Whether you live in the city or countryside,
medicinal trees and plants are all around us.
if you can slow down and take the time to notice
as you stroll through your village, town or city,
you will see herbs everywhere.
In these films, we’ll be looking at a few common medicinal trees and plants
that are easy to find almost anywhere in the UK
and that can provide valuable remedies to help us through the seasons.
In the UK, we experience 4 seasons through the year
spring,
summer,
autumn
and winter.
In the north of the country, the winters are fiercer and longer
and the spring starts later than in the south,
so landscapes can look very different at the same time of year,
depending on where you are in the country.
The same goes for when plants and trees come into flower and fruit,
in the south, flowers and fruits tend to appear earlier than in the north.
Being aware of when your local seasons begin
will be very helpful in your search for seasonal plant remedies.
In order to forage for your medicinal plants safely,
you need to be able to accurately identify plants in the wild.
Identification skills are essential.
Some basic identification tips have been given
for the plants and trees that are mentioned here.
However, if you are ever in any doubt
about the identity of the plant before you,
please do not take a chance. Consult an expert.
Not only will your local library will have books about plant identification
but there are also many groups on social media
or possibly in your community,
that can help you develop  confidence to make identifications.
We will also be looking at some simple recipes
on how to prepare these plants
and for what conditions they have been traditionally used.
Remember, there are many different ways to prepare medicinal plants
this is not meant to be a definitive guide
rather, an introduction to some of the many possibilities.