Sometimes I cannot help but gush about the wonders of my garden. At this time of year, especially, it's fit to burst, with elderberries dripping from the trees in heavy clumps and the heady smells of tulsi.

I rarely have time to collect the elderberry, as it always darkens just as I go back to work. This year we had a few days of hot weather that ripened about a quarter of the crop, so whist placating the chickens with heavy handfuls of purple berries thrown their way, I filled a bucket to make the syrup.

The tulsi is set to dry in my yoga room. It's a beautiful adaptogen, loved by Indians, and I have grown seeds from a gift I recieved whilst in Rishikesk by a Sikh who owned an ayurvedic retreat. Plants are memories, as well as balms. Not only do I have the pleasure of a calming tea in the evening, but a memory of India too. I see this Queen of India as an ally for anxiety and asthma - it seems to be very much a kindred spirit, a green goddess made just for me.

The elderberry is horrid to prepare - stripping the berries from the stalks is an arduos task I don't really enjoy. However, they plop into the pot and eventually I have enough to simmer with thick slices of ginger, half a lemon and a generous squeeze of lemon juice, and covered with water. I am told there is a danger of botulism, but as far as I can see, it's only relevant for infants, and perhaps the high acidity with the added lemon and the slow and long simmer would kill anything on the fruit. Some argue it's the honey, but raw honey is also known to be antibacterial, so I'm not sure about that either. I feel frustrated with the internet, with it's too much information, much of it inexpert, and decide to rely on folk medicine instead.

Once it's simmered nicely, I strain it and allow it to cool, then mix about a third of honey to the amount of syrup. When utterly cooled, it goes jelly like, and I expect it to keep for weeks in the fridge.

Elderberries, of course, are excellent for winter ailments, but I'm going to need to get picking a helluva lot more if they are to last, perhaps freezing the syrup in ice cube trays. I know they're good to speed up cold and flu symptoms, but I'm more interested in building my immune system with them, along with the other herbs that are bursting out of the garden.

What herbs are growing in your garden?

Do you make elderberry syrup?

With Love,