Scary cut-out masks and comic carved faces are everywhere at Halloween – and mostly made from pumpkins these days in Britain.  But that wasn’t always the way: it’s a fairly recent ‘tradition’ that goes back only a few decades when the American celebration of Halloween found its way back to…

The autumn harvest is abundant with hedgerow herbs, fruits and nuts that will help you stay healthy through the winter. On Apple Island we have been picking the elderberries, dark, lucious, ripe and glistening on the trees.  Elderberries, with some added rosehips, are astonishingly good anti-virals, full of vitamins that boost the immune system and help both to prevent and cure nasty colds and flu.

Spiders have been with us for 100 million years and so – no surprise - are a crucial part of those ancient stories and beliefs, they conjure up fear and fascination, they are always with us in one form or another, sometimes poisonous, sometimes insect-munching benevolence; they are symbols of eternity, creativity, persistence.  

Marvellous for the digestion, excellent on the vitamin front, fabulous fresh or cooked, apples are super-food. The skin is the place to start: it contains heaps of anti-oxidants (grate some, mix with some ground almonds and give your face a real skin-treat).  Apple skin also contains something called ursolic acid which reportedly keeps cholesterol and blood sugar under control – good for weight loss.

The weather is gorgeous. The holiday is going beautifully.  The landscape – whether it’s the beach or the open countryside – is looking inspirational.  And then along comes………bzzz…….bzzzz…….bzzzzz. And ouch.Insect bites are the bane of summer.  Bees, wasps, mosquitos and other crawl-y creatures can deliver quite a whack. It can…

Our breasts are affected by hormones throughout our life but never more so than during and after pregnancy. Little Herbs’ incredible Breast Balm is a special blend of nutritious oils that will protect and support the delicate skin of the breast area at the time of a woman’s life when…

This Spring has given us a record-breaking sunny spell and that can mean sunburn, sunstroke, prickly heat. Small children and babies need, of course, to be protected from too much sun, with hats on and light, loose clothing, and the regular application of a good sunscreen. But it’s difficult to keep children protected all the time, especially if there’s a paddling pool to splash about in. We offer a useful handful of home-made remedies.

We’re all told to wash our hands thoroughly in this time of Covid 19 – and quite rightly.  But all that hand washing, as I think we all know by now, can make your skin rather sore. Did you know that with some very ordinary and inexpensive ingredients you can make your own skincare which can work very well?

Covid19 can be a nasty business: some will require and receive medical treatment, or even hospitalisation. Others may have mild or unpleasant symptoms might well have to learn to rely on home treatments, with general medical advice available online.  Some herbal remedies can be very effective in soothing and alleviating the miseries of feeling ill. Let’s look to the garden and store cupboard.  There are many herbs with very useful properties.

In this strange and uncertain new world of Covid-19 one thing is certain: we are all going to have to be more self-reliant and look after our health and well-being for ourselves, especially when we might feel rather lonely and alone. Let’s think about our immune systems.