May

A May bank holiday trip to Arlesford today and this amazing view of bluebells and stitchwort..





Heavily laden boughs of may were incredibly fragrant in the sunshine and the grass was colourful with buttercups and drifts of sheep sorrel.





I had a wonderful wander in the ruined old church and its graveyard beyond, where the grass and wildflowers are left to grow, hoping for butterflies.





I was treated to these beautiful white star-like flowers peeping out amongst the grass, which I've been trying to identify... Star of Bethlehem?





We did get to see some butterflies later on, walking in the grass (and nettles!) down near the little streams. We think this peacock must have hibernated over winter, as they're not supposed to be about yet - in the second photo you can see how tattered it is.





This was a beautiful butterfly I've not seen before, a Speckled Wood, which we found in dappled semi-woodland very near to a large stretch of water.



And as a fitting end to a fantastic afternoon, we were lucky enough to see both a blue-tailed damselfly and several large red damselflies, one of which obligingly sat on a leaf in the sunshine for us.

Holly Blue

This year we're going to try to photograph / identify and record the butterflies we see locally.. which will probably generally mean those that visit our garden while I'm pegging the washing out or fetching it in!



I hadn't been overly optimistic about any butterflies sitting still long enough for me to get a halfway decent photograph, but while I was out gardening recently this Holly Blue came and sat very obliging in a puddle for around 10 minutes.. so here is our first record of the season.



I was really thrilled to get close enough for long enough to see the banded antennae and legs and the body was a really fluffy powder-blue .. beautiful!

It kept fluttering around and then coming back for another long sit on the wet paving where I'd been watering in some plants. I wondered whether it was attracted by the wet or by the bit of blue plastic nearby which was exactly the same colour ... see second photo?

Growing

I last posted just as April was arriving, but here we are just about to bid her farewell .. what's been happening in between? A lot of rain, and some very high winds (but then you knew that, right, if you're in the UK?!!) and a lot of growing!

All the wet has really exacerbated my problems with the little munchers who have been wreaking havoc in my growhouse .. this week I finally decided to bring in the peas, beans, sunflowers and courgette plants that had been seriously gnawed and were more hole than leaf :-( They are all perking up considerably back behind glass on the sunny recovery windowsill.

To make room on said sunny windowsills for the beleagured ones, I've put out my unexpectedly enormous quantity of baby tomato plants, as the slugs and snails don't seem as interested in tomatoes. This was a little experiment of mine, because I'd (inadvertantly) left out the last of my Ildi tomatoes on their plants in the growbags on the flat roof outside bedroom window last season - and there they hung all winter come wind, snow, storm or whatever. And there they were still in March, and several people told me to squish the dried out fruits onto kitchen roll and see if I could grow them. So I did! I put differing amounts of compost beneath and above (not really knowing what I was doing) inside eggbox lids not really expecting much .. and you've never seen anything like it. Germinated all over the place and what's more, every single one I transplanted (into its own little loo roll holder of compost) has taken. I have about 60 babies in trays of 5 or 6, all over the house!

Here are some in the coldframe, which seems to have fared better in terms of the illicit munchers. Also baby dill and marigold plants. And the start of a box of salad (against all the odds!)

They are a wonderful tomato, pretty little yellow plum-shaped cherry size fruits and really heavily laden plants. You can put them in hanging baskets or grow them up canes. I hope I will be able to find them all good homes to go to. Meanwhile, my 'proper' tomatoes, which I sowed in February, are busy flowering, would you believe .. a bit of regular nettle infusion has done wonders!

Also flowering at the moment are the strawberry plants outside, and we'll soon have the lovely chive blossoms too.

I've done better with the sweetpeas this year, soaking them helped and getting them enough light quickly enough and pinching them out at the right time (thanks to my wonderful neighbour who is expert at these things and doesn't mind a bumbling novice's barrage of questions!) Previous years they've been really leggy, so I'm quite pleased that I'm starting to get the hang of it. Won't risk these outside till the weather sorts itself out condsiderably.

