Suze Walker - Medical Herbalist

💫💫💫 S P E C I A L O F F E R 💫💫💫💫£40

💫 Last week I went for an Indian head massage and reflexology in Aberdeen and it was soooo good! 💫

💫 Being a teacher I know how it feels, especially the last term - sports days, open nights, clearing cupboards etc. This offer is for anyone who works in a school or education setting. Homeschooling parents also very welcome. 💫

Let me know this when you book so I can pack warm masks, detox pads and of course tea by Suze Walker - Medical Herbalist! 🌿🍵

It is available at any of my locations but cannot be used with any other offer.

💫 Gift vouchers for £40 can be redeemed 💫

🌿 Happy holidays when they arrive, Sarah 🌿

Thank you so much to everyone that popped along the stall on Saturday. It was a great day and I am very happy now thinking of you all at home making your chive flower vinegar and rhubarb liqueur! 🌿

There wasn't much left at the end of the day, only two bottles of Dandelion Syrup & three Daisy Cough Syrups so these are now at Scoop along with a few bags of salt 🌿

Thanks again for all your wonderful support and lovely herbal chats 🌿

The weather has been very kind to us in Shetland lately. Our garden sprung to life right in front of our eyes and wild herbs appeared in abundance all around. This is always the time I feel very happy. Being outdoors, walking, gathering, drying and preparing medicine. This month I’ve been gathering Nettles, Plantain, Cleavers, Lemon balm, Daisies, Lady’s mantle, Dandelion leaves & Flowers, Wild Garlic, Garlic Mustard, Sorrel, Chickw**d and I also received a huge harvest of Peppermint from the ever amazing 🌿

Most of these herbs have been dried and will be used to make teas and tinctures at a later date, others have been used to make infused oils and syrups 🌿

Next Saturday I’ll be at Mareel for the market with the following small batch of new summer remedies made from these freshly harvested herbs 🌿

🌿 Dandelion flower syrup
🌿 Daisy cough syrup
🌿 Herbal finishing salts

I’ll have the full range of teas and if time allows a special edition spring blend 🌿

Hope to see you there 🌿

Flowering Currant 🌸

I have been preparing for my spring tonic workshop in Hamnavoe, Shetland. The workshop is a combination of a herb walk, foraging for wild herbs and medicine making 🌸

Part of the preparations have included making this uplifting flowering currant cordial. It felt quite appropriate given this months' pink moon which marks the beginning of spring and is associated with the blooming wildflowers - a wee change from the spring greens! 🌸

Flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum) is prolific in Shetland and forms many a hedge along with Fuschia and Beach roses. They seem to divide the crowd a bit as they are fairly vigorous and highly aromatic - an aroma that not everyone finds pleasant and has been described by my dear friend as resembling cat's p*e! I disagree and absolutely love them and their smell and find they are a much needed splash of colour after the long, dark and drab winter. In any case, the strong aroma comes from the leaves rather than the flowers, although they do still have a strong but sweeter scent. We used to pick red currants in the summer holidays, a close cousin to the the flowering currant, so perhaps this is why I like them, the scent takes me back to those carefree and warmer times of my childhood 🌸

This cordial tastes delicious simply diluted with some sparking water or could be a welcome addition to a wild cocktail. It's incredibly simple to make and really lifts the spirits 🌸

This is just one of many recipes I'll be sharing at my upcoming workshop. The workshop is fully booked but there is a cancellation list and I will be doing another one in May/June so please do let me know if you'd be interested in coming along 🌸

🌿🌿🌿 Spring Cleansing Kits 🌿🌿🌿

🌿 It feels as though it might be safe to say that spring is finally here. Even though we still feel the cold, the evenings are noticeably brighter and the plants are really starting to shoot up now, braving the Shetland winds. So let's be like the plants; let's stretch up, get out and embrace these longer days. If, like me, you feel like you might need a bit of assistance with this, then my Spring Cleanse Kit is the place to start. Each kit consists the following:

🌿A specially blended herbal tincture
🌿Begin Again herbal tea
🌿A diet/lifestyle advice sheet to guide you through a 2 week gentle spring cleanse
🌿Full instructions on how to take your herbs

🌿The herbs (which I'll write about individually in the coming weeks) included in the tincture and tea have been carefully chosen to help improve digestion and support routes of elimination. They are safe for everyone to take but please be aware that the tincture is an alcohol/water extract. If you have any concerns or questions, please DM and I will be happy to discuss further

