Permaculture is very much at the heart of what we do here at Hackney Herbal influencing everything from our strategy as a social enterprise to the design of our gardens and projects. This 4-part series introduces the ethics and principles of permaculture and explains how it can be implemented in different ways across home, work, lifestyle and community.
Read MoreThe height of summer is here and with it comes an abundance of herbs from both cultivated plots or gardens and the wild spaces that surround us.
Read MoreIt’s time for another virtual herb walk, highlighting beautiful herbs that can be found in parks, roadsides and green spaces in general at the moment. This month we’re going for five gorgeous flowers: Linden, Yarrow, Mallow, St Johns Wort, and Mugwort.
Read MoreJune is a pretty magical time of the year, the days are really long, plants grow at an astounding rate and there's an explosion of colour as flowers of the most diverse shapes and shades come into season.
Read MoreHere are five of the many beautiful herbs and edible treats that can be found in London's green spaces at the moment. We invite you to turn your attention to them and enjoy their presence. Have a close look, touch, smell, take their essence in! If you're confident you know what they are, taste them! Gather a few and take them home to make tea, syrups, vinegars and other delights. Appreciate what they have to offer!
Read MoreAt this time of year Elderflower is abundant in and around London. If you are outside of the city it’s coming to you soon! However if you are new to foraging this lovely flower then it is easy to get mixed up with the abundance of other creamy frothy flowers that are also blooming. Many of which are not edible and are in fact poisonous. Therefore it’s good to be really certain that you are picking the right thing. To help here are some pictures of elderflower and also a load of other flowers that are not elderflower.
Read MoreWhether you’re growing your own herbs or foraging for them, May is a pretty exciting month. In the garden, established plants and those started early in the season will be at their peak, but it’s still a good time to start new plants too! Foragers are also spoiled for choice at the moment, with an array of beautiful herbs present in any green spaces you find.
Read MoreFollowing on our Virtual Herb Walk last month, here are a few more wonderful plants that you can find growing all around London at the moment.
We invite you to keep an eye out for them when out for a walk or other forms of exercise. See how many you can find, go and learn from them - observe, touch, smell, and if you’re confident you know what they are, taste them!
Read MoreA trip to the Marshes and a recipe for nettle soup by Amy.
For my daily walk today, I headed to Hackney Marshes in search of two things: plants and peace. As always, the Marshes didn’t let me down. Carefully dodging two meters between people over the canal bridge and along concrete paths, I found myself under the gentle sea-breeze rustle of the huge Black Poplar trees that line the River Lea.
Read MoreIt’s Thursday, which means it’s time for another delicious herbal recipe from Fran! I love incorporating adaptogenic herbs into my diet. The clue is in the name, adaptogenic herbs are thought to assist you during stressful situations and allow you to adapt to stressors you may be faced with and they are the perfect compliment to our *usually* fast-paced lifestyles. Rhodiola is considered to be supportive to depression, anxiety and fatigue and chocolate's mood boosting properties need no introduction!
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