Phew! Just managed to harvest the St John's Wort last week before the rain returned. I'd been watching it anxiously, wondering if it would flower whilst the sunshine lasted, and it made it with one day to spare. I used to pick lots of Hypericum Perforatum when I lived in London but hadn't found a good source in Sheffield until it self seeded in my garden, hurray! Its botanical name refers to the tiny holes in its leaves; its common name is a reminder of the value that the knights of St John put on this plant for its healing properties; they used it in ointments to help heal bruises and burns. The modern usage of the tincture (which extracts different plant constituents to the oil or tea) for alleviating mild to moderate depression is relatively new, although its use in past cultures for keeping away evil influences may translate to warding off the stresses of modern day living....
I have packed my harvested herb into a glass jar and just put in enough good quality sunflower oil to cover it. It is now living in the greenhouse where the sun will help the oil to absorb the healing constituents, turning it a lovely red colour. Often used by herbalists to apply to areas of nerve damage and bruising, I also like to use it in my massage practice with added essential oils to alleviate muscular aches and pains.
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