For a while now I have been concerned about the lack of herbal internet sites in the UK. There are many professional sites run by medical herbalists or herb growers but these seem to be mostly aimed at showing how wonderful people are and getting you to become their patient or buy their products.

In other countries, the situation appears very different. Ordinary people, who sometimes have extraordinary herbal knowledge and skills are busy posting their thoughts on the ether so everyone can read and discuss whatever comes to mind. It is very evident where people are relying on books and where they have actual, practical knowledge which they are happy to share.

The only UK blogs I've been able to find have been from allotment holders or others who grow a few herbs, but they aren't their main concern. Am I missing something? Does anyone know of UK people with herbal knowledge who have regular blogs?

The Herbwifery Forum holds regular blog "parties" where people contribute more-indepth articles about herbs. It would be wonderful if the same enthusiasm could be generated at the Herb Society Forum. Blogs are easy to set up and are provided free of charge by yahoo and other providers. You don't need to be technically minded. I set up mine in about half an hour and it takes about the same amount of time to put up a short entry.

Sarah

I totally agree with you Sarah and sometime very soon I'm going to create a blog on Herbal Haven. It would also be good to have a Herb Society Blog but that would need someone to add to it regularly. Certainly something to think about in the future. I love the sound of blog parties, although I think it would be good for people to meet up and do the same sort of thing face to face. Rather like the herbal equivalent of a tupperware party It is dissapointing that most herb blogs are based in the USA, I'd love to see people chatting about UK herbs and uses.

So has anyone else out there got a herb blog? Okay I'm throwing down the gauntlet, if more than 6 people who use this forum provide links to their OWN UK herb blog I'll create a page on the HS site that will link to them. Maybe if we start the first ripples in the Uk herb blog pool we'll have an ocean of them?

Debs

Okay I've set up my blog, so that's two of us.... We need 4 more UK herb bloggers.... Any takers?

I do read and enjoy this forum very much although I haven't contributed much to it but just in case you wanted to know, my blog is at http://madaboutherbs.typepad.com

There are so many blogs in USA so it would be good to have some more UK ones. There is a site that lists garden blogs including some herb ones but I haven't had time to look through them all to see which are UK ones but you might want to become members to increase your visitors.

It's at www.blotanical.com

It would be great to see a UK herb blog pool!

Madeleine

Hi Madeleine,
Just had a look at your blog and it is really interesting and covers just about every aspect of herbs--really enjoyed reding it.
It makes me realise that there must be a lot of us out there that are "mad about herbs",but don`t appreciate just how many others feel the same.That is why i like the HS forum as it does bring you into contact with other like minded folks.

This leads me on to make 2 suggestions
1) We know that literally thousands of people read this forum, but very few make contact--so how about everyone who is reading just pops in to wave and/or say " i`m mad about herbs as well"

2) Have an informal competion to suggest a collective name for a group of herbaholics.I`ve been racking my brain but not been able to come up with anything yet,but give me time!

Over to you!

Linda

I agree with you Linda Herbaholic's Herbarium that's my blog such as it is, its only a few days old, so not much on it. I've set up a trial web ring on bravenet and called it UK Herbarium, it requires people that join to be able to add a snippet of code to their blogs. I stress that this webring is for herb blogs only in the UK as the whole point of the exercise is to get herb lovers in the UK blogging about herbs.

Whilst I know that herbarium is a term to describe a collection of preserved plant specimens, I thought it was a jolly good title A bit better than webring and it fits. Any UK herb blogger that ones to join, you can do so via the UK Herbarium Web Ring button on my blog.

I hope this is what you had in mind Sarah? I've listed your blog and Madeleine's on my blog, hopefully you'll link to mine! We just have to wait for the others to join us 

Debs

Herb Society Webmistress

I was just going to put a comment on your blog and it said I have to log in. The page requires a user name and pass word as usual. Do we just make one up, or is there a passwod we should use.
Sorry, may be a silly question - but ha!
Jenny

Have created a username and sent a password to you Jenny

Just in case anyone's interested, I have just posted a new blog entry at http://kitchenherbwife.blogspot.com/

Comments would be welcomed.

