Herbs heal many times!
You know the saying ‘wood warms you twice’ - once in the cutting and again as it burns, how many times do herbs heal you?
I was at the walled garden at Congalton Gardens and mulling these things over, feeling at one with the process of working with the herbs. Congalton Gardens is where Clare, the owner, and I have been starting to give form to a herb / physic / apothecary / salutogenic* growing space. Its a place to share practices in using whole-herbs for whole-bodies, which is at the centre of Liz’s herbalism practice.
We’ve started to get a structure in place, to be the beginning of something which others can add to and join in with. We’re dreaming of a place which can be used for sharing health and wellbeing modalities in a healing outdoor environment.
As I was digging, I realised the herbs were already healing me. Nurturing my soul; making me strong. So maybe, herbs heal….
Once in the digging.
Once in the breathing.
Once in the dreaming.
Once in the companionship.
Once in the sowing.
Again in the growing.
Again once more in the harvest.
Once in the processing.
In the medicine making.
In the way we consume and connect.
Herbs heal at every. single. stage.
Then there’s the conversations with the herbs,
The conversations with the like-hearted soul I’m working alongside,
The conversation with the Robin and the Pied Wagtail following me around 🪶
Whole herbs, for whole bodies. Whole herbs, and a whole process.
I really enjoyed Lucy Jones’ book Self-Sufficient Herbalism, describing the relationship of healing we benefit from when we work with the whole plant, the whole process, from foraging and harvesting to processing and creating. And this whole process, from field to fork - but in this case maybe from field to teapot - is what Vitalist Herbalism is about for me; vitalism is ultimately holistic herbalism.
The root of the word “holistic” is “whole” , and so when we remember the wholeness of the plants, and the wholeness of our bodies taking part in growing, nurturing, harvesting and processing these herbs, we can do so much more than zero in on the symptoms. We think about more than the plant’s chemical constituents, and we remember wholeness, and one-ness, with nature.
This is a space to grow, in every sense.
*A salutogenic garden
A salutogenic garden is a place designed to promote health and well-being, rather than just preventing illness. Salutogenic design is based on the idea that the physical environment can impact our health and behaviour.
The space at Congalton will be designed to be:
Nature-inspired: Incorporating natural materials, plants, and open spaces
Biophilic: Connecting the built environment with nature to promote positive psychological responses
Community-oriented: Encouraging social interaction and community gathering
Sustainable: Considering climate change and environmental degradation
At Congalton we hope to create a place which reduces stress, increases feelings of happiness and connection, and can encourage holistic lifestyles.
