Herbs, Hugs and Spring Tonic

Waking up with nature

We might grumble about spending winter under the duvet, but Barbara is adamant that it is exactly what we are meant to do in the Northern Hemisphere – rest, repair and slow down, just like the trees and wildlife outside.

As the sun returns, blossoms appear and hedgehogs stir from hibernation, she says we should see spring as our cue to emerge too, with a clearer idea of what we want for our health and wellbeing.

Food as everyday medicine

Barbara’s mantra is that food is medicine – not just something we think about for two weeks on holiday, but the way we live every day.

On the show she talked about starting chillies indoors, explaining that cayenne peppers need warmth and a long growing season, and how she uses them both in the kitchen and in her medical herbalist practice.

From there, she encouraged listeners to start a simple “home medicine cabinet” by growing herbs in even the smallest space, like a window box.

March, she says, is the real beginning of the gardening year, a perfect time to sow seeds, swap plants with friends and discover just how generous herbs can be when they start popping up all over the place.

Three easy herbs to grow

For beginners, Barbara suggested starting herbs indoors where it is light and warm, rather than rushing them straight outside.

Annual chamomile is one of her favourites, scattered on the surface of the soil so the tiny seeds can catch the light and germinate, with a gentle reputation for supporting the respiratory, digestive and nervous systems.

Parsley was another pick – curly or flat leaf, it really does not matter – but she warned it can take its time to sprout, so patience is essential.

Her wider point was that watching plants each day is calming and grounding in itself, a chance to slow down, connect with nature and get away from the pressure to rush out and buy the latest “must‑have” wellness fix.

Nature’s free garlic and a hug for your heart

One of the stars of Barbara’s spring bowl in the studio was wild garlic – also known as ramsons – whose broad green leaves release that unmistakable scent as soon as you scrunch them in your fingers.

She described it as a natural antibiotic and gut balancer that our ancestors have used for centuries, brilliant for the microbiome, heart and circulation, and easily turned into salads, soups or pesto.
Wild garlic, she explained, is “free garlic” that carpets woodlands, riverbanks and canal sides at this time of year, and once it settles into a corner of the allotment it happily spreads.

While the underground bulbs are tiny compared with the supermarket varieties, the leaves provide plenty of flavour and form part of what she calls nature’s cabinet – everyday plants that support our hearts in the same way a good hug might.

Coltsfoot, cleavers and a spring tonic

Barbara also brought in a cheerful yellow flower: coltsfoot, often mistaken for a small dandelion by drivers whizzing past.

Long used as a respiratory herb, its botanical name tussilago hints at its traditional use for coughs, and Barbara remembered buying “coltsfoot rock” as a child – a herbal stick you chewed to soothe the chest rather than a sugary sweet.

Then there was cleavers – that clingy hedgerow plant children love to stick to each other’s jumpers – which Barbara also champions as a young salad leaf and a classic “spring tonic” herb. She explained how, after the grey damp of winter, these vibrant greens bursting with chlorophyll, vitamins and minerals help us feel brighter, inside and out.

Books, herbs and where to find Barbara

Because it was World Book Day, the conversation turned naturally to reading, and Barbara lit up talking about her love of factual books with a strong story and beautiful imagery.

As chair of The Herb Society she reviews new titles, shares recommendations on the Herb Society UK Instagram page and helps host a members’ book club, with a new website on the way to make all that easier to explore.

If you want to take things further, Barbara works locally in the Hale area of Altrincham as a consulting medical herbalist and naturopath three days a week, offering consultations, herb walks and events.

You can find her via The Herb Society website – and of course, on the first Thursday of every month back with Phil In The Morning, bringing a little bit of the allotment into Cheshire’s Mix 56.