Herbs of Cyprus
I have been wanting to share knowledge and ideas with you since I can remember, but I kept putting it off as I always had to give priority to other things. Thankfully, a few weeks ago, when I was taking pictures of the herbs I would infuse in oil, I made a commitment to present each of these herbs on the blog and share any knowledge I have about them. Sometimes we need to make a commitment to get things started, and so, this is the case for me now. I am also taking this opportunity to refresh and expand my knowledge, as I dig into my notes and books in order to write the posts.
Getting to know the herbs available to where I live is one of the most powerful knowledge trips I ever took. There is a liberating and empowering feeling to this process of learning about plant medicine, and it feels like this is a path I will walk on forever, as it really never ends; possibilities are endless. And all of these endless possibilities can be available to all of us, one way or another. In our gardens or our neighbours’ gardens, in mountains and fields, in farmers markets or even on our small balconies.
I urge you all to educate yourselves, to read books, browse through responsible websites, go out and get familiar with your plant allies and most importantly, plant your seeds. You will be amazed at how generous nature can be.
With that being said, I need to remind you to do your own research. My purpose is to merely give you the kickstart you may need to embark on this learning journey, and to give you an idea of the vast possibilities of herbs. Find a reliable source, don’t take anything you read online for granted, and definitely don’t go out foraging without an experienced forager. Talk to an herbalist or a naturopath before deciding to take a specific herb as medicine. Also, if you have grandparents that live in the countryside, go and pick their brain- they may possess a great wealth of knowledge! Lastly, if you do decide to forage from nature, please be kind and considerate when harvesting wild plants. Take only what you need, try to pick from different patches, shake the plants to release seeds in the ground and don’t uproot any of the plants. This way the land will keep providing enough for everyone; humans, animals and bees!
Check this space, as I will be sharing various local herbs in the upcoming weeks, hopefully twice monthly. I apologise in advance for not being consistent with posting 😉