Hello, I’m Sarah. I’m a traditional herbalist working in Cornwall, South West England.

Knowledge of local plants and how they are used to support our health is being forgotten very quickly. In fact, it’s been said it takes just one generation for local, traditional knowledge to be lost. In the blink of an eye, an ancient part of our culture is eradicated from memory.

Perhaps even more worrying is the rise in AI generated information. A recent study exposed the fact that around 80% of new books on herbalism listed on Amazon in 2025 were published using this technology.

Not only is this potentially dangerous, but it erodes the trust that herbalists have built up over many generations to share precious knowledge that has been passed down for many hundreds (and in some cases, thousands) of years.

That’s why I want to share my methods for medicine-making, guides for fool-proof plant identification, heirloom recipes, herbal folklore, DIY herb projects, pictures of Cornish woodland walks and seasonal finds with YOU. My hope is you’ll join me in becoming a guardian of nature’s precious medicines, and keep the old ways alive and well.

Help me continue the oral traditional of passing this knowledge on, so that you can share it with your own families and communities.

My journal is an eclectic blend of herblore, practical medicine-making tutorials, woodland finds, heirloom remedies and a bit of local Cornish history thrown into the pot.

If you’re the sort of person who has a yearning to know which plants make bruises better, or the precise method for turning garden roses into heady perfume, you’re in the right place.


Why subscribe?

It’s only in the last few thousand years that writing has been available, and then only to a small percentage of the world’s population. As such, much herbal knowledge has been passed down through the oral tradition - often in the form of family recipes and anecdotes. As I might have already mentioned, this knowledge is rapidly being lost or forgotten.

I want to record these valuable resources so that people can once again bring herbs into their homes and have first hand experience of the power of plants to heal. Researching and writing about ways to bring this practice back into our everyday lives isn’t a paid job, but it IS my vocation.

A subscription gives you access to herbal content that can’t easily be found online or in many of the popular “off the shelf” herb books. (This is especially true when it comes to the recording of recipes and herbal tales that are mostly passed down in the form of stories.) Reader support gives me space to research and write about the following topics - which in turn, I'll share with you.

Things like:

  • Discussions on herb related articles found in rare books and out of print magazines

  • Information about forgotten plants & their historical uses

  • Traditional Cornish herblore

  • Old fashioned recipes & traditional medicine making skills

  • Self sufficient, kitchen table remedies


For paid subscribers

A paid subscription gives you access to your own personal “herbal pen pal,” - a professional you can reach out to for advice on home medicine making conundrums and herbal queries. In a world where Google doesn’t always have the answers, and the threat of AI takes away any nuance of the old herbal ways - I feel this is where my paid subscription offers really good value for money.

Paid subscriptions are for folks who are drawn to take a deeper dive into the aspects of herbs and their medicinal legacy. A subscription gives you access to projects and short courses, which over time, will build up into a library of resources you can use to curate your own home herbal apothecary. These are practitioner curated, self-reliance resources which I hope will in some way go towards helping you treat yourself and your family.

This includes:

  • Apothecary workshops - (short courses or written versions of my “in person” medicine making classes) delivered in the form of email tutorials, long form discussions and the occasional video. (Including full access to my DIY Flower Essences Course.)

  • Subscriber-only medicine making tutorials & DIY home apothecary projects like this failproof method for making Lion’s Mane Tincture.

  • Discussions on herb related articles found in rare books and out of print magazines; including seasonal field guides like this one about Herb Robert.

  • Notes from the hundreds of workshops, talks and conferences I’ve both hosted & attended in my 15 years as a practicing herbalist

  • Detailed herbal protocols for specific health conditions like this one on the topic of herbs for anxiety and this one on Mast Cell Activation Syndrome.

  • My entire back catalogue of archive posts

When you subscribe you’ll also receive

  • A downloadable e-Book on Nettle medicine

  • 10% off consultations and courses (not including herbal prescriptions)

  • 20% off my popular Iridology textbook

Subscribe to the Herbalists Diary

Founding members

By way of special thanks for your patronage, founding members will also receive a 20% discount on all of my products and services.

This includes:

I want you to remember how utterly amazing plants are. It really is in all of us to draw on this innate knowledge and keep it alive for future generations.

Let’s make medicine together!


I qualified as a herbalist from the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London in 2009 and am a member of the Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners. I’ve been working as a clinical practitioner for the last 15 years, during which time I’ve had the pleasure of teaching workshops on a wide array of topics from DIY botanical drinks, to making flower essences.

I recently completed a one year training in five-elements acupuncture as well as training to become a Lowland Walk Leader. I’m currently undertaking an apprenticeship in Tibetan Herbal Medicine.

Of course I also I forage for, and grow my own medicinal herbs. I’ve also written a book…

This work is my way of actively preserving the herbal heritage I’ve been gifted, and showcasing the beautiful Cornish countryside.

Thank you for your support and for walking with me on this twisty, turny path through the woods.

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Herbal tutorials and folktales from the Cornish countryside. Home medicine making projects, and stories from the notebooks of a professional herbalist.

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