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Here's some I made earlier... | |
Madeleine's Cream |
A few of the not-so-secret ingredients in Madeleine's Cream and ointments...
Calendula (Pot Marigold), the great healer,
contains flavonoids, the chemicals of circulation.
Essential when treating skin conditions of any kind, but especially good for old and tired skin as it radiates warmth and is a nourishing tissue-healer.
It's also a powerful anti-fungal and is good for reducing inflammation and soothing irritated tissue.
We sowed some Calendula seeds at the last Herb Walk
Urtica urens (Nettle) has a remarkable ability to help disperse and drain toxic deposits from the body and it combines beautifully with Marigold to accelerate the speed of recovery.
Stellaria media (Chickweed) abounds in disused pots and waste ground.
This little gem of a herb is not only a highly effective agent for anti-itching, soothing and cooling, it also stimulates the body's powers of rejuvenation and promotes cell regrowth.
The story of Madeleine's Cream & Ointments ...
"In over twenty years as a homeopath, I have treated all kinds of skin problems, from eczema and psoriasis to cracked nipples and nappy rash.
I developed my own recipe to meet all these requirements, and the results were immediate and outstanding - my patients experienced profound improvements to their skin conditions."
For questions about Madeleine's Cream & Ointments, click here or call 01342 826 965 | | |
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 | Come walk with us... | |
Join us for the latest in our series of Herb Walks. Ben Fairlight, The Barefoot Herbalist, will take us on a fascinating tour of the hedgerows, fields and woodland just a short walk away from the centre of Forest Row.
The open fields and woods will be our main playground for the day. We will aim to pick enough herbs to both taste in our lunch and set some in oil (for a later ointment) and use some straight away as juice or infusion for a fresh cream - with enough for everyone to take some home.
The Sloe flowers have given way to May blossom and we're looking forward to reconnecting with many other herbs in flower:
Some darling buds... |
Wood Sage, Ramsons, Town Hall Clock, Anemone, Oxalis Bittercress, Cuckoo Flower, Yarrow, Archangels Yellow, Purple & White Ground Elder, Ground Ivy, Selfheal, Bugle, Chickweed, Cleavers, Nettle Dandelion, Vetch (Common), Hedge Garlic, Herb Robert... to name but a few!
 Morning 9.00 - 1pmField Tincture & Field Juice
Mustard Oils & Blood/Lymph Cleansers
Aiming to get straight to the woods, we will forage for the MUSTARD OILS in Cuckoo Flower & Bittercress. We will make a FIELD JUICE with a plastic bag/bottle and a stone - and apply it to the skin. Then we'll do the same with three common alternatives: Chickweed, Nettle, Cleavers - and taste them, saving enough for making a cream in the afternoon.
We'll pick some Hogweed for frying in butter and some other fresh leaves (also from the trees!) for a Salad Rustique a la Madeleine.
On returning to Madeleine's house we'll set a COLD INFUSION of Herb Robert root to rest as an optional extra to our cream - for real TANNIN effect!
Afternoon 2 - 5pm
Working with Transition - Practising and Cream Making
Out in the fields and woods, Ben will send us on a quest to spark our spirit of adventure! In small groups, we'll have some (purely theoretical) common ailments - with you foraging for the remedy. Back at base, we'll set some herbs in oil (if we haven't already) and make some cream - again, with YOU DOING THE PRACTICAL!
Newcomers are very welcome
�20 for morning or afternoon
�35 for all day
To book your place call 01342 826 965 or
Please bring your own lunch - drinks and biscuits provided
Please also bring, if you can:
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1 small jar
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1 plastic bag (freezer/sandwich bag)
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1 pair of small scissors
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1 small thermos flask (optional, but useful for making a Field Infusion; one shared between three people should be enough)
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| Other Delights in the Hedgerows
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Hawthorn tips are lovely to nibble as you walk; they're full of vitamin C and iron. Their old country name was "bread and cheese"
Dandelion flowers are beaming at us, radiantly signalling the perfect time to eat the flowers and leaves - pile them in a salad, or even better, pick the flowers when they are open in the sunlight and munch them as you walk - fresh, free flower essence.
Jack-in-the-hedge, or Hedge Garlic, has a more delicate perfume and flavour than the better known wild garlic (Allium ursinum).
Hedge garlic |
Hedge Garlic is rich in mustard oils which have a warming effect throughout the body. It has a wonderful quality: it speeds up liver metabolism.
Stimulating when eaten raw or juiced, this is great for hangovers and generally if you're feeling a bit jaded.
Nettles are always plentiful at this time and still tender. Use them as fresh spinach - lovely in quiches, or pour hot water over the leaves to make a Spring blood-cleansing tea.
Hogweed leaves are unfurling, the young, delicate shoots at the centre are best - fry them in butter for a flavour like prime asparagus... mmmm, the taste of Spring! |
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