Anglo-Saxon Herbs

Yesterday, a treat .. an overdue trip to West Stow Anglo-Saxon village while it was inhabited by seventh century Anglo-Saxon re-enactors, the Centingas. I haven't been for ages and was so excited to be visiting, especially to be taking my young son with me for the first time.

The first thing we saw on our visit was a new 'farm' area, designed to showcase some of the plants grown for food by the early Anglo-Saxon settlers at the village. I was so pleased to see the Wild Carrot I had been learning about growing here!

And then, bliss and joy, a great big medicinal herb bed .. brilliantly jumbled and tumbled but full of familiar friends, including the Mugwort I had just been learning about, too! What was great was that it was growing right alongside large amounts of Wormwood so I could clearly compare them and see the difference - wormwood's foliage is silvery all over, while mugwort's leaves have dark green tops but are silvery underneath.

Tansy

Wormwood and Saint John's Wort

Yarrow

Wild Herbs

Amazing, amazing experience at the weekend... a 'Wild Herbs for Food and Medicine' walk with no less than Roger Tabor, chairman of British Naturalists Association and former chairman of the Herb Society, who just happens to live in Brightlingsea! Couldn't believe my luck when I saw a poster up in a shop window in the High Street.. the walk was across the countryside and down to the saltmarsh at the tip of Flag Creek out the back of where I live. Down at the very tip of the creek we tasted Marsh Samphire and Sea Purslane and also saw Sea Beet, Sea Aster and Sea Lavender.

Apart from scribbling down a few notes on cooking Sea Purslane, I failed spectacularly to take any notes or photographs during the walk. I just wanted to be in the moment and give it all my fullest attention.. such opportunities do not come along every day of the week!

But the very next morning I went out on my own for a little countryside ramble near home while it was all fresh in my mind to see if I could find any of the new plants I'd been introduced to..

Mugwort

Can't believe this great Anglo-Saxon favourite is just growing everywhere around and I never knew it!

Wild Carrot

Can you see the purple-ish dot in the middle of the flower-head? This is in imitation of an insect feeding, which encourages other insects to land.

It folds up into this distinctive 'birds nest' shape when it forms its seeds.

Woody Nightshade















None of these pictures would win any prizes, but you get the idea! Very inspiring and feel greatly encouraged about going out and about and learning more plants.

Mystery Peas

Ok, here are my mystery peas ... if you think you know what they might be, I would be very grateful for some help in identifying them?

They are the ones I picked up from the North London Organic Gardeners' Society stall last week .. all I know is that they're heritage varieties.



Not a great picture, I'm afraid (best I could do on my phone camera today!).. I will take more photos as they grow .. will be fun to see what they turn into!

Beans Unfurling

Oh, I just can't wait to show this to everyone..





.. I was so excited!

These are my heritage dwarf beans, which were very kindly sent to me by Daughter of the Soil .. and are going to be potted up this weekend.

Aren't they just fab? And everytime I go and look they've grown a bit more.