Stonehurst Gourmet Ltd

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Stonehurst Gourmet Ltd Please note any medical information about the herbs listed is provided for history/interests sake only.

IF you wish to use any plant medicinally please make sure you check with your health care provider or a registered herbalist before doing so.

🌱 Herb of the Week 🌱 PURPLE PLANTAIN (Plantago major purpurea)Plantain is simply the Old French version of the Latin wor...
15/10/2026

🌱 Herb of the Week 🌱

PURPLE PLANTAIN (Plantago major purpurea)

Plantain is simply the Old French version of the Latin word 'plantago' meaning 'plant'!
Young leaves can be steamed or boiled, eaten as a pot herb or added raw to salads (young leaves, finely sliced) - high in calcium, Vitamin A, C and K.
Seeds (which have nut like flavor), are high in protein and were once ground and made into bread, usually mixed with other flours. Early Australian settlers are said to have used plantain seeds as a sago substitute.
Anglo-Saxons considered plantain as one of the 'Nine Sacred Herbs' and it was thought to cure headaches - this was usually taken as a tea.
The mucilaginous compounds have a soothing effect on the lungs by reducing inflammation and irritation and helps to remove any catarrh. Also suggested to be taken internally to help heal peptic and intestinal ulcers, gastritis and colitis.
A plantain poultice can be used on wounds to stop bleeding and encourage healing due to the proteolytic enzymes which are active in the fresh leaf as well as fresh or dried root. A poultice can also reduce inflamation and helps 'reverse' allergic symptoms - perfect to rub on insect bites.
Flat, ribbed and rounded, the leaves form a rosette. Well drained but moist soil. Full sun for best colour but tolerates partial shade. Purple colour becomes more solid as the season goes on. Perennial.
WARNING: Do not used if pregnant or breastfeeding.

09/10/2026

🌱 A small selection at the Otago Farmers Market this morning 🌄 Remember the nursery is now open Sat afternoons 1pm-5pm 🌿

🪴 The temperature is now warming up 🌱 Come and check out our range of hardy herbs and other plants, all are either edibl...
08/10/2026

🪴 The temperature is now warming up 🌱 Come and check out our range of hardy herbs and other plants, all are either edible or medicinal (often both!) - as well as beautiful 🪴

SAT: 8am-noon at the Dunedin Railway Station at the Otago Farmers Market up on the platform (closest end to the train station).

SUN: 9:30am-1pm at the Oamaru Farmers' Market next to Scott's Brewery ☀️

🌿 Herb of the Week 🌿Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)Beautiful white-pink flowers which are borne in clusters held above ...
08/10/2026

🌿 Herb of the Week 🌿

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

Beautiful white-pink flowers which are borne in clusters held above lush, green, ferny foliage during summer attracting bees and butterflies. Valerian has been around for centuries and was used in ancient Greece and Rome with documents showing it was prescribed by Galen (129 – c. 216 AD) for insomnia.

Valerian is a mild medicinal herb whose root is generally used to help with treating insomnia and anxiety. It can be effective in helping reduce the time it takes to get to sleep and is said often helps with the quality of sleep.

The valerenic acid is thought to interact with GABA receptors in the brain which in theory helps to calm nerve activity and promote relaxation - possibly why this is prescribed by some modern herbalists for ADHD.

Historically valerian root was used in England during World War I & II to help soldiers suffering from "shell shock" and to help ease the stress and anxiety in civilians - especially during air raids!

Valerian can be used in small doses to help with menopausal hot flushes and historically was used to help with menstrual cramps.

Valerian makes great liquid fertiliser as it is thought to be high in phosphorous and silica. Another way to get these beneficial minerals into the garden other than making liquid fert is to add valerian leaves to the compost heap, which can also help speed up decomposition.

Cats can be attracted to the roots of valerian as the roots can give them a similar effect as catnip does.

Full sun or part shade, preferably in moist loamy soil. Hardy perennial. Ht (flower) 120cm.

WARNING: Do not mix with alcohol, sedatives or sleeping pills. Do not consume when pregnant.

