I have been using herbal medicine for many years now. It is always the first choice for me and my girls, if we need help with healing. One of the first things I noticed when I moved to the land, that I currently live on, is that there was a huge amount of Mullein growing here.

I already picked some leaves a few months back, which I hung up inside my truck to dry. This takes a long time, as mullein leaves are very dense. But they have a wonderful affinity with the lungs.

When the mullein plant is in it's second year, it produces these beautiful yellow five petalled flowers. When you infused the flowers in oil, they make a wonderful remedy for earache. One that I have used successfully with my children.

Gather the flowers first thing in the morning and place them in a glass jar. You then need to cover them with oil, I use olive oil as I still have some from my oil harvest last year. You need to leave the jar in a sunny place for up to four weeks. You can add more flowers as you harvest them.

In four weeks strain off the flowers and bottle the oil.

I was also delighted to discover, that St John's Wort/ Hypericum was also growing on the land. This amazing plant, ,has so many healing properties and can be used to treat depression instead of using orthodox medications. I have been using the flowers to make an infused oil for quite a while now.

It works so well, in healing burns, wounds and rashes. It's healing properties also work well for chickenpox, shingles and restless leg syndrome.

Whenever my youngest cuts herself, she always comes in and asks for the red oil. She has even been known to bring her friends inside to get some of the magic oi, when they hurt themselves. Although the flowers from the Hypericum are yellow, they contain a red stain, which turns the oil red.

This wonderful plant always flowers around the solstice and it is best to pick them, on a dry and sunny day. Which is everyday, where I am. Pack them into a clean glass jar and cover with oil. As with the Mullein oil, you can add to the jar as you continue to harvest the flowers. Just always make sure that the oil covers them.

Leave them in a Sunny spot, which for me is on my outdoor table and watch as the oil turns from yellow to red. ( Because it is so hot where I am, my oil turned red after a few days, in Ireland it would take a few weeks). I usually leave the flowers in for 4-5 weeks, before I strain them off. Luckily, I still have some oil from last year, which me and my girls use.

I am so grateful to nature, for providing me with the medicine I need for me and my girls. When using herbs, you are helping the body to heal itself. Herbs have a profound effect on our whole being and will heal us on every level. Herbs act to support the body in a gentle way as it returns to it's healthier, more balanced state.