help rejuvenate the body and correct the bowels after winter. The Tibetan yogi, Milarepa, is said to have turned green after eating nothing but nettles during his long periods of meditation. 

It has been used for a variety of lung complaints, including asthma, cough and bronchitis. On the hair it is a scalp tonic and is said to cure everything from dandruff to baldness, and to speed hair growth. 

Many cases have been reported of applying the stinging hairs of nettle directly to arthritic areas, where the irritation is said to remove the arthritic pain. It is also said to affect the kidneys and act as a diuretic, helping reduce oedema and promote uric acid excretion, making it beneficial in gout and arthritis. 

Nettle is also used for anaemia and to stimulate milk flow, so is often recommended for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers. The juice of nettle is said to act as an antidote for its own sting, providing instant relief. The juice of dock, which is often found growing near nettle, is also an effective remedy for the sting. Hence the old rhyme “Nettle in, dock out. Dock rub nettle out!” 

Research 

There is a considerable amount of research on Urtica dioica and U. urens and a very limited amount on U. incisa. I have just highlighted major areas of research relating to U. dioica, however compounds and levels of constituents may vary. 

Clinical trials have been done on Urtica dioica in the following areas: anticancerⁱ, diabetes, metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular benefitsⁱⁱ, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)ⁱⁱⁱ, allergic rhinitis, arthritis^iv. 

Nettle References

How to use it as a medicine 

Both the leaf and root can be used as a tincture, tea, tablet or powder. 

Cautions and contraindications 

Apart from the obvious discomfort of being stung by nettle, which causes stinging pain, a rash and itching, nettle leaf is considered safe during all stages of life. It is recommended that the root be used with caution medicinally during pregnancy, lactation and childhood, due to its effects on androgen and oestrogen metabolism. However, it is considered safe as a food. 

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I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

The joy of Nettles

It’s spring and that means Nettles are back! The first time I found wild nettles they were infused with a golden light filled with joy and that joy filled me. Every since, even though I have not experienced anything quite as profound, I’ve always feel so happy when I find nettles. This happiness runs deep and I believe comes from either a past life or ancestral recognition stored in our DNA especially if we are of European descent but can be found in any nationality. Our humanity knows nettles and I think this sense of joy and knowing is shared by many of us. I’m so excited to share nettles with you this month.

Nettle Plant ID

How to identify it  

• Nettles are erect, upright plants, most easily identified by the small stinging hairs of silica that cover the leaves and stems. 

• Tall nettle (Urtica dioica) is perennial and can grow to 100 cm or more. It is 

tall in the summer and dies off in winter, except in Queensland, where it can grow throughout winter. 

• Nettle has opposite ovate leaves, with strongly serrated margins, a heart- 

shaped base, and a tip that tapers to a point. The tip is longer than the serrations on the sides of the leaves. 

• It has numerous green to brown flowers in dense axillary inflorescences, with male and female flowers found on separate plants. 

• It has widely spreading yellow rhizomes, stolons and roots. 

• English or dwarf nettle (Urtica urens) differs from U. dioica in the following ways: 

• It is annual, rather than perennial. 

• It is a smaller plant (10-50 cm). 

• Stem is upright with branches and four sides and covered in stinging hairs. 

• Leaves are 2-4 cm. 

• Male and female flowers are found on the same plant. The flower spikes are 

short and stumpy. 

• It has a milder sting. 

• The leaves are more deeply toothed and a similar size as the side teeth. 

• Scrub nettle (Urtica incisa) is similar to U. dioica, being both perennial and 

growing up to 1 m or more. It can have large leaves up to 10 cm long and, 

like U. dioica, it has male and female flowers on separate plants. 

How to harvest 

Leaves 

Make sure you wear gloves when harvesting nettles. But if you don’t have them, your best chance to not get stung is to put your fingers on the underside of the leaf (which doesn’t have stinging hairs), fold it in on itself and pinch it off. If you are cautious, it works. Generally though, wear gloves and use a pair of scissors or secateurs to cut nettle. Cutting the top 5-10 cm off the stems allows the lower stems to continue growing. 

Seeds  

Nettle flowers and goes to seed in the warmth of late spring and early summer. You can check if it’s ready to collect seeds by shaking the flower heads and seeing if seeds fall into your hand. If they do it’s ready to harvest. Cut the flower heads and gently shake and massage them over a large bowl. There are often little insects so be careful not to harm them, so they can return to their work in the garden. Butterflies breed on nettles. You can also hang the seed heads upside down with a bag wrapped around them for a few days. 

Roots 

If you have a large enough population of nettles to harvest roots while ensuring there are enough to regrow, you can dig up the whole plant to obtain the roots as well. A small gardening trowel is generally enough to dig them out. Roots are best harvested either before or after flowering when there is more energy, nutrition and phytochemicals in them. 

The From the Wild lands in bookshops on September 3rd (Next Tuesday!!) and will be available at all good bookshops. You can pre-order on my website.

