Ziggurat World of Herbs

Coming to the Scythe Fair on Sunday? I'll be selling organic herb plants there...

Are you going to the Green Scythe Fair? This one-day festival is always one of the highlights in my calendar and I’m so excited to be holding a stall there this year! (I was doing my happy dance when this was confirmed!).

Come and find my stall to chat about herbalism, nutrition, and healthy living. Plus, I will be selling organic medicinal and edible plants. The whole fair is cash only.

Sunday 9th June, 11am-11pm, Thorney Lakes, Muchelney, Somerset, TA10 0DW. https://www.greenfair.org.uk/

See you there!

Are you going to the Green Scythe Fair? This one-day festival is always one of the highlights in my calendar and I’m so excited to be holding a stall there this year! (I was doing my happy dance when this was confirmed!).

Come and find my stall to chat about herbalism, nutrition, and healthy living. Plus, I will be selling organic medicinal and edible plants. The whole fair is cash only.

Sunday 9th June, 11am-11pm, Thorney Lakes, Muchelney, Somerset, TA10 0DW. https://www.greenfair.org.uk/

See you there!

Want to know how you can improve your health and wellbeing naturally? Come along to the Nine Springs Natural Health Centre open day in Yeovil on Saturday 1st June to chat to me about herbs, nutrition, and healthy living.
I’ll be running an information stall at the event, alongside many other therapists who offer treatments at the clinic.
It’s on from 10am till 3pm. See you there!

Still searching for a Mother’s Day present?

Book your Mum a 2-hour holistic wellbeing package of aromatherapy massage, Reiki healing and Chakra alignment. She will leave feeling relaxed, replenished and revitalised. And probably very grateful too!

Learn more & book now: https://zigguratworldofherbs.com/wellness-relaxation-package Sessions take place in one the lovely treatment rooms at Nine Springs Natural Health Centre

I only use absolutely top-quality organic oils for my aromatherapy massage. My favourites are from NHR Organic Oils . Looking for a special Mother’s Day gift? Choose from a 45 minute, 60 minute or a 90 minute massage session to help her relax, unwind and replenish with these gorgeous oils.
Or treat your Mum to a 2-hour unique Wellness & Relaxation Package that combines aromatherapy massage, Reiki healing and chakra alignment.
Learn more & book here: https://zigguratworldofherbs.com/wellness-relaxation-package

Treatments take place at Nine Springs Natural Health Centre in Yeovil

Looking for the perfect Mothers’ Day gift?

Treat your Mum (or your child’s Mum for those of you with young kids!) to a 2-hour relaxing holistic pampering session with aromatherapy massage, Reiki healing and Chakra alignment. She will love this special time and feel so nurtured and appreciated.

Learn more & book now: https://zigguratworldofherbs.com/wellness-relaxation-package. Treatments take place at Nine Springs Natural Health Centre in Yeovil.

I’m so happy to hear this positive feedback from Tegan Tallullah who had an aromatherapy massage with me this week. 💚

"I booked an aromatherapy massage with Helen for some rejuvenation as I’ve been feeling drained as a new mother with a wakeful baby. It was deeply relaxing and nurturing — just what I needed. The oils smelled gorgeous and I felt so much calmer afterwards. I even slept better that night. I’ll be going back, and would highly recommend to anyone who needs to relax and feel nourished and revitalised.”
--Tegan, Frome

Learn more about my wellness & relaxation package here: https://zigguratworldofherbs.com/wellness-relaxation-package
I can also do just the massage separately so contact me if you are interested. The perfect Mother's Day gift!

New event:
🌲🎄🌰 THE MEDICINAL USES OF FESTIVE PLANTS 🌰🎄🌲

Thursday 14th December 7pm ~ 8.30pm at Ninesprings Natural Health Centre in Yeovil, Somerset.
An interactive presentation with Medical Herbalist
Helen Christov BSc (Hons) MNIMH
Includes a Mystery Herb Tasting!

Discover the health benefits our traditional winter plants and which ones you can use at home, internally or externally. Including Holly leaf, Ivy, unsprayed Norwegian Spruce, Cranberry, Sweet Chestnut and more. Guided Herb Tastings are a great way to learn about botanical medicine. Directly experiencing the scent, flavour and feelings produced in your body helps you remember the interaction on multiple levels.

