Wild Herbs with Foraging with Anna
Hey everyone!
During my stay in Helsinki, Elisabeth was really eager for me to see the green spaces and I explained that when I created JHournal, that was entirely what it was about. I wanted to capture images of my local cornfield before they built houses on it, and this was how I was brought up. So we organised a trip with the incredible Anna who provides foraging trips throughout the green spaces. We visited Lapinlahti park which was the grounds, lake and forest surrounding what was once a psychiatric hospital of times gone by. Now days people can use the cafe, or book the rooms out for yoga or classes. It was stunning and we began to learn about some of the plants.
Finland has over 300 herbs and plants with holistic uses and we began to discuss both things that have topical uses which I could introduce into my work making products, and the benefits of them. I also loved hearing Silver Birch was the official symbol of Finland.
There was a gorgeous little bakery in the middle and we met the chef who let us taste some freshly cooked bread. Then we headed off and I was still suffering with the worst migraine of my life at this point so Anna, who had brewed some tea with lemon, fireweed and some other beautiful herbs helped me out. It was a joy! It was served in a Kuksa, which is the wooden cup which you give to someone as a special gift. You seal it with alcohol for a week and it’s traditional to take it with you, and I got one from Yoohoo!
Here are my notes about some the various herbs:
Garlic Mustard, the leaves are garlic, seeds like mustard and the roots are like wasabi. Vitamin a and c.Raspberry Leaf, vitamin C, astringent, anti inflammatory.
Dandelion, 500+ species vitamin a, iron, the liquid can be used for water. Bitter, beta carotene.
Nettle, dried and added to food, iron calcium, the seeds are from the female plant and they are full of essential fatty assets and vitamin e. An old aphrodisiac.
Pineapple weed, smells like pineapple chamomile anti bacterial.
Mulline, ear infection.
Chickweed, helps with itching and is cooling.
Common plantain, stops bleeding, vitamin K and good for a face mask, natures plaster.
Meadow Sweet, salicylic acid grows around water, in the flowers, blood thinner. 70 degrees simmer for five minutes and drink as tea.
Witches Money Bag, succulent plant like aloe, it’s for healing wounds or sunburn, live long live forever plant.
Flower of the fire weed, dyes things Barbie pink.
Finnish pine needle are anti viral and part of the influenza medicine.
Birchleaf tea is a diuretic and can foam up and be used as a soap if left for leaves thirty minutes and the national tree of Finland.