🌿The kits can be purchased from my website and there is now an option for local pick-up from Hamnavoe - https://www.suzewalkerherbalist.co.uk/shop/spring-cleanse-kit

🌿I will also be undertaking this spring cleanse, so together we can regain our energy and step into spring feeling refreshed and revitalised

🌿 Happy New Year! It's a bit late, I know, but after very busy end to 2023 I've been enjoying some proper hibernation time; resting, building Lego towers and planning for the year ahead. Given that spring is now hopefully on the way, this feels like the right time to share some of these plans with you

🌿 Firstly, I'm really happy to announce that I will be working from the therapy room at Healthcraft in Lerwick on Wednesdays. I've been trying to get back to seeing patients face-to-face for a long time but have just never been able to make things align. This will mean a much increased capacity for me to take on new patients in 2024. All details regarding the consultation process, including pricing, are on my website ~ simply email/DM to book an appointment

🌿 Secondly, next week I will be launching a small batch of Spring Cleansing Kits. Each kit consists of a specially blended herbal tincture, herbal tea and an advice sheet to guide you through a three week gentle spring cleanse. The kits will be available from my online shop or to collect from Hamnavoe. More details to follow shortly....

🌿 Lastly, as promised, I'll be running more workshops. The next sessions are planned for April/May and will comprise a short herb walk/forage to gather wild medicine, herb tastings, medicine making and lots of discussion. I hope that by leaving them until slightly later in the year, there is the chance of better weather and more plants; however, the day's activities will ultimately be decided by the weather! Again, further details and booking instructions to follow....

I'll be at the Shetland Arts & Crafts Association Up Helly Aa Craft Fair tomorrow. Come along and try some herbal Fire Chai & Fire Cider to get you in the mood for the fire festival 🔥🔥🔥 I'll also have lots of throat and tummy soothing Fire in the Belly tea which can help put that fire out when the festival is over!! 🔥🔥🔥

Home is where the heart is ❤️

This is a personal medicine from the heart that I didn't make for a patient but as a present for close friends and family. I've been making this tincture for some time. It's an elixir for the heart and contains plants gathered from the three places we, as a family, are fortunate enough to call home ❤️

The bottom layer is Hawthorn berries that were gathered from my home town, , which is situated in the heart of , in fact Aberfeldy is known as the heart of Scotland. Could there possibly be a better place to harvest Hawthorn berries, which are one of the most important herbs for healing the heart, whether that be physically or emotionally. Physically hawthorn strengthens and tones the heart and circulatory system and helps to regulate blood pressure. Therefore, it can be used to treat conditions such as hypertension, angina & coronary artery disease. Emotionally hawthorn is gentle and supportive, especially in times of trauma and grief as It helps to calm the nervous system and reduce stress ❤️

The middle layer is Hawthorn blossoms which were gathered near , in the Czech Republic, which is home to my partner and often referred to as the heart of Europe due to its central location. Although the berries have been subject to more studies and are perhaps more commonly used as a medicine for the heart, the blossoms are equally as potent and have similar actions to the berries ❤️

The top layer is Rose petals from the beautiful Rosa rugosa bushes that are so abundant here in our chosen home of Hamnavoe, Shetland, where we have settled for now so we can raise our daughter in this wild yet safe environment. Rose petals are my absolute favourite plant for helping our emotions flow and managing sadness and grief - a true tonic for the heart and soul ❤️

These three herbs have been macerating in a mix of brandy (a traditional alcohol used to make herbal tinctures) and honey for some time now and are ready to be given as gifts to all our family and friends who have helped us so much over this past year and to anyone else who may be struggling emotionally at this very tricky time of year ❤️

I'll be at the Christmas Market tomorrow at Mareel ❄ with lots of Fire Cider, Rosehip Oxymel, Elderberry Syrup & Herbal Tea ❄

I'll also have lots of tasty Fire Chai to sample and keep you nice and warm ❄

Be lovely to see you there ❄

THANK YOU! ✨

What an amazing weekend it was at the Christmas Craft Fair ✨

Thank you so much to everyone that came by the stall, it was so much fun chatting to you all and thank you to all the amazing volunteers for organising such a wonderful event ✨

