vi: Natural Nurture
Learning from Arnica Sarah Frances I grew up foraging hedgerows, growing vegetables and herbs, and then worked with trees and timber for most of my adult life, so, for me, there is no better way to learn and remember than through practical immersion. Techniques become embedded by the actions of doing, participating, copying; learning by demonstration, trial and error, patience, repetition and care. Herbology embodies these principles, and so it seemed natural to gravitate towards this hands-on, intensive, biodynamic practice of herb growing— particularly as part of organic and closed system cultivation. One of the core aspects of my learning during the Herbology Diploma at RBGE was the creation of a physic garden on site, growing specific herbs to be used for preparations in the Green Pharmacy module of the course. Each student grows their herbs from seed, designing and preparing their own garden plots from the onset, cultivating them through the seasons, culminating in a harvest, ready (hopefully) for each student’s specific herbal remedy making. This holistic ‘seed to syrup’ ethos has since informed everything I do, transforming the way I care for my family— especially my disabled daughter. After graduating from RBGE, I spent time with Duncan and Yuriko Ross at Poyntzfield biodynamic herb nursery, on the Black Isle in Scotland. The intensive, biodynamic approach could not be any better show-cased than at Poyntzfield; Duncan has spent a lifetime honing this unique nursery, which is now regarded by many as the epitome of best practice in
medicinal herb cultivation. This opportunity allowed me to gain more experience of, and interaction with, herbs. It was deeply immersive. Immediately obvious to anyone who sets foot in the walled grounds is the minute and dedicated attention to detail. For me, it felt key to spend a concentrated time understanding how to care for plants at every stage of their life cycle. The constant tweaking and watch-keeping intrigued me and stimulated my interest in the nurture and care of life (especially young life with masses of potential). It occurred to me that the nursery’s attentive, holistic approach was not that dissimilar to being aboard a small sailing boat, especially during a long passage; the constant attention to detail, the awareness of weather, climate, and environmental conditions, the sense of a journey. The ordered rota of tasks for maintaining growth and optimising performance felt a bit like keeping the sails filled. The conditions at Poyntzfield are very strictly monitored, so that the herbs achieve their optimum, ready for medicinal use. The herbs are constantly attended, to avoid disease or contamination. Every aspect of the work is carried out by hand. This is a very labourintensive and organised environment. Once ‘aboard’ at Poyntzfield, it becomes your whole world, immensely physical and increasingly emotional once the herbs begin to reveal themselves to you. I worked at the nursery during their annual Arnica (Arnica montana) harvest in mid-
