2019-06-01 Country Homes & Interiors

❝Our foraging

workshops teach the

power of plants❞

D

aisiesinfusedinoiltoreduce

bruisesandelderflowercordial

tobringdowna temperature,

arejusttwooftheherbal

remediesthatVickyChownandKimWalker

ofHandmadeApothecarydemonstratehow

tomakeintheirworkshops.‘Youcanuse

herbstoboostyourimmunesystem,treat

ailmentsandeventomakeyourown

skincare,’saysVicky.‘It’samazingthat

youcanopenyourbackdoorandfinda

weedtherethat’sexactlywhatyouneed.’

Vicky,a medicalherbalistwhorunsa

communitygardeninHighgateWoods,

andKim,a researcherattheRoyalBotanic

GardensKewanda PhDstudent,metwhile

theywerebothstudyingfora BScinHerbal

MedicineattheUniversityofWestminster.

Theyhitit offimmediately.‘Wehavevery

differentbackgroundsbutoursharedpassion

forplantsdrewustogether,’saysVicky.

DespitegrowingupinLondon,Vicky

alwayslovedbeingoutdoorsamong

nature.Shebeganforagingandgrowing

foodandmedicinalplantsasa teenager

in any green space she could find – local

parks,wastelands,windowboxesand

backgardens.‘I hadbadskinwhenI was

youngerandtriedvariousremediestohelp

improveit,whichledmetoworkatNeal’s

YardRemedies,whereI providedcustomers

withnaturalhealthandbeautyadvice.From

thereI realisedthatI wantedtobea medical

herbalistasit’sthebestwaytounderstand

theholisticnatureofherbalmedicine– you

treatthepersonasopposedtothecondition.’

Kim,meanwhile,grewupinthewildand

beautifullandscapeofwesternScotland,

wherehergrandmothertaughtherhow

torecogniseplantsandmakeremedies.

‘Oneofthebiggestinfluencesformewas

livinginoneofthelasttemperaterainforests

intheUK– CrinanWood,’saysKim.‘I don’t

thinkI realisedhowmuchI lovedliving

inthemiddleofthecountrysideuntilI

lefthomeandmoveddowntoLondon!’

Eagertolearnmoreaboutbotanythan

theiruniversitycourseoffered,Vickyand

Kimcontinuedtoteachthemselveshow

toidentifyplantsandexpandtheirforaging

know-howintheirsparetime.Theywenton

to found Handmade Apothecary in 2013,

Medical herbalists Vicky chown & kiM walker