A massive thank you also goes to my family and friends for all their help these past few weeks - it’s definitely a team event ✨

I’ll keep you updated as and when stocks are replenished and will get the booking open soon for the next workshop date in January as promised ✨

It’s the fair today and I’m taking part for the first time. To celebrate this I’ve put together three special edition teas made 100% from home grown plants and hand printed with a design of sunset above Foula island. The same magical scene I often watch from our garden while harvesting the plants. 🌿

The first blend Healing Garden is a nourish mix of mallow leaves and flowers, nettles & calendula, rose and elderflower 🌿

The second blend Cool & Calm is a balancing blend, designed for women, which contains herbs such as sage, lady’s mantle, rose & red clover

The third blend, Winter Wonder, is a winter staple and herbalist classic to help easy symptoms of cold and flu and contains Peppermint, elderflower and yarrow 🌿

All the old favourites will still be available along with the revamped Elderberry syrup, fire cider and rosehip oxymel 🌿

You can find me and all my herbs in the main hall 🌿

🌲As we pack up to leave for our tree month in Bohemia, I thought I’d share a wee glimpse of just some of the herbs I’ve harvested this summer in Shetland. They live in a pitch black herb cupboard, not on this mantle piece, they only made it up here for the beauty snap! There is a nice mixture of dried herbs, tinctures, infused oils and vinegars brewing. The vibrant colours just fill my heart with joy and this cupboard will be the first place I’ll be going to for a look when we arrive back in what will definitely feel like winter

🌲It feels really good to be finally getting back to doing what I love, even if it is very slowly. We’ve been blessed with some wonderful weather this year which has certainly made things easier. It’s also been great to have my mini helper on hand, it makes these outings so much more fun and helps my brain get back into gear as I teach her about the plants as we go along. I’ve other amazing helpers too, so thank you for the extra peppermint, for the hawthorn & elderflower and, of course, for all the photos! 🌸🌟

🌲We’ll be back in October and I’ll be taking bookings for my first medicine making workshop ‘Fire Cider & Herbs for Winter Resilience’ on the 18th of November (more details to follow)🔥

In these jars I have

💜 The hills have turned all purple again this week as the heather bursts into full bloom and it truly is a beautiful sight, especially on these lovely, warm sunny days. This years' harvest felt a bit strange to begin with as I found myself alone on the hill, a rare thing of late and at first I really did miss my mini herbal companion but I was so captivated by purple mounds and wonderful views from the hill that I soon slipped into a heather haze

💜 There is something really magical about the heather and you suddenly feel transported back in time when you spend time in the hill with her - I find myself imagining an ancient Scotland with endless forests, an abundance of wildlife and wise women gathering heather as a gift token for luck and protection. I might have been humming a tune I learnt from my Gaelic choir days many, many moons ago so it's perhaps just as well I was alone!

💜 It's so nice to be able to lose yourself in your own thoughts and imagination while soaking up the most beautiful surroundings. Taking the time to observe these plants, their strength to withstand the elements, their scent, their environment and their neighbours really gives you a deeper understanding of their virtues and medicinal qualities

💜Traditionally heather was used for bedding as these mini trees are soft and dry and are said to 'restore strength to fatigued nerves', although you'll struggle to find a heather bed these days folk will often still make a heather pillow, perhaps along with Lavender, to aid with sleep. Heather is astringent, diuretic, anti-inflammatory & antimicrobial and is, therefore, most commonly used for conditions affecting the urinary system. This cleansing action means it can also be used to treat inflammatory conditions affecting the joints such as arthritis and gout

Peak of summer, the time of the year when herbalist are usually at their busiest harvesting, drying & making medicine. Passing by Tingwall loch in Shetland I always keep an eye on the wonderful sways of Meadowsweet at this time. You have to be spot on with timing, a few days too early and the flowers aren't ready yet, a few days too late and the delicate pale flowers are gone, especially here in Shetland as the wind is always against you 🏵