£20 per person
Numbers are limited so please book to secure your place: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/events/festive-plants

Would you love to learn about the medicinal properties of your local wild plants? Come and join me for an Autumn Herb Walk tomorrow, Wednesday or Thursday in one of 3 beautiful locations.

🍂 11 am Tuesday 10th October at Nine Springs Country Park, Yeovil.
🍂 11 am Wednesday 11th October at Rodden Meadow, Frome.
🍂 11 am Thursday 12th October at Bushy Coombe, Glastonbury.

Adults £10 each, children free
For more information and booking visit
www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/events

Participants receive discount codes for other services!

Join me for an Autumn Herb Walk at one of 3 beautiful locations:

🍂 11 am Tuesday 10th October at Nine Springs Country Park, Yeovil.
🍂 11 am Wednesday 11th October at Rodden Meadow, Frome.
🍂 11 am Thursday 12th October at Bushy Coombe, Glastonbury.

Adults £10 each, children free
For more information and booking visit
www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/events

Participants receive discount codes for other services!

🌿 20% discount for new patients – one week only! 🌿

Take the first step towards better health.

As it is my birthday on Saturday, I have decided to give a one-off reduction on any initial consultations booked from today 4th July 2023 until next Tuesday 11th July 2023. (Prescriptions and follow-on consultation fees will remain the same as stated on my website).

To take advantage of this offer follow the link and quote Birthday20 in the discount code box on the booking form: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/herbal-medicine-clinic This discount applies only to an Initial Consultation, which can take place at my home clinic in Higher Odcombe, via Skype or at the Nine Springs Natural Health Centre in Yeovil.

Click the link above for information and prices.

Sweet Cicely (Myrrhis odorata) is one of my favourite additions to salad at this time of year.

It provides Vitamin C and Vitamin A, both of which are antioxidant and minerals including iron, calcium and potassium. The volatile oil in Sweet Cicely contains anethole, which is responsible for the sweetness and also has antioxidant, antifungal and antimicrobial properties. Sweet Cicely has other medicinal benefits too, mainly as a digestive aid and a carminative, which means it helps to relieve wind and bloating.

Want to know more about seasonal plants? Sign up to my mailing https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/ to be notified when my E-book called Herbs Around the Year is ready. Or follow me here: https://www.facebook.com/ZigguratWorldOfHerbs/

For a Herbal Medicine consultation, book here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/herbal-medicine-clinic

Have you seen this pretty plant growing by the wayside?

Alkanet (Alkanna tinctoria) is in the Boraginaceae family - along with Borage, Forget-Me-Not, Comfrey and Lungwort, which have the similar furry leaves and are all popular with bees. Alkanet is probably best known for the red dye made from its roots. This has been used in litmus paper, thermometers, wood stain and perfume. The roots also have antibacterial and astringent properties. Use externally to help relieve itchy rashes and varicose veins.

Want to learn more about seasonal plants? Sign up to my mailing https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/ to be notified when my E-book called Herbs Around the Year is ready. Or follow me here: https://www.facebook.com/ZigguratWorldOfHerbs/

For a Herbal Medicine consultation, book here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/herbal-medicine-clinic

Feeling frazzled and can’t cope anymore?

Sign up today for a unique Wellness & Relaxation package: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/wellness-relaxation-package
Your one-to-one session with Medical Herbalist Helen Christov BSc. (Hons) MNIMH includes:

 An organic aromatherapy back massage
 Reiki healing
 Chakra alignment
 General advice for healthy living

Or book a Herbal Medicine consultation here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/herbal-medicine-clinic

Looking for some peace and tranquillity?

Sign up today for a unique Wellness & Relaxation package: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/wellness-relaxation-package
Your one-to-one session with Medical Herbalist Helen Christov BSc. (Hons) MNIMH includes:

 An organic aromatherapy back massage
 Reiki healing
 Chakra alignment
 General advice for healthy living

Or book a Herbal Medicine consultation here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/herbal-medicine-clinic

Is the crazy pace of modern life getting you down?

