Davina Hopkinson B.Sc. MNIMH Medical Herbalist

08/04/2025

Potion Club at Dilston Physic Garden, April 24th, 10am - 2pm. Come and join me for a fun session, learning about the plants that grow all around you and then make them into really useful medicines for your medicine cupboards at home. There will be some crafty bits, maybe a quiz and herbs to taste a long the way. Suitable for children 6ish - 12ish 🙂. Cost is just £15. Bring a packed lunch with you. If you'd like to join me or need a little more information, email me at [email protected]🌼🌹🌿🌳

08/04/2025

Junior Herbalist Club on Monday at Dilston Physic Garden and the Level 1 Home Ed group are learning about Chickw**d - another of the really useful Spring Tonic plants - full of Vitamins and minerals and in the past when we didn't have a supermarket on the doorstep, all these lovely greens would have been a welcome sight in Spring.

08/04/2025

Junior Herbalist Club at Dilston Physic Garden and the sun is shining - hurray!! Today the level 2 children are learning about Dandelions - what a useful plant it is! You can use every part of it - leaves, roots, flowers & stem. Today we made Dandelion flower infused oil Lotion Bars to use on dry chapped skin or for muscle aches and pains.

09/03/2025

Another fun herbal day at Dilston Physic Garden.
The Home Ed Junior Herbalist Club "inbetweeners" group did something a bit different again this month..... We looked at "Plants and the Plague". So we talked about the Plague, Plague Doctors, "wacky" remedies and sensible herbal remedies.
I had taken in a jar of very murky water (courtesy of Bisto gravy granules :)) with pond w**d and some dark shapes lurking at the bottom of the jar. I had some horrified looks 😀 and even more horrified when I put my hand in the jar to pull one out.......
i'll leave you guessing!! 😀

The children made their own "4 thieves remedy" containing antibiotic herbs - Thyme, Sage, Rosemary, Mint, Garlic and a little bit of lavender infused in Apple Cider Vinegar.
"According to legend, four thieves, one of whom was an herbalist, robbed the homes of many who had died of the plague. They were eventually caught and brought to trial. One version of the story recounts that they were sentenced to bury the dead but would be set free if they survived. Another version tells that they were released in return for the recipe for the tonic that they were credited with protecting them from the plague.
Either way, the thieves survived, as did the legend and the recipe for their herbal vinegar. Though we hopefully won’t ever need this remedy for anything as serious as the plague, it still serves as a remedy against colds and flu and can be used as a disinfectant and bug spray."

The children then powdered a selection herbs to make themselves a "protective" pomander to carry with them. It contained aromatic herbs to hide the smells of the Plague, antibacterial herbs to fight off the disease and "protective herbs" to clear negative energies. I had read that often a dried toad was an advantageous addition to a plague remedy so we attached a little toad to our bags too.

Finally we made a Plague bubo (a black plague boil). We used a jam doughnut and filled it with more jam and custard and covered it with black icing. We thought it was a good idea to try a Plantain poultice (very quickly made) to see if we could draw out the poison. Then we burst the bubo! 😀🤢😳.........

09/03/2025

Junior Herbalist Club at Dilston Physic Garden This month the second year group have been learning about Sage and have made a "delicious" and effective Sage and Marshmallow leaf sore throat spray. The first year group looked at Calendula and Cress and learnt a bit about propagation, germination and photosynthesis. We then planted some Calendula and Cress seeds and hopefully the children will soon have a delicious helping of cress and some healthy Calendula seedlings to plant in their gardens. 🌼🌞🌱

09/02/2025

..........I missed this lovely photo - happy in his work making "magical throat coat" pastilles 🙂

03/02/2025

This Home Ed group have finished their 2 years at Junior Herbalist Club and are eagerly awaiting Year 3 in September. In the meantime we are still meeting every month - how lovely is that?. Today we've been looking at the Anglo Saxon "Nine Herb Charm". We followed the recipe exactly and spoke the Charm whilst we made a very interesting looking poultice. We then made a cream in the modern way 😊 and a magical dream pillow from some of the herbs mentioned in the Nine Herb Charm

03/02/2025

TheJunior Herbalist Club second years are learning about Comfrey and Rose - making a lovely Calendula and Comfrey cream, some beautiful Rose soaps and a Rose " Love Potion" to sprinkle over pancakes, porridge, cakes.......... whatever you fancy! 😍

03/02/2025

It's Cinnamon and Liquorice today at Junior Herbalist Club - a double dose of herbal wisdom 🌼🪻🌾🌳 Here the children are making "Magical Throat Coat" sweet lozenges made fro Marshmallow root powder and Thyme & Liquorice syrup. 😋

03/02/2025

First day back at Junior Herbalist Club since November. The garden is still sleeping but there are a few signs of Spring..........

23/09/2024

I just wanted to say thank you so much to everyone who has given to the Looby Wagons - it means such a lot to all of the family. Now the walk is done! We were so lucky with the weather - a beautiful day and a beautiful coastline and only a few blisters 🙂Thank you.

31/08/2024

Potion club on Thursday at Dilston Physic Garden. We were making a first aid kit for the winter. 🤧🤒 and made Elderberry syrup, Fire Cider, Natural Vapour Rub and throat pastilles. It was a very full class - 13 children and it was so busy I forgot to take photos - so there’s just this one of all the children enjoying making the throat pastilles. 😊

30/08/2024

🌱 Calling all Young Plant Explorers! 🌱

Our Junior Herbalist Club offers a unique opportunity for children ages 7-12 to explore the wonders of herbal medicine. Starting 7th September, we’ll meet on the first Saturday of each month (with a break in December) to dive deep into the magical power of plants...

✨ What Your Child Will Learn:

Plant Identification 🔎 Learn how to correctly identify the featured plant, understand its habitat, life cycle, and the origins of its common and botanical names.

History & Folklore 📜 Discover the rich history and folklore surrounding the plant through engaging storytelling, songs, and humorous anecdotes.

Medicinal Qualities 🧪 Explore the healing properties of the plant, the primary constituents responsible for its medicinal activity, and its uses both internally and externally.

Hands-on Learning 👐 Children will make herbal preparations to take home, and learn how to grow, harvest, and respect all plants and their environment.

Why Join?
🌱 Connect with other young herbal enthusiasts
🌱 Gain in-depth knowledge of one healing plant each month
🌱 Enjoy a hands-on, engaging learning experience

📝 Sign Up: contact course tutor, NIMH medical herbalist Davina Hopkinson [email protected]

For more info see the event listing on our website!

30/07/2024

29/07/2024

I am now taking bookings for the next intake of Junior Herbalist Club, starting in September at Dilston Physic Garden
"The aim of JHC is to help children learn about the healing plants around them in a safe and supervised environment. The children are taken on a journey of discovery, engaging all their senses with playful practical skills" (JHC website) 🌱🌿🌳🌹🌼
You can read below some of the thoughts and comments of the children and parents who have already enjoyed the experience of JHC.........

29/07/2024

Potion Club - the children had a smashing time experimenting with the art of Tataki zome, also known as ‘flower pounding’ or ‘plant bashing.’ 🙂 We carefully gather a few flowers and leaves and carefully laid them onto a piece of cotton. We covered that with a piece of kitchen roll and bashed away. When you pull back the paper to see what you’ve made there’s an exciting reveal - you're never quite sure what you'll get.



Dilston Physic Garden