A Hedge of Her Own

The herbal hedge was for women a place where the world softened and the old knowledge rose up like the mist from the grass. In medieval Ireland the hedge was a green cloak of power stitched together with the herbs women trusted for healing, dreaming and blessing.

Red Raspberry — Subh Chraobh Dhearg

A bright, steadying herb whose leaves hum like a lullaby in women’s lore, used in spells of protection and maternal strength, brewed as a medicinal tonic, and savoured in the sweet music of summer jams and teas.

Lady’s Mantle — Cochall na mBan

A quiet, dew‑cupped plant that gathered the night’s dew in its cupped green palms, a moon-gift kept for charms of protection and renewal. l

Red Clover — Seamair Dhearg

A soft, melodic meadow flower carried for luck and feminine vitality, used in gentle blessing spells, taken as a nourishing medicinal tonic, and sprinkled into teas or syrups with a sweet, honeyed note.

Campion — Coireán Coille (Silene dioica)

A fairy‑touched blossom whose presence echoes like a threshold charm, used in protective spells for women and children, applied medicinally as a cleansing wash, and known more for its soap‑like roots than for the table. The lantern on the threshold, guarding the in-between places where magic listens.

Cranesbill — Fiacla Róin

A grounding woodland herb with a low, steady rhythm, carried in old charms for safe passage and protection, prized medicinally for its strong astringency, and rarely tasted due to its sharp, tannic bite.

Wild Strawberry — Sú Talún Fiáin

A sweet, lyrical plant tied to love and maternal devotion, offered in gentle household spells, and celebrated in the bright, delicate flavour of its tiny woodland berries.