This time I even met a local man who was fishing in the fresh waters of the loch and was curious about the w**d I was gathering. I told him that Meadowsweet is wonderfully fragrant and makes the whole house smell fantastic as it’s drying. Energetically it is cooling and drying and is most often used for its antacid properties. It is astringent so soothes the mucous membranes lining the digestive tract while at the same time reducing excess acid; making it one of the best remedies available for use in the treatment of reflux and stomach ulcers. Meadowsweet contains Salicylate compounds, including Salicylic acid (famously from Willow) and Salicin, making it similar to Aspirin but without the negative side-effects. In fact, the name Aspirin is derived from the old botanical name for Meadowsweet, Spiraea ulmaria. As an anti-inflammatory it can be used for pain relief and managing a fever 🏵

I added that Mike from here in Scalloway makes a lovely Meadowsweet pannacotta and recommended he can wash down the pannacotta with my heartburn tea which contains this very Meadowsweet from the banks of Tingwall loch too 🏵

I keep asking myself why I'm finding it so hard to get back into working properly since becoming a mother and then last week I realised that I am working properly, it's just in a different way - what triggered this realisation was a dose of chickenpox 🍃

After finally admitting that the spots on my daughters back were not just midge bites we set about making our remedies. This started with a short walk to collect some ribwort plantain (Plantago lanceolata) leaves as the base for an infused oil to make a healing salve. Plantain leaves are wonderfully soothing & cooling to hot and irritated tissue when applied topically and they grow absolutely everywhere making them perfect emergency medicine. I always apply them to bites when we're on holiday for some instant relief. We also added some previously dried Calendula flowers and Comfrey leaves from the garden to the slow cooker and very gently infused our oil before adding our wax to make an ointment. We applied this after the spots had burst and were starting to scab over. Prior to that we made a gloopy paste from Slippery elm and Marshmallow root powder to ease the itching overnight 🍃

We made fresh infusions with Lemon balm from the garden and happily sipped this throughout the day and since we had a rare week of sunshine we decided some Lemon balm and Elderflower ice lollies would make a lovely cooling addition to our herbal regime. Lemon balm is antiviral, particularly against viruses in the herpes family so perfect for chickenpox. It's also very relaxing and calming and more importantly it tastes good making compliance, especially in children, much easier! 🍃

In the end our chickenpox experience was actually a great one that my wee star sailed through happily and although this work might not be the same as running a busy clinic it's so much better and the really wonderful thing is that we did it together; walking, talking and learning about herbs 🍃

T H E * P E R F E C T * B E A T ❤️

I would like to introduce my new tea blend. This tea is for the heart and soul as all the herbs in this blend are supportive to the heart both physically and emotionally ❤️

The two key herbs are blossoms and petals. These two herbs, from the same family, work wonderfully together, not only to strengthen and tone the heart but they also calm the nervous system and provide emotional support where there is a tendency towards sadness and grief. They are both cooling and astringent with a slightly sweet taste, making them ideal for a herbal infusion ❤️

Along with & Rose I've added some lovely aromatic to lift the spirits and help alleviate any tension and stress within the chest and abdomen. Nourishing Oatstraw adds some more sweetness and also helps to relieve anxiety. The blend is finished with Motherwort, which is again cooling and drying and adds a bitter note to balance the sweetness of the other herbs. Motherwort is a wonderful plant for treating heart problems related to the nervous system and is particularly helpful for palpitations and tachycardia when any serious underlying pathology has been ruled out ❤️

Please note that Motherwort should not be taken during pregnancy so do not take this tea in a medicinal dose, which is three or more cups a day, if you are expecting ❤️

If you'd like to give it a try then you can pick up a bag from now and it will be available online very soon ❤️

I'd also like to thank for sending me the most beautifully dried Hawthorn blossoms every year from Bohemia- I couldn't make this tea without them ❤️

Thank you 💜

I’d just like to thank everyone who came along to our herbal harmony of the heart workshop yesterday 💜 you all made it such a beautiful afternoon 💜

A special thank you must go to@vishwamgurudas for guiding us through the session and making us all feel so relaxed and at ease with your wonderful meditations and knowledge 💜

The new tea will be in the shops shortly and for those that missed out we’ll be doing another event soon - further details to follow 💜

Rose was a big part of our discussion and we looked at how its properties support the heart both physically and emotionally. We noted the cooling and drying effects of the tea and felt how these beautiful petals help our emotions flow. I’ll be writing more about Rose and the other herbs that feature in the new tea in the coming weeks 💜

These rose petals were collected and dried here in Burra, Shetland last summer 💜

Flowing with Life

🌹Rosehip oxymel

🌹It was a disappointing summer for harvesting rose petals here in Shetland due to the continuous wind, rain and complete lack of sun; however, it’s now time for the rosehips and they are looking lovely this year

