Oat straw, yellow dock, burdock root and nettle. This might sound like the weeds in your garden, but much care and effort will go into the harvesting and storage of such herbs when Kuni Frith-Black opens her herbal apothecary sometime this summer.

Mrs. Frith-Black is a natural healer who has practised her craft locally for the last 16 years. Herbal remedies are often prescribed for her clients and Mrs. Frith-Black has always had a good supply of pre-packaged varieties on hand.

Opening the apothecary will allow her to prepare very specific mixtures. “It’s where I’ll store my herbs for my clients,” she said. “It will operate by appointment only.”

Mrs. Frith-Black said appointments will be necessary to ensure her clients and customers really understand the herb and that what they expect the herb to do, is realistic. “Lots of people have questions but we live in a fast-paced world where people tend to say: ‘Give me that’, when ‘that’ may not solve their problem,” she said. “Having an appointment is to encourage people to take time out and find out about the herb, allergic reactions and how it will work with the medication they are already taking.”

It is important to recognise that herbs can interact with pharmaceuticals. Similarly some pharmaceuticals can render some herbs inactive.

With vast knowledge of energy healing and Chinese practices, Mrs. Frith-Black has been meticulous in the design and layout of her apothecary.

“I was following the I-Ching symbol which was used over 5,000 years ago in Chinese medicine to chart wars, marriages and crops. I’ve used that system for the last 16 years,’ she said. “It is a Feng Shui type of influence and I’ve used it, for example, in the placement of the floor tiles.”

The energies of Ying - earth are represented in broken lines while Ylang- heaven, is represented in unbroken lines. “There are lots of broken lines in the tile placement to support the growth of the herbs in the earth,” she said. Ying must be balanced by Ylang and so many tiles are also arranged in a pattern of an unbroken line.

“The space has been designed in a Zen way to stimulate the energy of herbs. Placement and layout of the shelf space is conducive to longevity of the herbs,” she said.

Of course great attention has been paid to the actual herbs. Mrs. Frith-Black explained that she is using herbs grown on an organic farm that she has attended. The plants are hand-picked by season to ensure they maintain their freshness and potency.

“When they are out of stock I need to wait until the next crop is ready for harvesting,” she said. “That’s the way it goes and really that is best. Right now I am waiting on hibiscus and calendula which will be picked at the end of May or in June.”

The herbs will be kept in their dried state and the apothecary will be climate controlled.

“Most herbs need to be kept in a cool area out of direct sunlight.”

While the shelf life differs from herb to herb, even in the dried state, Mrs. Frith-Black said typically most keep for a year or two.

An extensive list of individual dried herbs will be kept. Mrs. Frith-Black said the list would fill the entire Body & Soul section. “Certainly over 100 herbs and blended medicinal teas will be here,” she said. The sort not commonly available in Bermuda will include nettle, milk thistle, oat straw, strawberry leaves, rose petals, catnip, yellow dock, burdock root and elderberry.

“While people do buy many of these herbs here in capsule form rarely have they had the chance to see the herb in its pure state.”