Grow Your Own Drugs – S02E04
BBC2 – 13 April 2010
4/6 – Petals
Ethnobotanist James Wong believes plants have more uses than just brightening up a flower border. They contain beneficial properties that could help ease the symptoms of minor everyday health complaints.
James focuses on petals, turning chamomile into a luxurious bath milk and honeysuckle and jasmine into soothing jellies for sore throats. Members of the public are impressed by his ear drops made from mullein flowers, while James puts his money where his mouth is and bravely tries out his own rose petal leg waxing treatment. He shows us how to make a chamomile seat and sniffs out the most fragrant rose varieties.
His recipes are simple to follow and cheap to make, and might just soothe your symptoms if you’re in need of help.
OK so the chamomile bath milk for a bath lover like me is a definite! That just looked so gorgeous. Honeysuckle and jasmine are both in the garden (though the jasmine looks half dead after all the snow we had at xmas) and boy could I have done with some of those jellies then during the swine flu episode. Don’t need the waxy ear treatment (pardon?) but I know someone who does lol, and the sugaring treatment I have tried before as the body shop did/does sell sugaring equipment but I need to psyche myself up for that kind of beauty treatment. Brave of James to test it out personally though lol.
The chamomile seat idea instead of having it on the ground was great and looks fantastic. If I could afford it I would replace my existing lawn with chamomile as I’ve always liked the idea and have always grown lawn chamomile in various places but at £49 per square metre it’s a little pricey for me… but think of all that time you could save by not having to mow it!