If you would like to pick up a signed copy I’ll be at A little shop of Soul in Cooroy next Wednesday at 11am following my weed walk in the Cooroy Gardens (1 spot left!)

Book Weed Walk

What’s happening on The Wild World Substack

For paid subscribers for the rest of 2024 I will be sharing The Wildcraft Series where we study one plant in depth over 4 weeks, looking at how to identify it, it’s herbal monograph (folklore, historical use, scientific use, indications and cautions) as well as recipes and how it can be used in everyday life.

The Wild World with Heidi Merika is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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Upcoming courses and events

I have updated my website with lots upcoming events starting on the 3rd of September when From the Wild comes out. If you would like to join me to make an anti-inflammatory gel (Noosa Library), do a weed walk (Cooroy Community Gardens) followed by a book signing at Little Shop of Soul in Cooroy, talk about using weeds as food and medicine and in agriculture (Kandanga Farm Store, Agvention 2024), make an anti-inflammatory gel (Inspired Festival,Canberra), or have wine and vegetarian canapes inspired by From the Wild designed by head chef Cameorn Matthews using Falls Farm produce (Hinterland Writers Festival @ Mapleton Public House) then check out the all the details here.

Up coming events

I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

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Chickweed, Cashew and Caper Toast 

(10 minutes, makes 2 pieces of bread) 

Chickweed can be eaten as a salad vegetable that goes great on sandwiches, wraps or crackers. It’s so handy if it’s in the garden and you can duck out and grab a handful to pump up the fibre, vitamin C and health benefits of your lunch. There are several ways you can combine it as a topping. This is one of my favourites. 

Ingredients 

2 pieces sourdough bread 

1 dessertspoon of vegan butter or olive oil 

2 dessertspoons of cashew cheese 

¼ red onion 

1 teaspoon of capers 

½ cup chickweed 

½ a lemon 

Pinch of salt and pepper to taste 

Method 

Toast the sourdough bread. 

Spread with butter, or olive oil. 

Spread with cashew cheese. 

Thinly slice the red onion and place it on the cheese. 

Add capers. 

Garnish generously with chickweed 

Squeeze lemon juice on top. 

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Pre-Order Bonus!!!

If you have pre-ordered From the Wild, email me with a screenshot or forward of your purchase receipt with the email heading ‘Bonus’ and I willI send you bonus content about two of my favourite wild plants not included in the book: Fleabane and Paddy's Lucerne. As well as information about both plants, you'll receive recipes for fleabane pet shampoo and insect powder (great for chickens!) and Paddy’s Lucerne anti-diarrhoea drink and cough syrup. 

The book lands in the shops on September 3rd and will be available at all good bookshops. You can pre-order on my website.

Pre-order now

What’s happening on The Wild World Substack

For paid subscribers for the rest of 2024 I will be sharing The Wildcraft Series where we study one plant in depth over 4 weeks, looking at how to identify it, it’s herbal monograph (folklore, historical use, scientific use, indications and cautions) as well as recipes and how it can be used in everyday life.

Upcoming courses and events

I have updated my website with lots upcoming events starting on the 3rd of September when From the Wild comes out. If you would like to join me to make an anti-inflammatory gel (Noosa Library), do a weed walk (Cooroy Community Gardens), talk about using weeds as food and medicine and in agriculture (Kandanga Farm Store, Agvention), make an anti-inflammatory gel (Inspired Festival,Canberra), or have wine and vegetarian canapes inspired by From the Wild designed by head chef Cameorn Matthews using Falls Farm produce (Hinterland Writers Festival @ Mapleton Public House) then check out the all the details here.

Up coming events

I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

Share

Spring has sprung and its the perfect time of year to make this gorgeous salad with an abundance of Chickweed to found in gardens across the country. Maybe a bit early for those of you in the south but up here in the subtropics its growing like crazy after plenty of rain! I thought I’d share this sneak peak recipe from From the Wild coming September 3rd!!

Chickweed Spring Salad (Fairy Food) 

(20 minutes, serves 2-4) 

This salad is what I imagine fairies eat. It is so pretty and delicate in looks and taste and is so cleansing and purifying. Chickweed contains a lot of a compound called saponins, which act like dishwashing detergent on a greasy pan and literally help break down fats in the body including your winter muffin top. 

The edible herbs and flowers are bursting with fibre, vitamins and minerals that help detoxify the body from accumulated toxins and hormones. It is an excellent source of vitamin C. 

The fennel is calming to the gut and helps improve digestion. The pears are soothing to the digestion, help regulate bowel movements and are low glycaemic, helping blood sugar regulation. The edible flowers can be bought in some health food shops or collected from your garden or local area. Common edible garden flowers are, nasturtiums, violas, violets, pansies, calendula, roses, hibiscus, chamomile, lavender and dandelion flowers. 

Ingredients 

1 cup of chickweed 

1 cup of salad leaves (add lots of wild edibles like dandelion, nasturtium, gotu kola, purslane, nodding top, cobblers pegs, oxalis, fennel, herb robert and mallow). 

