Donna’s Blog « Cottage Hill Herb Farm

Herbs for the stressed!

On March 1, 2016 / Herbal Medicine and Health, Natural Skincare and Beauty / Comments Off

Stress. We all suffer from it. Some of us experience it once in a while when something really taxing happens whilst others seem to live in such a constant state of stress that coming up for air is a rare – nay freak occurrence. However much stress you experience, it can be devastating on our bodies. According to medical researchers who developed the stress scale ranking system – they found that the higher your total stress score in any particular year, the more likely you were to become ill. That’s right, you heard it here…there is a stress ranking system. Now you can […]

Legend of the Four Thieves

On February 23, 2016 / Recipes / Comments Off

The Legend of the Four Thieves; sounds spooky doesn’t it? I have chosen what I think you will find is an appropriately creepy image for this blog post, seeing as the legend in question took place during the bubonic plague. So here’s the story! There once were four thieves who spent their days ransacking empty plague-ridden houses. Miraculously none of them, though being often in contact with the dead, contracted the disease. One day the thieves were caught by policemen and brought before the French judges in Marseilles. The judges wanted to know how these thieves had resisted the plague, […]

Featured Herb: Olive Leaf Extract

On February 5, 2016 / Featured Herb / Comments Off

Olive Leaf! I always tell my students that olive is the one herb that they need in their garden. It has saved the lives of my animals in emergency situations, it has helped my patients with ongoing care and it is just incredibly powerful; the tree of life! And you don’t just have to take my word for it – there are a lot of studies being done and many doctors already successfully employing Olive Leaf extract as therapy for patients who suffer from medically puzzling diseases such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, polymyalgia, arthritic inflammation and much more. Just take a […]

Body Butter for beginners!

On January 27, 2016 / Natural Skincare and Beauty, Recipes / Comments Off

It is a wonderful feeling to make your own products; knowing exactly what is going in to them from start to finish and feeling that satisfaction every time you use them. If you have never made a skincare product before it can be quite daunting, but it doesn’t have to be. I have found for my students that just getting started can be the best way to set them down the path of DIY skincare! So why not give this simple recipe a try? If you know how to make a base cream then you can start from scratch, but […]

Flower Essences for your pets!

On January 20, 2016 / Herbal Medicine and Health / Comments Off

Just like us, animals can suffer from anger, fear, sadness, stress and all the rest, and just like us they can benefit greatly from the addition of flower essences! Flower essences are gentle and safe, so you can try them out on your pets and animal friends if you have specific concerns about them! I have had a lot of animals over the years and I have found flower essences to be a wonderful support for my beloved furry friends. We know you love your animals as much as we do, and often animals reflect what we ourselves may be […]

It’s thyme for a herbal highlight!

On January 14, 2016 / Featured Herb / Comments Off

It’s been a challenging few months here at the herb farm, what with the bridge going out and having to close the shop to the public until further notice. The future of the bridge is still uncertain but, as they say, better thymes are ahead…or only thyme will tell…or some other thyme pun that will segue us nicely into our featured herb this week; thyme. Thyme (Thymus Vulgaris) is one of the easiest of all herbs to grow, whether grown from seed or from bundles of store bought plants. However you grow it, plant heaps of it because it’s simply […]

The most important ingredient to add to your skincare regime!

On January 8, 2016 / Featured Product, Natural Skincare and Beauty / Comments Off

Happy Friday everyone! This week I want to share with you what I feel is the most important ingredient for your skincare. This amazing oil has a unique ability to penetrate deep into skin tissue, acting as a superb transporter of all ingredients within your fomula and carrying these ingredients further into tissue than any other product is capable of. It also stimulates micro circulation via the skin, hair follicles and lymphatic system. So what is this amazing oil?!! Why it’s organc castor oil of course! This fantastic oil has been around for centuries but is little celebrated in our mainstream culture […]

Notice to all our valued customers…

On December 30, 2015 / News and Updates / Comments Off

UPDATE ON STORE CLOSURE: December 30th 2015: Due to the only bridge leading to our herb shop collapsing, unfortunately the shop is still closed to the public. However, we are taking orders by e-mail and phone. Leave us a message and we will get back to you as soon as we can! E-maill : donna@cottagehillherbs.co.nz Phone: 04-526 4753

Feverfew – The Migraine Herb

On December 30, 2015 / Featured Herb / Comments Off

It’s a beautiful day here at Cottage Hill Herb Farm, and there is lots happening out in the garden. Right now the roses are nearly finished their bloom, but the Feverfew is putting out a stunning display right outside of my patio door, so I thought it was a good time to share some information about this wonderful, easy-to-grow herb before I get to harvesting it. Easy to grow and totally beautiful in full flower with its masses of daisy flowers, Feverfew grows readily in poor soils, creating a very attractive ornamental for your garden. It […]

Merry Christmas

On December 17, 2015 / News and Updates / Comments Off

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of our customers and thank you for supporting us for the last 12 months. Looking forward to another great year with you in 2016.

Arthritic Joint Pain Massage Oil

On December 17, 2015 / Herbal Medicine and Health, Natural Skincare and Beauty, Recipes / Comments Off

Arthritis and joint pain is caused by stagnant fluids, uric acid and the build up of sediment around the joint. Excellent pain relief may be obtained by massaging this oil into the affected area. Circulation improves as the joint area is cleansed and soothed with this unique oil combination that assists in removing metabolic wastes via the lymphatic system whilst relieving pain at the same time. To make 100 ml massage oil: 30% Castor oil – organic cold pressed 30% M.S.M. infused oil 20% Kawakawa infused oil 10% Tumeric with Black Pepper infused oil 10% Magnesium oil 30 Drops Tumeric […]

Rose – The Mother of All Plants

On December 17, 2015 / Featured Herb, Herbal Medicine and Health / Comments Off

Roses engender a soothing, calming “Rescue Remedy” like impact on our whole being. Roses comfort and purify our emotional being, calming our mindset and heart, bringing in peace, joy, tranquility and harmony along with a new sense of acceptance and contentment. Roses re-channel our energies to our true soul purpose and universal direction. To use: Make a cup of tea from a whole organic rose and drink slowly or make a tea of dried organic roses. You may also take 4 drops x 4 times daily of our organic rose flower essence (take regularly). Organic dried rose petals and […]

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