Hello, I’m Sarah, a herbalist 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. 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 wildflowers 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. I want to pass this knowledge on to you, so you can share it with your own families and communities.

My journal is an eclectic blend of local herblore, practical medicine-making tutorials, woodland finds, heirloom remedies and a bit of kitchen witchery thrown into the pot for good measure.

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 on 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:

  • Information about forgotten plants & their historical uses

  • Cornish herblore

  • Heirloom recipes & traditional medicine making skills

  • Self sufficient herbalism

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

  • Independent herbal book reviews


For paid subscribers

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 4 part 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 13 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

Please note: This is not the sort of subscription that requires you to do group things like attend Zoom meetings or constantly interact with notes. By nature I’m something of an introvert, and although I sometimes share video content, I find that a personal connection is much more my style. In this regard, paid subscribers should think of me as a sort of “herbal pen pal” with whom they can reach out for advice on home medicine making conundrums. 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.


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!


About me:

I qualified as a herbalist from the College of Naturopathic Medicine in London in 2009. I’m a member of the Unified Register of Herbal Practitioners, and an ambassador for the British Herb Society. I’ve been working as a clinical practitioner for the last 13 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 forage for, and grow my own medicinal herbs. I’ve also written a book….

Most importantly, I actively work to preserve the herbal heritage we’ve been gifted, and encourage the responsible caretaking of the beautiful Cornish countryside in which I live.

Subscribe to The Herbalist's Diary

Reviving the skills of the home medicine maker. Raising the profile of the professional herbalist. A blend of practical medicine making tutorials, herblore & heirloom remedies (with a bit of Cornish kitchen witchery thrown into the pot.)

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Herbalist & Wild Medicine Educator based in Cornwall, UK