¼ fennel bulb 

1 pear 

½ cup of edible flowers (nasturtium, viola, violet, pansie, calendula, rose, hibiscus, chamomile, lavender and dandelion) or whatever you have in the garden, or your area. 

Dressing 

1 orange 

1 lemon 

1 dessertspoon of maple syrup 

1 dessertspoon of olive oil, or another cold pressed seed oil 

1/4 teaspoon of salt 

Method 

Wash and drain the chickweed and salad leaves and shake out the water, or pat dry. 

Add the leaves to a salad bowl. 

Slice the pear and fennel into delicately thin strips and add to the leaves. 

Toss the salad. 

Pour on the dressing (do not add the dressing until just before serving or serve on the side and let people add their own) 

Add the flowers last so they do not go soggy. You can delicately place them over the top of the salad for maximum prettiness. 

Note: this salad should definitely be eaten wearing a tiara, fairy wings, or at the very least a dab of glitter or a sparkly bindi. 

Pre-Order Bonus!!!

If you have pre-ordered From the Wild just email me with a screenshot or forward of your purchase receipt with the email heading ‘Bonus’ and I will send you bonus content from From the Wild that we didn’t use due to lack of space. This content has not been used or endorsed by Murdoch so is less polished but its still very useful.

The plants that we left out are Fleabane and Paddy’s Lucerne and contain recipes for fleabane pet shampoo and insect powder (great for chickens!) and Paddy’s Lucerne anti-diarrhoea drink and cough syrup.

Pre-Order From the Wild

What’s happening on The Wild World Substack

For paid subscribers for the rest of 2024 I will be sharing The Wildcraft Series where we study one plant in depth over 4 weeks, looking at how to identify it, it’s herbal monograph (folklore, historical use, scientific use, indications and cautions) as well as recipes and how it can be used in everyday life.

Update on Live calls

I was going to offer regular live calls on here but am putting these on pause for the moment due to illness in my family which is needing my energy at home. All will be well, but I just need to put my family first. I’ll revisit them down the track and there are lots of courses and events coming up where we can connect. See below.

Upcoming courses and events

I have updated my website with lots upcoming events starting on the 3rd of September when From the Wild comes out. If you would like to join me to make an anti-inflammatory gel (Noosa Library), do a weed walk (Cooroy Community Gardens), talk about using weeds as food and medicine and in agriculture (Kandanga Farm Store, Agvention), make an anti-inflammatory gel (Inspired Festival,Canberra), or have wine and vegetarian canapés inspired by From the Wild designed by head chef Cameorn Matthews using Falls Farm produce (Hinterland Writers Festival at Mapleton Public House) then check out the all the details here.

Up coming events

I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

Share

Chickweeds delicate leaves and stems swayed in the cool night breeze. The full moon made her tiny white flowers glitter as if she was reflecting the starlight back to itself.

An echo of a memory of becoming. Were the first chickweed flowers really made from starlight? Is that how she got her name Stellaria?

She was lost in thought as the full moon rose high in the night sky casting its silvery glow around the garden.

The moonlight made her restless, the way it makes us all restless when the moon is full and pouring her light through our windows. There was something she couldn’t quite name that she was yearning for. As if something had once been there, something important, but now it was gone.

She looked across at the yarrow growing beside her. “I feel like something is missing, do you ever get that feeling?”

Yarrow nodded. “Something is missing” she said with a sigh. “Well, not missing exactly, but damaged.”

“What is it?” asked chickweed eagerly.

“The Earths energy lines have been damaged; these lines have been a source of connection and power since the Earth was formed. Sadly, humans have damaged them by harming the Earth, the animals and each other. Violence, pollution and unharmonious electromagnetic frequencies have disrupted the energy lines of the Earth making her weak.”

“How can it be fixed?” asked Chickweed

“By lovingly attending to the Earth and all its creatures.” Said Yarrow kindly. “We each have our own role to play. We just need to ask the Earth what she wants us to do for her and she will guide us.”

Chickweed closed her eyes and asked Mother Earth what she could do to help. A. vision came to her of her leaves and stems used to heal the Earth below her by drawing nutrients up from the soil which would go back into the Earth when she died back. She saw healing creams and slaves made from her juice being used by humans, she saw animals eating her and absorbing essential vitamins and nutrients. She saw that just by being who we are and serving those around us we bring harmony back to the Earth and in doing so heal the Earths energy lines. Tears like dew drops fell down her leaves as she realised how important she was in healing everything around her.

“I understand now” she told Yarrow. Yarrow nodded for she also understood.

Chickweed looked around the luminous moonlit garden again and this time instead of feeling like something was missing she felt like something precious had been found.

Sneak Peak inside The medicine Makers bundle

If your keen to make herbal medicines at home but not sure where to start this course is a great place to start.

