The Windowsill Apothecary Kit

Start here: safe & simple

A home apothecary is just a small collection of herbs and simple remedies — teas, oils, salves — for everyday complaints. You can start it on a windowsill. The whole craft comes down to a few ways of drawing the good out of a plant, which you’ll find on the next pages.

Herbs are medicine — treat them with respect

Some interact with medications; some aren’t safe in pregnancy, while breastfeeding, or for young children; and any plant can cause an allergy. So: identify herbs correctly, buy from reputable sources, introduce one at a time in small amounts, and patch-test anything you put on skin. And remember — "natural" doesn’t automatically mean "safe."

Words to know

Infusion: Steeping leaves or flowers in hot water — a "tea." Keep it covered to hold in the good volatile oils.
Decoction: Gently simmering tougher roots or bark to draw them out (an infusion is too gentle for these).
Tincture: A concentrated extract in alcohol (or vinegar/glycerine). More advanced — a step up from teas.
Infused oil: Dried herbs steeped in oil to draw out the oil-soluble parts — the base for salves.
Salve: An infused oil set firm with beeswax into a balm you rub on skin.
Poultice: Mashed fresh herb applied straight to the skin (think yarrow on a graze).
Constituents: The active compounds in a plant — what actually does the work.
Nervine: A herb that calms and supports the nervous system (chamomile, lemon balm).
Contraindication: A reason not to use a herb — a health condition, a medication, or pregnancy.

General information, not medical advice. Check with a qualified herbalist or your doctor before using herbs medicinally — especially in pregnancy, while nursing, on medication, or for a child.

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The Windowsill Apothecary Kit

10 herbs to grow & use

All grow happily in pots on a sunny sill. Uses are traditional — a starting point, not a prescription.

Herb	Traditionally used for	How to use	⚠ Note
Chamomile	Calm, sleep, digestion	Tea from the dried flowers	Rare allergy if sensitive to ragweed / daisies
Peppermint	Digestion, headaches, congestion	Tea (fresh or dried); steam inhalation	Can worsen reflux for some
Calendula	Soothing skin, minor cuts & grazes	Infused oil → salve	Daisy-family allergy; avoid medicinally in pregnancy
Lemon balm	Calm, mood, mild sleep, cold sores	Tea; infused (topical for cold sores)	High doses may affect the thyroid
Thyme	Coughs, sore throats, antimicrobial	Tea, steam, or in honey	Avoid medicinal doses in pregnancy
Rosemary	Focus, circulation, hair rinse	Tea, infused oil, rinse	Avoid high medicinal doses in pregnancy / epilepsy
Sage	Sore-throat gargle, digestion	Gargle, tea	Avoid medicinally in pregnancy / nursing (can reduce milk)
Lavender	Calm, sleep, headaches, skin	Light tea, infused oil, sachets	Essential oil is potent — always dilute
Holy basil (tulsi)	Stress, everyday resilience	Tea	May lower blood sugar — caution with diabetes meds
Yarrow	First aid (styptic), fevers, colds	Poultice, tea	Daisy allergy; avoid in pregnancy

Worth adding if you have the space: elderberry and echinacea — classic apothecary plants, though they’re shrubs/perennials rather than windowsill pots.

General information, not medical advice. Check with a qualified herbalist or your doctor before using herbs medicinally — especially in pregnancy, while nursing, on medication, or for a child.

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The Windowsill Apothecary Kit

How to make the basics

Herbal tea (infusion): For leaves & flowers. 1 tsp dried (or 2 tsp fresh) herb per cup of just-boiled water. Cover, steep 5–10 min, strain. Covering keeps the volatile oils in.
Decoction: For roots & bark. Simmer gently, covered, 15–20 min, then strain. Boiling delicate flowers ruins them — save simmering for the tough stuff.
Infused oil: Fill a clean, dry jar with DRIED herb (fresh adds water → mould). Cover with oil (olive or sunflower). Warm gently in a double boiler on low 1–2 hrs, or leave on a sunny sill 2–4 weeks. Strain.
Simple salve: Gently warm 1 cup infused oil with about 25–30 g grated beeswax until melted. Pour into small tins; it sets as it cools. More beeswax = firmer balm.
Drying & storing: Hang small bundles out of direct sun, or lay on a rack, until crisp. Strip and store in labelled airtight jars away from light. Use within about a year.

General information, not medical advice. Check with a qualified herbalist or your doctor before using herbs medicinally — especially in pregnancy, while nursing, on medication, or for a child.

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The Windowsill Apothecary Kit

Which form, & tips

Which form for what

Leaves & flowers (chamomile, mint, lemon balm) → a tea / infusion
Roots & bark → a decoction (simmer)
Skin (calendula, lavender) → an infused oil or salve
Cuts & grazes (yarrow, plantain) → a fresh poultice

Tips that matter

Start with one herb and learn it well.
Harvest leaves before the plant flowers, for the best flavour and strength.
Dry herbs out of direct sunlight; store in a cool, dark cupboard.
Label every jar and bottle with the herb and the date.

Common mistakes

Not covering your tea — you lose the volatile oils to steam.
Boiling delicate flowers (simmer only roots and bark).
Using fresh herb in infused oil — the water leads to mould.
Assuming "natural" means "safe."

General information, not medical advice. Check with a qualified herbalist or your doctor before using herbs medicinally — especially in pregnancy, while nursing, on medication, or for a child.

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The Windowsill Apothecary Kit

Remedy record cards

Write down what you made and how it worked, so your best remedies are easy to repeat.

Remedy / what I made

Form

Herbs used

For

Date made

Best before

How it worked / notes for next time

Remedy / what I made

Form

Herbs used

For

Date made

Best before

How it worked / notes for next time

Remedy / what I made

Form

Herbs used

For

Date made

Best before

How it worked / notes for next time

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The Windowsill Apothecary Kit

Apothecary shelf inventory

Print it, fill it in, and use the oldest first.

Herb / remedy	Form	Date made	Best before	Notes

General information, not medical advice. Check with a qualified herbalist or your doctor before using herbs medicinally — especially in pregnancy, while nursing, on medication, or for a child.

haventheapp.com — grow your own, at your own pace