Preorders available now:
The Time Traveller’s Herbal
Collected Curiosities
More stories and recipes from the historical apothecary cabinet
Step back into the spiral of time and open the apothecary cabinet once more
Following on from the enchanting journey of The Time Traveller’s Herbal, Amanda Edmiston returns with Collected Curiosities, a rich tapestry of folklore, herbal lore, recipes, and personal reflections that bridge history and healing.
We rejoin our herbal time traveller in 1800s Scotland, after a brief whisper from the C17th when we encounter Lady Lawers on the banks of Loch Tay, whose prophecies about an Ash tree lead us into urgent conversations about nature, sustainability and cultural memory.
From the clearances and the rise of industrialisation to Victorian ghost stories and First World War folklore, this is a journey steeped in mystery, movement, and medicinal magic.
This is a book to be savoured like a slow infusion, connecting the reader not just to plants, but to the people, places, and the stories that shaped them.
Open the cabinet, and let the stories and scents of the past guide you forward.
Whilst we love it when you choose to order from us direct and really appreciate that level of support, we know that sometimes the discounts available through the shopping giants make reading Amanda’s books accessible to more of you, we’ve all been there, we understand. So we like to give you options, we also know that good reviews on book store sites really help, so if you have the time we would super appreciate your good reviews! Thank you.
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SET THE CHARM AND STEP INTO THE TIME SPIRAL!
Inside you’ll find:
A Journey Through Time and Plant Lore:Travel from post- Enlightenment Scotland to Edwardian England, with whispers from the countries this island nation connects to, following folklore and herbal wisdom through centuries of social and cultural change.
Folktales, Ghost Stories and Forgotten Remedies: Discover herbal recipes with hazel, cleavers, mugwort, plantain, and more—set against stories of mermaids, soothsayers, and ghostly hedges.
Creative and Practical: Includes accessible recipes and herbal experiments grounded in historical practices and contemporary awareness of sustainability.
Rooted in Women’s Voices: Meet the wise women, herbalists, and forgotten pioneers, including Florence Marian McNeill and the legendary Granny Smith, Queen of the Gypsies.
A Legacy of Healing: From cabbage poultices to hop-picking tales, explore the links between past traditions and present wellness trends.
Reviews for Time Traveller’s Herbal
“At times I heard echoes of Lewis Grassic Gibbon, perhaps linked to Edmiston’s Aberdeenshire roots. Nan Shepherd, Jessie Kesson and Margaret Elphinstone also come to mind as points of comparison. In short, a lifetime of knowledge, a kind heart and a skilful storyteller’s voice are all here, in a book which is made to be slipped into your pocket on a country walk. As Edmiston says:
My mum always told me ‘a story is true whilst it’s being told.’ If you taste the plants as we go, look for them growing between the cracks in the pavement, and infuse the leaves that grow within each story, the world of Botanica Fabula will open up and flourish, guiding you on a journey, back into the world of apothecary storytelling, into The Time Traveller’s Herbal (p. 13).
This is a journey that I, and many others, would undertake in a heartbeat. The careful referencing, glossary and capsule collection of resources within this small volume are all incredibly useful. Edmiston’s Time Traveller’s Herbal is sure to become a key text in several areas of study: traditional medicine; oral traditions; historiography of herbalism; food heritage; auto-ethnography as well as in Scottish literature. It would make the perfect gift, or a valuable addition to a thoughtfully curated library.”
Dr Valentina Bold
#CollectedCuriosities
You can follow Amanda’s journey into the world of The Time Traveller’s Herbal and discover some of the the places, plants and stories shared in the book, along with a few extra secret elements, by following Botanica Fabula on social media Facebook Twitter and Instagram and on David and Charles TikTok search for the hashtags #timetravellersherbal #timetravellersapothecary.
For author events and interviews please contact Amanda directly at botanicafabula@gmail.com
For publicity, sales and marketing please contact David and Charles