This bundle includes:

• PDF Sterilising bottles and Jars (1 page)

• PDF Dried Herbs (10 pages)

• Video Dried Herbs 3:52 minutes

• Video Powders and Capsules 2.15 minutes

• PDF Infused oils (4 pages)

• Video Infused Calendula oil 3.33 minutes

• Video Infusions and Decoctions 2.21 minutes

• PDF Flower essences (9 pages)

• Video Flower essences 4.01 minutes

• PDF Balms, ointments and pessaries (11 pages)

• Video Balms 1:29 minutes

• Video Ointments 2:51 minutes

• Video Pessaries 2:58 minutes

• PDF Tinctures & Glycetracts (7 pages)

• Video Tinctures 4:51 minutes

• Video Glycetracts 5:51 Minutes

• PDF Herbal Creams and Gels (11 pages)

• Video Herbal creams 3.44 minutes

• Video Herbal Gels 5.46 minutes

• PDF Resources (6 pages)

Was $220 Now only $75

More info & Buy now

For paid subscribers for the rest of 2024 I will be sharing The Wildcraft Series where we study one plant in depth over 4 weeks, looking at how to identify it, it’s herbal monograph (folklore, historical use, scientific use, indications and cautions) as well as recipes and how it can be used in everyday life.

Subscribe now

Chickweed Monograph

Common Names: Chickweed 

Species: Stellaria media 

Genus: Stellaria 

Family: Caryophyllaceae 

Distribution 

Origins are uncertain, distributed throughout North Africa, the Americas and Southern Europe, through the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent to Malaysia and Australasia. 

How to Harvest 

Chickweed is a cool season annual that grows in autumn, sometimes throughout winter depending on location and into spring. Chickweed dies back in warm weather and will usually regrow the following season if the conditions remain similar in the ground.  

It is very easy to harvest as it pulls out very easily. In order to not pull up the roots accidentally you may want to harvest with scissors or else gently pull up sections only, leaving enough for the patch to regenerate. The whole plant, but mainly leaves, stems and flowers can all be eaten and used medicinally.  

Nutrients 

Rich in protein, vitamin A (carotenoids) vitamin B, vitamin C, minerals, iron, copper. 

Culinary use 

Used around the world as a potherb and salad vegetable. 

Folk medicine 

Chickweed has a wide range of applications anywhere there is inflammation or ulceration. It is used frequently for inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract, and for arthritic and rheumatic pain. It is also considered to be very cleansing and strengthening for the systems of elimination, such as liver, kidneys and lymph. 

It can also be used as a soothing poultice for hot, red and itchy or inflamed skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis. A decoction of the whole plant is taken internally as a post-partum depurative, emmenagogue, galactogogue and circulatory tonic. 

Research   

Clinical trials have confirmed its use in the following areas; weight managementⁱ, antiviralⁱⁱ, antifungalⁱⁱⁱ, anti-cancer^iv, liver protective.^v 

View references

How to use it as a medicine 

It can be used as a tincture, an infusion, a poultice, a powder and a fresh juice (succus). 

Cautions and contraindications 

None known 

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I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

We are in an era of increasingly rapid change where the acceleration of events over the coming decade is likely to change life on this planet as we know it. Major climate events will reshape our environment, digital currency will reshape our economies, AI will reshape our technology and geopolitical politics is likely to swing increasingly towards extremes.

In the face of all this rapid change we can no longer simply rely on logic and education to guide us forward. Those who try to do business as usual will find themselves failing and bewildered as things get pulled out from under them. This applies to our business, our homes, and our health.

In the face of what is to come the most important skill we can develop is our intuition. That inner knowing that tells us, even in the face of all evidence to the contrary, that this is what we must do. The inner knowing that will give us split second guidance in any given moment, that may save our lives, our homes, or our health.

Using your intuition is a skill that must be cultivated, like a muscle that must be exercised to be strong. It is through the repeated use, development and trust in our intuition that it becomes stronger and we can rely on it more easily.

After working for over 25 years with plants I have been guided, protected, and helped along, when my human spirit has lost its way, many times by the plants around me.

I feel strongly that this connection with the natural world is the MOST important skill you can develop as an herbalist right now and if I can help you, even a little bit, to blow on that ember and rekindle the fire of your inner knowing then this is time well spent for both of us.

Intuitive Herbalism Online Course

This month-long online course is designed to help develop your skills in working intuitively with plants and nature.

I will be sharing the plant spirit qualities of the common weeds as outlined in my book Wildcraft and expand on ways to connect with these qualities and use them in your everyday life.

The course also covers

• How to make and use flower essences.

• Different types of meditations to connect with plants.

• Drum journey as a way to connect with plant spirits.

• How your diet and lifestyle can affect your ability to connect with nature.

• You will receive a digital workbook PDF that can be downloaded and printed to work on as you do the course and beyond.

Dates: Live Calls Tuesday August 6th, 13th, 20th, 27th

Time: Live calls 10am (recordings available)

Cost $249.00 inc gst

Pay with PayPal pay in 4 instalments at PayPal checkout

Buy Now

In honour of my Wildcraft weed walk this weekend (sorry, its all sold out!) where we are going to make a wild weed pesto, I thought I would share this little short story I wrote about this recipe. Originally I wanted to have these little creative short stories in my new book From the Wild but as the book was already 100 pages over what the publisher originally wanted they had to be cut. Maybe one day I’ll put them together into a little book of their own… But for now here is one to enjoy.