Small but mighty!💐
07/10/2026

Small but mighty!💐

🌱Remember the plant nursery is now open!🪴FRIDAYS 9am - 2:30pmSATURDAYS 1pm - 5pm or by appointment 🌱 EFTPOS 🪴 🌱 Plants c...
01/10/2026

🌱Remember the plant nursery is now open!🪴
FRIDAYS 9am - 2:30pm
SATURDAYS 1pm - 5pm
or by appointment 🌱 EFTPOS 🪴
🌱 Plants can be delivered to your selected market for no extra cost! 🪴

🌷 For the first weekend in October we'll be found at:

SAT : 8am - noon at the Otago Farmers Market up on the platform, Dunedin Railway Station closest end to the station.

SUN : 9:30am - 1:30pm at the Waikouaiti Artisan Markets , Waikouaiti Events Centre, Main Road.

🌷It wouldn't be spring here at Stonehurst without a lamb picture 😁
01/10/2026

🌷It wouldn't be spring here at Stonehurst without a lamb picture 😁

🌱 🔵 Herb of the Week 🔵 🌱WOAD (Isatis tinctoria)Woad is a truely ancient plant thought to have orginated in Asia but was ...
01/10/2026

🌱 🔵 Herb of the Week 🔵 🌱

WOAD (Isatis tinctoria)

Woad is a truely ancient plant thought to have orginated in Asia but was spread widely around Europe very early on. There is historical evidence indicating that woad was being used in ancient Britain during the Iron age (1st century BC) and there are actual records from Pliny the Elder (23-79AD) mentioning that female Britons used woad to paint themselves blue for ceremonies. Caesar was said to write that Celtic & Germanic warriors used woad to paint their body & hair for prophylactic reasons during battle (as well as rituals). Celtics also used the woad dye as a blue tattoo ink resulting in the Romans calling these people Picti, which translates to “painted people”.
The botanical (latin) name does reflect the dual purpose of woad with “isatis” thought to have been derived from the word “isazein” and the greek word “isadso”, believed to be an ancient term to treat wounds. “Tinctoria” refers to the use of the dye they created from the plant.
The leaves contain anti-inflammatory and antibacterial compounds - easily used as a home remedy. Science has since proven woad is anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour, antimicrobial, antiviral, analgesic, as well containing antioxidant properties.
Woad belongs to the Brassicaceae family (mustard/cabbage) but its chemical makeup tends to make it difficult for newly hatched caterpillars to digest, meaning many do not actually survive so it is a good decoy plant.
Two or three annual harvests are possible from the resprouting tap root. Flowers are a mass of airy yellow blooms for bees and pollinators to enjoy. Sunny, fertile, well drained soil with good air flow. Frost hardy. Biennial. Ht 1m

In flower now!Ko-tukutuku syn. NZ Tree fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata) New Zealand native - the largest growing fuschia sp...
29/09/2026

In flower now!
Ko-tukutuku syn. NZ Tree fuchsia (Fuchsia excorticata)
New Zealand native - the largest growing fuschia species worldwide!
A small tree with stunning orange-brown papery peeling bark and green leaves with white undersides. Flowers purple-red in clusters from trunk or branches in summer. Berries follow flowers and turn a dark purple - Māori called the berries kōnini and used them as fruit, and also post-childbirth as infusions in vapour baths. The fruit was also eaten by early European settlers as desserts and jam.
The distinctive browny-orange peeling bark can be used to tan leather. Sea level to 1000m. Tolerates a range of soils and wind. Protect from possums. Semi-deciduous in southern NZ. Ht 4-6m

🌱 Today I'm trusting in the weather forecasters that the rain is to lift by Market opening ... and at this stage it's lo...
26/09/2026

🌱 Today I'm trusting in the weather forecasters that the rain is to lift by Market opening ... and at this stage it's looking like they might be right! 🌥 See you all at the Oamaru Farmers' Market this daylight savings weekend 🌱 Come on down for a hot coffee ☕️ while pursuing the plant options 🌱

Address

RD1
Dunedin
9076

Opening Hours

Friday 9am - 2:30pm
Saturday 1pm - 5pm

Telephone

+64278262532

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