The Challenge

I started this blog in January 2010 as part of a personal challenge to push myself to learn more about how I can use herbs, oils, edible flowers and vegetables to enhance the health and well-being of my family and myself.

When I embarked on this project I had no idea how far I could take it, and still don’t.  What I hoped would happen was that these pages would grow into a resource for lotions, potions, soups, soaps, juices and the like, all made using fresh, health-enhancing natural ingredients, and that along the way I would be reading around the subject, doing my best to increase the variety of herbs, flowers and vegetables out in our garden, cooking and brewing, and reaping the benefits of all this in using the end products.  By June 2010 I was so impressed – and surprised – with the quality of most of the ‘potions’ I had been able to produce that I felt able to produce the following ‘quality charter’.

• Where possible, I prefer to grow my own ingredients in the garden or greenhouse;
• Bought ingredients must be easily available, either locally or via the Internet;
• Frequently used ingredients should not be expensive;
• Whilst I expect infrequently-used luxury ingredients to cost more, they must not be prohibitively expensive;
• Ingredients must be ethically and environmentally sound;
• Preparations must be reasonably quick to make and easy to use;
• By preference, with rare exceptions, preparations should have a reasonable shelf life – at least three months.
• The end product should be effective.
• The end product should be pleasing to use – e.g. fragrant, smooth, as appropriate.
• The end product should be as good as shop bought or better.
• ‘Hand made’ quirkiness and visual ‘imperfections’, for products such as home made soaps are all part of the fun.

Updating this as of August 2010 I’m still very much a beginner, but I’m starting to develop more understanding about what I’m doing, rather than just slavishly following recipes.  My particular interests at this time are:

• making herbal bath oils
• learning more about cold press soapmaking using natural ingredients
• developing an understanding of the properties and symbolism of colour
• Indian health and beauty traditions
• country uses and traditions / folklore surrounding the European herbs I can grow in my garden.

Although the content of this blog is primarily intended as a resource for myself, since you’ve found yourself on these pages you are of course very welcome to make use of my findings.  Please note, however, that (a) I am a complete beginner, and (b) photographic content must not be removed without my express prior written agreement.

Needless to say, this is not a blog that is updated on a daily basis.  I simply don’t have the time for all the work that  has to go into each update, nor the personal need for such quantities of lotions and potions!  But I do try to add to these pages at least weekly.  Since this blog is part of a personal challenge and a challenge should have an end, I intend to review where I’m at in on 25th January 2011.  If I’m still going by then, and if I wish to continue this journey into natural health, then although I’ll still be very much ‘The Apothecary’s Apprentice’ , perhaps I’ll be ready to take my dabbling to a new level.  Wish me luck!