Wild Weed Pesto (it’s a party)  

“Have you heard?” said Wood Sorrel to Chickweed 

“Heard what? Said Chickweed 

‘There’s going to be a party, we’re all invited” said Wood Sorrel bursting with excitement. “she’s making pesto and everyone who’s anyone is going to be in it”  

“Do you think Nasturtium will be in it?” said Chickweed coyly “Nasturtiums so spicy and strong don’t you think?  

Wood Sorrel giggled   

“I don’t know, I’m quite fond of Dandelion, I just like the shape of Dandelion’s leaf, its just so interesting don’t you think?”  

“I suppose it is” said Chickweed with a grin “Oh this is going to be so fun.” 

Word spread quickly around the garden until all the plants were buzzing with the news.  

Over by the woodshed, Nettle, Dock and Cleavers were having a philosophical debate with cleavers about whether or not manmade objects like the axe that was leaning against the woodshed had a soul or not.  

“Surely, when the handle of the axe was connected to the tree and the metals of the axe head were minerals in Earth they had a soul, so at what point did the soul depart?” said Nettle thoughtfully 

“Once the branch is broken and the minerals taken from the Earth then the connection to the Soul is severed.” Dock said with some certainty.  

“Unless” said Cleavers “the handle is still connected by spirit to the tree and if the Tree still lives, then part of the spirit of the Tree still lives in the handle of the axe, as is true for the minerals in axe head, so in effect there is no such thing as an inanimate object”  

They all went quiet for a moment to pontificate while staring pointedly at the axe.  

At the edge of garden where things got less attention Cobblers Pegs was wondering out loud to Blackberry Nightshade and Nodding top “Do you think they will remember us? Do you think she even knows we are edible?” 

“I still get confused with that other nightshade and people just get scared” said Blackberry Nightshade with a sigh.  

“In some countries I’m eaten all the time because of my delicious carroty taste” said Nodding Top “but here they just think I’m a weed”   

“It’s the same for all of us” said Cobblers Pegs kindly 

“I’ve always wanted to go to a party. Do my berries look Ok? Said Blackberry Nightshade “ Are they black enough? Do you think I’m pretty enough?  

“Of course you are” said Cobblers Pegs 

“Absolutely” said Nodding Top  

And Blackberry Nightshade felt like she had the best friends in the whole world and that whether she got included or not she was happy to be where she was. But still, it would be nice to go to a real party.  

They needn’t have worried because the gardener knew her garden well and when she came, basket in hand, she was thorough and generous and no one got left behind.  

As she moved through the garden music wafted in the air around her. Something soft and harmonious, filled with strings that soared and lifted the spirit to heaven as one by one she plucked each leaf and placed it in the basket.  

But inside the basket the music changed, there were horns and a double bass beat that didn’t let up, it was a wild and untamed scene, frantic jazz that made everyone feel electric and like they just wanted to move, move, move.  

Purslane’s stem had never looked so pink or her leaves so plump and juicy as she bounced around the basket. Fat Hen’s booming laughter mixed with that heady jazz and the scent of mugwort was contagious and made them all loose and giddy so that they laughed and whooped and yelled things that they needed to set free and no one cared or thought anything of it because they were lost in their own wild trip and it was all happening at once and they were never more themselves and never more connected to each other at the same time.  

In the kitchen olive oil, garlic, pine nuts, lemon and sweet maple joined the party like those late night gate crashers with nothing to lose who throw themselves into the fray and kick it up into a frenzy.  

She placed them all in the morta where they pushed up against each other as she bought in her pestle and moved it in a slow grind that that made them move together, leaves and juices started to mingle, they were dissolving into each other, as the mix got wetter she began a rhythmic pounding that moved with the music increasing in intensity until they couldn’t tell who was who any more, they were just one ecstatic mass, transformed into something sublime that made those who ate it say ‘oh’ and ‘mmmmm’ and ‘wow’ or just throw their head back and laugh in delight.  

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For paid subscribers for the rest of 2024 I will be sharing The Wildcraft Series where we study one plant in depth over 4 weeks, looking at how to identify it, it’s herbal monograph (folklore, historical use, scientific use, indications and cautions) as well as recipes and how it can be used in everyday life. On the 4th week I will be doing a live zoom plant meditation. The link will be sent out in week 3.

Pre-Orders of From the Wild now available. Book release on 3rd of September

For more info about this book click here

Chickweed Plant ID Video

Distribution

Origins are uncertain, distributed throughout North Africa, the Americas and Southern Europe, through the Middle East and the Indian subcontinent to Malaysia and Australasia.

How to identify it

·      It is a sprawling light green groundcover with weak, slender stems reaching up to 40cm.

·      It has a line of fine tiny hairs running down the side of the stem. Often you will need to hold it up into the light to see the hairs.

·      The leaves are oval and opposite, the lower ones with stalks.