Sign up today for a unique Wellness & Relaxation package:
https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/wellness-relaxation-package
Your one-to-one session with Medical Herbalist Helen Christov BSc. (Hons) MNIMH includes:

 An organic aromatherapy back massage
 Reiki healing
 Chakra alignment
 General advice for healthy living

Takes place at Nine Springs Natural Health Centre in Yeovil, Somerset. https://www.ninespringsclinic.org/therapies/wellness-relaxation-package/

Feeling prickly?

Sign up for a unique Wellness & Relaxation package to soothe away your irritations: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/wellness-relaxation-package
Your one-to-one session with Medical Herbalist Helen Christov BSc. (Hons) MNIMH includes:

 An organic aromatherapy back massage
 Reiki healing
 Chakra alignment
 General advice for healthy living

Or book a Herbal Medicine consultation here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/herbal-medicine-clinic

Turns out I have a fig tree in my new garden!

Hmm, but apparently if left to sprawl like this one, it might not bear much fruit. Container growing is a good option then, or if it’s already established in the ground, some bits of paving slabs can be buried around it to restrict the root growth. By about September time, take off any fruits that are larger than a pea because they won’t ripen but the tiny ones will grow for next year. Figs like a good amount of potassium and nitrogen and can be fed a weak solution of seaweed once a week during the summer.
Figs contains loads of calcium, magnesium and antioxidants plus fibre to improve gut health. In Malaysia, fig leaves have been used traditionally to treat coughs. They have antispasmodic properties so can help relieve colic as well.

Want to know more about seasonal plants? Sign up to my mailing https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/ to be notified when my E-book called Herbs Around the Year is ready. Or follow me here: https://www.facebook.com/ZigguratWorldOfHerbs/

For a Herbal Medicine consultation, book here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/herbal-medicine-clinic

Don’t you just love the scent of Wisteria?

It reminds me of lunch on the terrace with my grandparents when I was growing up. Little did we know then that the flowers are edible! They are full of antioxidant flavonoids and have been used, along with the leaves, in Traditional Chinese Medicine for relieving inflammation and dampness (fluid retention) and for lowering blood sugar levels. However, the seeds and bark are poisonous.

Want to know more about seasonal plants? Sign up to my mailing https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/ to be notified when my E-book called Herbs Around the Year is ready. Or follow me here: https://www.facebook.com/ZigguratWorldOfHerbs/

For a Herbal Medicine consultation, book here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/herbal-medicine-clinic

Feeling frazzled and can’t cope anymore?

Sign up today for a unique Wellness & Relaxation package:
https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/wellness-relaxation-package
Your one-to-one session with Medical Herbalist Helen Christov BSc. (Hons) MNIMH includes:

 An organic aromatherapy back massage
 Reiki healing
 Chakra alignment
 General advice for healthy living

Or book a Herbal Medicine consultation here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/herbal-medicine-clinic

🌿Enjoyed some wild greens in a spicy tomato, lentil and coconut soup tonight.🌿

The Nettles are starting to get flower buds on now, so don’t harvest those. But a well picked Nettle patch will keep producing new shoots, which are ideal for cooking, drying or making herbal tea and tinctures. I also had Wild Garlic leaves and flowers, Ground Elder and loads of vegetables. Perfect meal for a rainy day. 💚 Aside from being absolutely packed with vitamins and minerals, Nettles are a blood tonic, can help to de-fur arteries, improve kidney function and treat allergies among many other uses.

If you want to be notified when my E-book called Herbs Around the Year is ready, join my mailing list here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/ or follow me here: https://www.facebook.com/ZigguratWorldOfHerbs/

Or for a Herbal Medicine consultation, book here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/herbal-medicine-clinic

Are you desperate for some me time?

Sign up today for a unique Wellness & Relaxation package:
https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/wellness-relaxation-package
Your one-to-one session with Medical Herbalist Helen Christov BSc. (Hons) MNIMH includes:

 An organic aromatherapy back massage
 Reiki healing
 Chakra alignment
 General advice for healthy living

Takes place at Nine Springs Natural Health Centre in Yeovil, Somerset. https://www.ninespringsclinic.org/therapies/wellness-relaxation-package/

This photo was taken last year and I am eagerly waiting for the Chive buds to open!

Chive (Allium schoenoprasum) blossoms are a great source of nectar for bees. They are also tasty on salads - pull off the separate flowers and sprinkle them on. The leaves and stalks are great chopped up and added to dishes requiring a gentle onion flavour. In the same family as garlic, Chives have milder antimicrobial properties and contain sulphur, which is good for detoxifying the system and clearing the complexion.