🌹Traditionally, rosehips are used to make a syrup but I prefer to make an oxymel with mine - this simply means vinegar & honey. I written many times now about the health benefits of vinegar and why this is the best medium for extracting vitamins and minerals from plants, so this makes it perfect for our Vitamin C rich rosehips. This method is also heat free which means the vitamins are better preserved

🌹To make an oxymel fill a jar 3/4 full with rosehips, cover with raw apple cider vinegar and leave to macerate for 4-6 weeks. When it’s done strain and add honey to taste. I’ve also added , & to mine for an extra vitamin boost. Take a teaspoon daily with warm water as part of your regime

🌹When straining rosehips it’s wise to double strain or use coffee filters to ensure no tiny hairs sneak through as these are very irritating to the digestive system

🌹I’ll have a few bottles for sale at the festival this weekend so come along and have a taste

Come along this weekend for a great mix of food, drink, cooking and music at the Taste of Shetland festival 🌟

I’ll be there on Saturday & Sunday with
🌿herbal tea
🌿fire chai
🌿fire cider
🌿rosehip oxymel
🌿elderberry syrup

Hope to see you there 🌿🌟😃

The 2022 Food & Drink Festival is nearly here! The Shetland Food and Drink team have been very busy planning and organising something really special for you to enjoy this weekend at the Clickimin.

There will be cookery demonstrations from celebrity chef Nick Nairn, exclusive Masterclass sessions in the Loch Bar, an International Kitchen, the return of the Peerie Bites competition, Shetland's Best Banger competition, an Island Deli cafe, children's entertainment, live music from the Haltadans and, of course, you can come and meet and mingle with the producers who make your favourite Shetland products.

View the full schedule here and plan out your perfect festival weekend here: https://www.tasteofshetland.com/news/festival-schedule

Brilliant idea by Amy at Fyanna - cakes and bakes - a perfectly delicious treat 😍

So I decided to put my experience at the Ritz to good use and have come up with this Afternoon Tea for Mother's Day. More information to follow soon as well as a few photos

Calendula official is ~ bathing in the deep hues of red, orange and yellows of Shetland’s winter sunset. I always feel so lucky to have these beauties to turn to when I need a bit of cheering up on these long winter days 🌼

These are just some of this years’ crop of Calendula which I grew from seed, harvested and then carefully dried to use throughout the year. As with all my dried herbs they are stored in complete darkness to ensure minimal degradation. These were dried some months ago but owing to the right storage you can see how wonderfully vibrant they still are - compare this to commercially bought Calendula - the difference is astounding and it’s another reason to always attempt to use homegrown plants in herbal practice 🌼

This week, as I enter the final stages of pregnancy, I’m starting to prepare my recovery kit and think about what products I want to have ready for myself/baby and is going to have a starring role here. I try to make all my ointments, creams, salves etc from scratch; this means firstly making my own with homegrown herbs. This way I know I’m starting off with the best available base ingredients; thereby, making my medicine the highest possible quality 🌼

The oil needs a very gentle heat to extract the active components from the plant. This can be done using the sun (jar in window), a bain-Marie or a slow cooker (dedicated for oil infusing). At this time of year we don’t have enough sun so I’ll be using my slow cooker as the chance of spoiling the oil by over heating are much higher with a Bain-Marie, especially if like me you’re a wee bit forgetful! 🌼

Calendula truly is a wonderful medicine both as an internal and external preparation - it really is the ultimate healer. Likely most well known as an external wound/tissue healer and herb for the skin due to its anti-fungal, anti-inflammatory and astringent qualities but it’s bitterness and action on the lymphatic system also make it an excellent herb for digestion, immune function and balancing hormones 🌼

As practitioners, we know Elderberry to be an effective anti-viral and have first hand experience of its use in this way - will be very interesting to see the results of this study and Elderberry's potential use in the treatment of COVID-19 🌱

Very encouraging to see this NHS study on the use of elderberry in relation to Covid-19. We look forward to seeing the results.

https://www.ekhuft.nhs.uk/patients-and-visitors/news-centre/latest-news/east-kent-researchers-trial-black-elderberry-liquid-as-a-treatment-for-covid-19/