·      It has tiny white, star-shaped flowers with five very deeply lobed petals. The stamens are usually three, and the styles three.

·      The flowers are followed quickly by the seedpods. It flowers and goes to seed at the same time.

Look alike plants

Petty Spurge (milkweed, radium weed, cancer weed) (Euphorbia peplus)

Petty spurge, is corrosive and will cause sores on the skin that may lead to deep ulcers. It is sometimes used for the removal of some skin cancers. If used for this purpose regular assessment of the cancer by a skilled skin doctor is recommended.

Tropical Chickweed (Drymaria cordata)

Tropical chickweed has anti-inflammatory and pain relieving properties similar to aspirin and is used for spasmodic coughs.

Mouse-ear Chickweed (Cerastium glomeratum)

Leaves and shoots used as a wild food, the juice used for headaches and nose bleeds.

Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis aka Lysimachia arvensis)

Is toxic to many animal species so not recommended on grazing land. Has a long history of medicinal use especially externally for itching, arthritis, haemorrhoids, rabies and snake bite. Internal use requires skill and knowledge due to its toxicity, but has been used by healers for depression and lung complaints.

I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

Share The Wild World with Heidi Merika

The wildcraft Series Live Calls

I’m going to start doing live zoom calls for paid subscribers once a month. This will be an opportunity for us to do plant spirit journeys together, and for you to ask questions about the plant we are focusing on that month or any other herbal questions you may have.

The link will be sent out to paid subscribers in the 3rd week of each plant we cover and the 4th week will be the live.

The first Wildcraft Series Live, is on Nasturtium, and will be on Wednesday the 10th July at 10am. Subscribe now for link below. Plus recipe for nasturtium cold and flu tonic!

It’s only $8 per month and you can cancel at anytime or $80 for the whole year.

The link is available below for paid subscribers.

Subscribe now

Zoom link for Live Call

Heidi Merika is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Nasturtium Live

Time: Jul 10, 2024 10:00 AM Brisbane

Join Zoom Meeting

Zoom link (copy and paste into your browser)

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81421641072?pwd=cAVkLLB5ZaxUdzlpimFtHmt3b1eZI4.1

or

Use direct link click here

Meeting ID: 814 2164 1072

Passcode: 551235

Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kzgzPaq3o

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I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

There is only one spot left on the upcoming Wildcraft Weed Walk so if you were hoping to come snap it up straight away as we are already at capacity.

This hands on intensive is designed to introduce you to numerous wild plants as they grow in their environment. You will spend the morning learning how to identify and harvest wild medicinal plants, including; names, basic botany and identification, and when and how to harvest. You will get to make a wild weed pesto to share for morning tea to taste the flavours of the wild plants.

We will also do a guided mediation to meet the plant divas which will take place out in nature where we can immerse ourselves in the plant kingdom. (weather permitting! if its raining we will do it indoors)

Dates: Sunday 28th July

Time: 9am to 12pm

Location: Shambahla Farm

58 Justin Rd, Doonan QLD 4562

Cost: $90

Buy Now

The wildcraft Series Live Calls

I’m going to start doing live zoom calls for paid subscribers once a month. This will be an opportunity for us to do plant spirit journeys together, and for you to ask questions about the plant we are focusing on that month or any other herbal questions you may have.

The link will be sent out to paid subscribers in the 3rd week of each plant we cover and the 4th week will be the live.

The first Wildcraft Series Live, is on Nasturtium, and will be on Wednesday the 10th July at 10am. Subscribe now for link below. Plus recipe for nasturtium cold and flu tonic!

It’s only $8 per month and you can cancel at anytime or $80 for the whole year.

Subscribe now

Zoom link for Live Call

Heidi Merika is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: Nasturtium Live

Time: Jul 10, 2024 10:00 AM Brisbane

Join Zoom Meeting

Zoom link (copy and paste into your browser)

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81421641072?pwd=cAVkLLB5ZaxUdzlpimFtHmt3b1eZI4.1

or

Use direct link click here

Meeting ID: 814 2164 1072

Passcode: 551235

Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kzgzPaq3o

Nasturtium Cold and Flu Tonic  

(20 minutes, makes 500mls)  

This is one of the best winter tonics I know of. It’s an all-round immune tonic to help fight off winter viruses and bacteria. You can take it throughout cold and flu season as a preventative or start taking it at the first sign of a cold or sore throat. 

Ingredients 

1 cup of nasturtium leaves and flowers 

1 cup of apple cider vinegar 

3 garlic cloves 

1 thumb size piece of fresh ginger 

1 thumb size piece of fresh turmeric 

1 lemon 

Method 

Roughly chop the nasturtium leaves and flowers and place in a sterilised glass jar. 

Add the vinegar. 

Coarsely chop the garlic, ginger and turmeric and add to the jar. 

Slice the lemon into circles with the skin on and add to the jar. 

Cap tightly and leave in a cool dark place for a minimum of two weeks. 

If your jar has a metal lid, place baking paper between the lid and the jar to stop it rusting. 

