The Journal
A collection of posts on gardening, herbalism, slow parenting and nature connection.
Honeysuckle Cough Syrup
Of all the plants growing in July the two I am enjoying the most are the elderflower which sadly are beginning to fade and shed their tiny petals, and the opulently scented honeysuckle. Both of these flowers are quite dominating with their scent. They are not blossoms...
Ode to July
July in Ireland is perhaps a little different to other countries, where the heat can dictate the entire day and the sun is high and hot in the sky. As I’m recording this episode a heat wave is predicted for later on this month and personally I cannot wait. The last 4...
Growing Cucumbers
Homegrown cucumbers are a taste sensation in contrast with their supermarket counterparts and well worth growing at home. There are many varieties of cucumber to chose from but my favourite is the Burpless Tasty Green which is suited to growing in a polytunnel,...
How to Create a Summer Basket for Children-Nature Kids Series
I often mark the start of the season or a main celebration with a seasonal basket. This is a great way of getting children really excited about a certain time of year and also teaching them about the seasons. You can be really frugal with this idea and really not...
How to Make Herbal Waters & Iced Herbal Teas
A cornerstone recipe of summer is cool or iced herbal teas. This is simply a herbal tea that has been cooled down in the fridge and then had some ice added. Easy. This follows the same technique as brewing herbal infusions (I have a whole podcast episode dedicated to...
How to Make Sun Tea
The days around summer solstice can also be a wonderful time to gather and harvest herbs for herbal preparations. Certain herbs like lemon balm, mint, rose, sun like calendula, St John’s wort and elderflower should be looking at their best right now and are perfect...
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