Crowberry has been used in the past as an astringent, diuretic, to help with kidney problems and as eyewash to remove sties!

The leafy branches were used to help children with a fever and an infusion of the stems or cooked berries was used to treat diarrhoea.

Heather flowers and plants have been gathered for centuries to be made into herbal medicines.

Remedies believed to be derived from heather included cystitis, diarrhoea, hay fever and dandruff!

Heather tops were infused and used as a tonic to treat consumption, coughs, nerves, depression and heart complaints. Heather tea, liniments and ointments were used to help treat arthritis and rheumatism.

Heather (Calluna vulgaris) flowers come into bloom at the start of August. The sight of the flowers en masse is as refreshing to the eye as they are to the tongue in a cup of ‘moorland tea’.

In 1543 one writer guaranteed that heather plants could ease insect bites whilst another used the plant in drug form to heal snake bites, eye infections, infections of the spleen and to prevent stones forming in the internal organs.

Nicolas Alexandre, a Benedictine monk, believed that boiling the stems and drinking the brew for 30 days could dissolve kidney stones – he also stated that the patient should bathe in the heather water.

Around the time of WWI, heather was used as a household remedy for all kinds of illnesses and complaints and was recommended to nursing mothers to help them produce more milk!

Medicinal herbalists still use heather to treat cystitis and to use as a diuretic and anti-microbial.

In certain mountainous regions of Europe, heather continues to be used to make a liniment for arthritis and rheumatism, and a hot poultice made from the flowers is still a traditional remedy for chilblains.

I think you'll agree that heather is a truly amazing plant with so many medicinal properties!

This lichen has some unusual qualities. Is has been used historically to treat indigestion because of its bitter taste and was reportedly used over 3,000 years ago.

As its name suggests, this plant was used for problems with hair and scalp but could also be taken as an antibiotic.

It was effective in easing irritating coughs and when applied to infected cuts it helped in the healing process.

It was thought to be especially good in the treatment of infections both internally and externally that were caused by fungi and bacteria e.g. ringworm, pneumonia, bronchitis and abscesses.

The whole fresh plant is antiseptic and is highly absorptive – because of this it has been used to dress wounds since prehistoric times.

During the World Wars Sphagnum is reputed to have saved the lives of thousands of soldiers as it helped prevent infection of their wounds.

Sphagnum was gathered in tons in many parts of Highland Scotland and it was then dried thoroughly and sent to the front line to be used as field dressings.

A tar extracted from the decaying moss is antiseptic and is a valuable external application in the treatment of eczema, psoriasis and many other forms of skin diseases.

"Sphagnum is reputed
  to have saved the lives
       of thousands..."

It is still used today for insect bites – and is also thought to help prevent being bitten in the first place!

Sundew has a long history of herbal uses having been popular for its fortifying and aphrodisiac effects, although one of its side effects was to change the colour of the patient's urine!

It was believed to be of great value in the treatment of various chest complaints as it had the ability to relax the muscles of the respiratory tract thus easing breathing and relieving wheezing.

The flowering plant had many uses as an antibacterial agent, antibiotic, antispasmodic and as an expectorant.

It was traditionally used to treat whooping cough, chronic bronchitis and asthma. Used externally it has been used to treat corns, warts and bunions as the leaf juice contains protein-digesting enzymes.

The entire fresh plant is still used in homeopathic remedies to treat whooping cough and bronchitis.

For thousands of years, honey has been harvested by man and is reputed to be one of the purest and most natural remedies available.

It was thought to be an all-round healing elixir that promoted general health and well-being.

Honey has traditionally been used in the treatment of coughs, colds and sore throats, and many modern-day cold remedies contain honey and lemon.

Honey was mixed with cider vinegar and salt and used as a gargle for sore throats, and when combined with lemon, hot water and whisky it becomes the favourite 'hot toddy' cure for the common cold!

One of the properties of honey is as a mild antiseptic and it can therefore help keep external wounds such as cuts, grazes and minor burns clean and free from infection.

Because it also absorbs the moisture around the wound, it also helps prevent the growth of harmful bacteria.

The Romans used honey for digestive disorders and they would take it as a mild laxative – but also to treat diarrhoea!

Honey is still a favourite today for treating colds and digestive problems and a spoonful of honey is a wonderful pick-me-up as it provides an instant energy boost.