How to use the tonic 

Take 1 dessertspoon in ¼ cup of warm water. If desired, you can sweeten the tonic with a teaspoon of honey or maple syrup. Take daily for prevention, or up to 3 times a day at the first sign of infection. 

Share The Wild World with Heidi Merika

I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

Looking forward to joining forces with Chrissy and Craig from Shambhala Farm to bring you this Wildcraft weed Walk morning.

This hands on intensive is designed to introduce you to numerous wild plants as they grow in their environment. You will spend the morning learning how to identify and harvest wild medicinal plants, including; names, basic botany and identification, and when and how to harvest. You will get to make a wild weed pesto to share for morning tea to taste the flavours of the wild plants.

We will also do a guided mediation to meet the plant divas which will take place out in nature where we can immerse ourselves in the plant kingdom. (weather permitting! if its raining we will do it indoors)

Dates: Sunday 28th July

Time: 9am to 12pm

Location: Shambahla Farm

58 Justin Rd, Doonan QLD 4562

Cost: $90 (You can use PayPal Pay in 4 to make 4 payments, one every two weeks. This is available from the PayPal checkout)

This course is nearly sold out so book now!

Buy now

The wildcraft Series Live Calls

I’m going to start doing live zoom calls for paid subscribers once a month. This will be an opportunity for us to do plant spirit journeys together, and for you to ask questions about the plant we are focusing on that month or any other herbal questions you may have.

The link will be sent out to paid subscribers in the 3rd week of each plant we cover and the 4th week will be the live.

The first Wildcraft Series Live, is on Nasturtium, and will be on Wednesday the 10th July at 10am

Subscribe now

Nasturtium Monograph

Nasturtium  

Common names: nasturtium 

Species: Tropaeolum majus 

Genus: Tropaeolum 

Family: Tropaeolaceae 

Distribution 

Native to South America, naturalised in North America, Europe, Africa, Australia and New Zealand. 

See ID and how to harvest in last weeks post

Nutrients 

Protein, vitamin C, beta-carotene, quercetin, lutein, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium, zinc, copper, iron, sulphur and iodine. One hundred grams of nasturtium flowers covers 73-100% of the recommended dietary allowances (RDA) of zinc for an adult. They contain up to 45mg of lutein per 100g, which is the highest amount found in any edible plant. 

Culinary use 

The flowers and leaves are used most commonly in salads or stir-fries. It has a strong peppery taste. The unripe seedpods can be harvested and dropped into spiced vinegar to produce a condiment and garnish, which is sometimes used in place of capers. 

Folk medicine 

Nasturtium was first introduced in Europe from Peru in the 1600s. The Peruvian Indians used the natural antibiotic qualities of nasturtium leaves to treat coughs. 

Traditionally, it has been used as an antibiotic to treat various infections, particularly those of the lungs and the urinary tract, but also upper respiratory tract infection, sinusitis and rhinitis. 

It was used as a remedy against scurvy, due to its high vitamin C content. In folk medicine it has a history of use in the common cold and influenza. It has traditionally been used externally for muscular pain, bacterial infections and minor scrapes and wounds. 

Research       

Clinical trials have confirmed its use in the following areas; diureticⁱ, urinary tract infectionsⁱⁱ, circulationⁱⁱⁱ, blood pressure lowering^iv, respiratory infections^v, antibiotic^vi, antioxidant^vii and cancer^viii.   

View References

How to use it as a medicine 

It can be used as a powder, a vinegar or ethanol extract, as a syrup, macerate, infusion or tincture, and fresh flowers and immature green seeds can be eaten raw or pickled. 

Cautions and contraindications 

The volatile mustard oil in nasturtium causes skin irritation and should not be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. It should be avoided by people with kidney diseases, or ulceration of the stomach or intestinal tract. 

Subscribe now

I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

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Something New and exciting in the wildcraft series: Monthly Live Zoom calls!!

It has been great running the wildcraft series this year. As I’m reaching this midway point, right at winter solstice, I’ve been reflecting on what’s working for me and what isn’t. One thing I’ve realised is that what makes teaching fun for me… is YOU!

I started the year all excited about Substack and all its potential but as the year has worn on though its been starting to feel like shouting into a void.

So in order to make it more engaging for both of us, I’m going to start doing live zoom calls for paid subscribers once a month. This will be an opportunity for us to do plant spirit journeys together, and for you to ask questions about the plant we are focusing on that month or any other herbal questions you may have.

The link will be sent out to paid subscribers in the 3rd week of each plant we cover and the 4th week will be the live.

I’m just going to trial this for the next 3-4 months to gage the response both with you and for myself and see if it works for both of us. Life feels increasingly like a game of snakes and ladders these day where you can never quite predict whats going to happen and what happens in one roll of the dice might be flipped a month later. Anyway ‘its not whether you win or loose but how you play the game’ right? So, game on.

The first Wildcraft Series Live, is on Nasturtium, and will be on Wednesday the 10th July at 10am

See nasturtium ID video below.