If you want to be notified when my E-book called Herbs Around the Year is ready, join my mailing list here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/ or follow me here: https://www.facebook.com/ZigguratWorldOfHerbs/

Cow Parsley (Anthriscus sylvestris) provides nectar for Orange Tip butterflies, bees, hoverflies and the Common Flat-Body moth. Although Cow Parsley has medicinal uses, it can easily be confused with other dangerous relatives in the carrot family (Apiaceae) such as deadly Hemlock. So, foragers are usually dissuaded from picking these. Another name for Cow Parsley is Queen Anne’s Lace.

If you want to be notified when my E-book called Herbs Around the Year is ready, join my mailing list here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/ or follow me here: https://www.facebook.com/ZigguratWorldOfHerbs/

Today’s breakfast – raw, vegan, gluten-free and organic.

I bought the strawberries as a reminder for me to finish the bed for my plants that I dug up from the last garden! I love breakfast and this one has been soaked overnight and is packed with nutrients. Here is just a little info on each ingredient:

Oats – restorative to the nervous system. B vitamins and silica
Buckwheat - protein, selenium, rutin for strengthening blood vessels
Almonds – protein, calcium, Vitamin E
Goji berries – antioxidants, Vitamins A and E, good for maintaining eyesight
Raisins – anthocyanins, resveratrol
Pumpkin seeds – protein, zinc
Sunflower seeds – protein, Vitamin E
Sesame seeds – calcium, magnesium
Maca – hormone balance
Ginger – vitamin C, boosts metabolism, digestive aid
Cinnamon – balances blood sugar
Kiwi – rich source of Vitamin C
Strawberry – Vitamins A and C, malic acid cleans tartar from teeth.

If you are interested in getting nutritional advice, I give detailed step by step suggestions for improving your diet during Herbal Medicine consultations. Book here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/herbal-medicine-clinic

Are you overworked, run down, and lost your sparkle?

Sign up today for a unique Wellness & Relaxation package: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/wellness-relaxation-package
Your one-to-one session with Medical Herbalist Helen Christov BSc. (Hons) MNIMH includes:

 An organic aromatherapy back massage
 Reiki healing
 Chakra alignment
 General advice for healthy living

Or book a Herbal Medicine consultation here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/herbal-medicine-clinic

Cherry Blossom season is called Hanami in Japan.

The festival is a celebration of the beautiful flowers from the Ornamental Cherry tree species, which they call Sakura. They do not produce fruit, but the petals can be eaten and drunk as a tea for its antioxidant properties. Be quick to harvest though because now that the blossoms are fully open, they won’t last more than a week. In Japan they preserve the flowers in a salty, plum vinegar mixture.

If you want to be notified when my E-book called Herbs Around the Year is ready, join my mailing list here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/ or follow me here: https://www.facebook.com/ZigguratWorldOfHerbs/

🌿🌼 Happy Beltaine everyone! 🌿🌼

Also known as May Day, Beltaine is the Celtic fire festival celebrating the fertility of the land and the first day of Summer. I had a lovely day, starting with a very old custom of waking at first light and washing in the dew of the Hawthorn blossom. Then off to Chalice Well Gardens in Glastonbury, which is a beautiful World Peace Garden. Followed by the procession of the Maypole up to Bushey Coombe and sitting in the sunshine with the dancers and drumming for the afternoon. Hundreds of people were dressed up with leaf and flower garlands or green body paint representing the God and Goddess of the Earth – I love keeping the old traditions alive. 💚

If you are interested in reconnecting to the ancient cycles of Nature, sign up to my mailing list https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/ and be the first to hear when my E-book called Herbs Around the Year will be ready.

Are you overworked, run down, and lost your sparkle?

Sign up today for a unique Wellness & Relaxation package:
https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/wellness-relaxation-package
Your one-to-one session with Medical Herbalist Helen Christov BSc. (Hons) MNIMH includes:

 An organic aromatherapy back massage
 Reiki healing
 Chakra alignment
 General advice for healthy living

Or book a Herbal Medicine consultation here: https://www.zigguratworldofherbs.com/herbal-medicine-clinic