Sarah

When I have had time, I have been running a blog on the Arne Herbs web site for the last year

Thank you, Anthony

I'm delighted to have found your blog. Your writing is always full of information and food for thought.

Sarah

Sarah, I was going to leave a comment on your blog, but unless you have one of the accounts e.g blogger, typepad, wordpress etc you can't! I host my own blog on herbal haven so it won't let me join in!

I loved the title of your latest blog entry "Being passionate in public" and you mention nettle soup and I've just uploaded a nettle soup recipe on Jenny's latest herbalist page  the Nettle and the Dandelion. All I got to post yesterday was a new recipe using wild garlic on my blog. I got an email from Anthony Lyman-Dixon yesterday, he has a herb blog to http://arneblog.arneherbs.co.uk/blog . So that's 4 of us now, I hope more join us blogging about herbs UK style!
Are you going to join the webring? You can add the code in your footer where you put that lovely colourful basket & ribbon photo. If you get stuck holler!

Debs

[Edited to correct the arne herbs blog url that I typed incorrectly previously]

The above link for arne herbs blog won't let us access it from the HS forum, if you go to http;??www.arnerherbs.co.uk and follow the link to Anthony's blog you'll be able to read it

Hi Debs

Sorry you couldn't leave a comment on my blog - I wonder how many other people that applies to?

I can see the webring code, so I think you're going to have to talk me through what to do to add it to mine.


Sarah

That last posting of mine was allowed, even though I was neither logged in nor had a username and the administrating computer told me no less than fifteen times that it wouldn't let me in because I was "unverified". I feel there must be a moral to this somewhere though I am not sure what it is. Perhaps it's "If at first you don't succeed try and try again" it seems particularly apposite when applied to herb growing.

I'm afraid it's not much of a mystery, Anthony. I saw your post when I logged into the Forum as Moderator and accepted it soon after you'd posted it. This meant it could be seen publicly.

Best wishes

Sarah

Thank freckle for that lol! I thought I was either a) going mad, or b) there was a problem with the new system, I did say to Anthony that I thought you'd have done it

Debs

I've now changed the settings on my blog so anyone can make comments. There's also a new post about tasting the garden.

Sarah

Yay! I posted a comment for you on your blog now you've made it so I can I've been blogging away merrily as well, off to the garden now to have a little potter.

Hi everyone. I just had to resubscribe to all the blogs I read and here's the list of UK herb ones (actually the last two are European). Sorry it's the feed URLs but I just cut and pasted from my favourites rss list:

feed://hedgewitchuk.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

feed://earth-and-tree.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

feed://urbanherbwife.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

feed://www.network54.com/Forum/217936/?xml=rss

feed://kitchenherbwife.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default

feed://herbal-haven.co.uk/blog/?feed=atom

feed://madaboutherbs.typepad.com/my_weblog/atom.xml

feed://arneblog.arneherbs.co.uk/blog/index.xml

feed://www.henriettesherbal.com/blog/feed

feed://holisticmum.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default


I think I got everyone's here, but let me know if I missed any, or if there are other new ones.


regards,
kate.

Hi Kate

Thanks for that. Claire Mullen, who posts here, has just started a lovely new blog. I will post the url when I get home. http://hedgerowhippy.wordpress.com/

I have been trying to pursuade other herbalists to develop a blog, but Claire has been my only success so far!

Best wishes

Sarah

(edited to add blog url)

Thank you Sarah,

I can't promise to keep it up to date as I'm just going into my final year at Uni (help!) but it might just be the tonic I need when I'm all stressed out and need to remind myself why I'm doing it and that I do actually love herbs.
Nothing quite like a ramble through the hedgerows to lift the spirits...

Hi Claire

Love the new blog! Nice to see another UK herb lover blogging, have added you to my links on my blog if that's okay? Feel free to join the UK Herbarium webring. I've actually blogged today, first time since June! Fingers crossed I'll be able to blog more often now, life seems to be gettingback to normal. Look forward to reading more blogs from you in the future.

Debs