Herbfest 2024

If you came to HerbFest on Sunday I hope it was as much fun for you as it was for me! It was so lovely to connect with so many beautiful people face to face and to get feedback that people are connecting with this work.

HerbFest was pumping, the speakers and presenters were amazing!! and I even made some new herbie friends!

If you missed out or I know many of you are keen to come back next year

🌿 SAVE THE DATE: HerbFest 2025: third Sunday in June (June 15)! 🌿

Stallholders – earlybird rego opens mid-Feb, if you don’t hear from Cat, please get in touch as stall spots will book out (Cat is going to keep numbers capped as she grows attendance a bit more to help make it an awesome day for everyone who shows up).

Potential speakers – if you know someone who’d be awesome, tell them to get in touch with Cat at Everyday Empowered. She has already got half the speakers penciled in for next year, and she’ll finalise the program in January.

Potential Sponsors – Cat literally can’t run HerbFest without sponsorship – it’s the only way she can keep tickets  cheap so its an accessible community event and so people can spend money on the stalls.

If you know someone who’d like to support HerbFest (and is in alignment with our earth, community values), please put us in touch. We are sooooooo grateful to our sponsors this year

New wildcraft course now open!!

I haven’t run a wildcrafting course for a while as I’ve been working on my new book. So I’m excited to get back to the plants and sharing them with you.

This is my first time to team up with the beautiful Chrissy and Craig at Shambhala Farm to run this course in a new location.

Details of next course

Dates: Sunday 28th July

Time: 9am to 12pm

Location: Shambahla Farm

58 Justin Rd, Doonan QLD 4562

Cost: $90 (You can use PayPal Pay in 4 to make 4 payments, one every two weeks. This is available from the PayPal checkout)

This hands on intensive is designed to introduce you to numerous wild plants as they grow in their environment. You will spend the morning learning how to identify and harvest wild medicinal plants, including; names, basic botany and identification, and when and how to harvest. You will get to make a wild weed pesto to share for morning tea to taste the flavours of the wild plants.

We will also do a guided mediation to meet the plant divas which will take place out in nature where we can immerse ourselves in the plant kingdom. (weather permitting! if its raining we will do it indoors)

Places limited, book to save your spot.

Buy Course

Recommended Substack

I’m loving what Sarah Wilson is doing on her Substack with the serialisation of her new book about collapse.

For a long time the conversation has been ‘how do we prevent collapse?’ but we spent so long asking that question and not doing enough to prevent it, that now we have missed our chance to prevent it. The fact is we are now facing an inevitable collapse. The conversation is now How do we live through it?

She writes:

🕊️ The book is about collapse. That is, how the complex systems that make up our civilisation - the economic, energy, climate, population, democratic and sense-making systems - are out of whack, wobbling or already in collapse.

🕊️ But mostly it maps out how the hell a tender soul is to actually live a beautiful, human(e) life amidst it all. As Simone de Beauvoir asked in a similarly liminal time, “How do we live now?”. If you just want to get stuck in…

You can read the first 3 chapters for free then subscribe if you would like to continue.

This is Precious

Bold words for living in an uncertain world....from author Sarah Wilson

By Sarah Wilson

Nasturtium Plant ID

I’m excited to do this plant mid-winter as its the plant I always think of as natures antibiotic. Perfect for mid-winter colds and flu. It’s fiery, peppery taste ignites the immune system, brings heat to salads that may otherwise be too cooling this time of year and energetically it brings a spark of inspiration when life feels dull and uninspired.

Plus its just a beautiful plant to have in the house or garden.

How to identify it 

• Nasturtium is recognised by its bright yellow, orange and red flowers. 

• The flowers have five petals and a funnel-shaped nectar spur at the back, formed by modification of one of the five sepals. 

• It flowers in spring and summer. 

• Another key feature is its spirally arranged, round, umbrella-like (peltate) leaves with radiating veins. 

• The young leaves have a peppery, watercress flavour, and drops of water bead on the surface like mercury. 

• The top of the leaf is hairless, but the under surface is rough, with small warts, and can be bluish. 

• The smooth stems branch from the base and are circular, weak, soft and fleshy. They scramble or climb to usually about 1m long, and occasionally up to 10m long, and have a watery sap. 

• It has green succulent fruit. 

• Seeds are green and succulent until they drop and turn light brown. 

• It has a taproot. 

How to harvest 

Leaves  

Nasturtiums grow from spring through summer and into late autumn. In warmer climates they can sometimes grow year round. Leaves can be harvested throughout the growing season. Use scissors to cut the leaves at the stems so the plant can keep growing. 

Seeds  

Seeds can be hard to see so you need to gently move the leave aside to look for them growing on the stalks. Harvest gently with scissors or by pinching them off with your fingers.  

Flowers  

Flowers can be harvested throughout the growing season by picking gently with your fingers 

Subscribe now

I would like to acknowledge the Kabbi Kabbi/Gubbi Gubbi peoples on who’s lands I live and work. I acknowledge that sovereignty was never ceded and pray this truth be acknowledged and respected by all who live, work and govern these lands.

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