Comfrey is the compost enricher par excellence. Its chemical composition is almost the same as that of farmyard manure, and its high natural calcium and nitrogen content and its quick decomposition make it a very necessary addition to each bin of compost. I build up my bins in layers as spent material becomes available, then turn the contents into a second bin, mixing comfrey leaves and stalks, well chopped, through the pile as I do so. Dolomite and a layer of sandy soil are spread through at intervals, and at the same time I add to the bin other herbs in varying quantities.

Yarrow is the catalyst. Work done in England and West Germany has proved that a “homeopathic dose” of 1 part in 10,000 of yarrow, added to each bin, is the most effective quantity. One or two tiny leaves, snipped finely and well-mixed through, are enough to “send off” about one or two cubic yards of compost material. Larger quantities of yarrow do not improve this process. On the contrary, they are not as speedy. So have faith, and add only this minute quantity.

Camomile is very rich in natural calcium, and essential for a “healthy” compost bin. It will stop excessive acidification, and keep the decomposing material sweet as well. Valerian, a little-known herb, is another asset to the soil. It stimulates phosphorus activity in the earth around it, and added to the compost is very valuable. Tansy, with its high proportion of potassium, ensures this necessary element is present, too, in large quantities. Nettles, the stinging little monsters often found around poultry farms, give their contribution of iron, and a catalytic action as well. Dandelion is another potent source of minerals, and can be added as often as you feel impelled to root it out of pathways or flowerbeds.

Add the green parts of all these herbs and the flowers as well if you have them. Roots are perhaps better left out, unless you are an experienced compost-maker; there will be less chance of incomplete breakdown. My own compost bins are ready about six weeks after the herbs are added and mixed well through, and a coarse sweet-smelling black organic “stew” is then ready to be spread over the soil and lightly dug in.

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About this time, the German, Paracelsus, propounded his Doctrine of Signatures: his belief that the appearance and general characteristics of plants gave clues to their possible uses for the health of man.

Opinions about him were, and still are, divided, some hailing him as a genius, some as a charlatan. He studied the characteristics of plants and flowers, and related them to various parts of the human body. All manner of signs and habits of growth were noted as indications to possible uses: even the slow growth or the fecundity of a flower was related to treating human sterility or “over-abundance”. Even the external general appearance of a plant (e.g. garlic and chives, spear-shaped, will ward off general ill-health) was sometimes taken as a sign of its properties. For the cynics among my readers: it has been found, sometimes only in the last generation, that whatever the original method of choice, and however far-fetched the theory may sound, many of the plants so chosen to heal and maintain general health do, indeed, have the required results.

One of my favourite plants is comfrey (Symphytum officinale), long known and used as a healing agent for broken bones and tissue damage, both internally and externally. Scientific analysis of its constituents reveal 0-8 to 1-2 per cent of allantoin, a cell proliferant, now synthetized and hailed as a “modern” miracle healing agent. You will find allantoin listed as an ingredient in many chemists’ proprietary lines. Why not grow your own comfrey and have its easily assimilable healing powers available right in your own back yard?

Another example of the Doctrine of Signatures is the age-old use of willow-tree bark for treatment of rheumatic complaints. It was noted by practising herbalists that the willow often grew and thrived in damp and cold conditions, the same conditions that produce so many rheumatic complaints amongst farmers and gardeners working outdoors. Analysis has shown that one active ingredient of willow bark is salicin, which, used externally, relieves and soothes the cramping fire of “the screws”.

Salicylic acid’cannot be taken internally, and it was not until 1899 that a German chemist came up with the answer—a compound called acetyl-salicylic acid, most probably better known to you as aspirin. Orthodox medicine still recommends aspirin as one of the best remedies for chronic rheumatism; it not only relieves the pain, but has a positive action on the stiff and creaky joints as well.

Time and time again, science is forced to confirm the efficacy of many natural remedies. It would appear, as the Apocrypha states, that “the Lord hath created medicines out of the earth, and he that is wise will not abhor them”.

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For centuries the gipsies have used sage to darken grey hair, and here are several recipes, both modern and ancient (one comes from the Rome of Tiberius) for you to try.

1. Add 1 teaspoon of dried sage (1 tablespoon of fresh) and an equal quantity of China tea to half a pint of water in ajar. Stand the jar in a pot of boiling water for two hours, then strain and squeeze well. Rub in a little of the liquid each second day on damp hair.

2. Add a good handful of fresh sage leaves to half a pint of water just off the boil. Then add a teaspoonful of borax and allow to get cold. Dip your hairbrush in this liquid and gently brush through your locks. Repeat as often as necessary.

3. Add a good handful of fresh sage leaves, well bruised, to one pint of boiling water. Steep for about 30 minutes for a lighter colour, several hours for a darker one. Strain, and cool. Pour the sage rinse over the hair, working it well through with the fingertips or with a brush. Catch the run-off in a basin, and repeat the process several times. Gently dry off.

In the kitchen, sage is synonymous with stuffing. Most mixtures for seasoning poultry and game make use of it, not only for its aromatic flavour, but for its now lesser-known virtue of breaking down the fats and oils in the meat, thus aiding its digestion. Use it, too, with vegetables, and with cheese.

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A strong tea made from the leaves and flowering tops of hyssop is used in lung, nose and throat congestion and catarrhal complaints; and externally it can be applied to bruises to reduce the swelling and discoloration.

In England an old country remedy for wounds or cuts suffered working in the fields was to apply a poultice of the bruised leaves mixed with sugar. The risk of tetanus and other infections with these often deep cuts was high, because of the manures and perhaps rusty implements with which the farmers always worked. So once again, Nature’s simple protection was called for. A black eye is another embarrassing affliction that hyssop can alleviate. Put a small bunch of the herb in a muslin or small nylon bag or twist of material, immerse in boiling water for a minute, then place on the eye as hot as is bearable. Repeat until the swelling and discoloration subside.

Several leaves of hyssop can be used to flavour soups and stews. It is a herb that will stand a longer cooking time, although it is still better to add it in the last quarter hour. The flavour of hyssop will blend well in a vegetable medley.

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The plant grows from 3 to 5 feet high if wanted for its flowers. The bright blue cornflower or daisy-shaped blooms open up along the tall flowering spikes each day. The time varies with different localities, but my flowers open at sunrise and close at 2 p.m. every day. Chicory was one of the plants included in the floral clock planted by Linnaeus, that great botanist and zoologist, on which the hours were marked by different-plants opening and closing times. It has been noted that the leaves of chicory always align themselves towards the north, and those interested in theosophy and metaphysics attribute great life-giving forces to the plant. Do not confuse this chicory with the vegetable, endive, which is often mistakenly called “chicory”.

The seeds of chicory germinate easily, and keep their freshness for several years. The leaves are toothed, somewhat like the dandelion, which it resembles. If you are growing the plants as a vegetable, it is advisable to dig out a trench about 6 to 8 inches deep, and dig food and humus into the bottom layer of the trench; then set out the plants some 12 inches apart. As the leaves grow, and when about 6 to 12 leaves are showing, hill up the soil around each plant to about 5 or 6 inches, thus bringing the surface up to ground level once again. The plants need to be bleached in this way to remove the slightly bitter taste of the dark leaves.

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