April showers are magical .. every year it amazes me just how much everything GROWS in just a few weeks! Usually in March I look at the herb garden and think there's lots of gaps and I'll need a few more plants to pop in here and there. Then by the end of April everything is burgeoning. And although I love to see the flowers, there is something super special in April about all that lush bright green growth, unsullied and full of promise and newness and freshness. Every day this month I've stood by the back door looking out at the garden in the rain and its kind of visibly grown in front of my eyes. Fantastic!

April Blooms

Everything's flowering! Really feels like Eastertime .. went for a little nature ramble today, just a little footpath near our house. Am slowly learning. Love the process of finding out! Interesting to see the difference in the plants growing in full sun and on the other side of the footpath in full shade.

Examined the blackthorn closely .. pure white buds opening directly onto dark twigs, no greenery or leaf in sight. And those really are big old thorns! See how it gets its name.

On the other side, in the sunshine, a full hedge with leaves unfurling too, much further ahead. (Those are the boys, hand-in-hand in the sunshine!)

No, darling, that's not buttercups, its ... aconite? no, celandine! Leaves look wrong, the dark heart-shaped leaves must have been buried low down with just the flowers peeping through.

Got this one right... love speedwell, its so tiny that I'd have missed it if I hadn't been walking with purpose and looking. Could really imagine fairies living in speedwell (and, as a rule, I'm not one for fairies!)

Also seen today white deadnettle, though not much, not enough to collect. And masses of nettles, of course, though all in the dog-pee zone either side of the path, so not gathered. Ladybirds everywhere.

Seeing the baby leaves bursting out on all the brambles helped show me that they are members of the rose family (which I have been reading about here) because they look a lot like new strawberry leaves. When everything is new and fresh things are somehow easier to see.

Lots and lots of vibrant highly scented something we hadn't come across before (no photo, sorry folks!).. very distinctive, looked it up when we got back and delighted to find that its Alexanders:

widespread and locally common near coasts.. yellowish flowers seen March to June

[Collins Complete Guide to British Wildlife]

Masses of it and its in its prime now, so shall look into uses.. please share your knowledge and recipes here, if you know Alexanders?

Update:

OK, great starting place here

Gardening

It was so lovely to be out in the fresh air and working in the garden last week, such fine warm days feel like a special gift that musn't be wasted this time of the year, its almost like its your duty to drop everything and get out there!

Had a quandry, the boys had waved goodbye off to see Nanny for the morning .. no-one about, all quiet! What to do, hmmmm ... really ought to cook something lovely and warm and healthy for us all to have for lunch when they get back. But the pull towards the garden is so strong and cannot be denied.

So I stuck the remains of the roast dinner in a big saucepan - heated some oil and tossed the remains of the tray of roasted veggies in it (butternut squash, potatoes, carrot, parsnip). When that smelt all appealing I popped in the leftover gravy, the remains of the chicken and the leftover green veg (greens and leeks and peas). Topped up with water, brought it slowly up to the boil (while putting jacket on and sorting out my seeds) .. bit of salt and pepper .. reduce to v. gentle simmer .. and GARDEN!!!!

Popped in to check from time to time and an hour later, beautiful soup. Gave it a quick squash with the potato masher so's to thicken it up (and so's the little'un doesn't pick the carrots out) and there it was .. hearty fare for all and happy mummy morning in the garden! Hurray!

Dandelion Salad

I've been reading about the tradition of using bitters to stimulate digestive juices to help breakdown rich meals. As my poor old tum has been sadly in need of assistance lately, I am trying having a little dandelion salad starter before my main meal. Its just a handful of washed, chopped dandy leaves mixed in with a handful of conventional salad leaves and I chucked a tomato in for colour and dressed with olive oil and a splash of my homemade nasturtium vinegar (more on this another time!)

I have to say, I think it helped... I had a roast dinner afterwards and didn't have any problems till about 4 hours afterwards. Will definitely use again, especially as it was really rather tasty!!

Weeds

Little violets ..

didn't notice the beautiful spiders until I enlarged the photo!

Spring

Its official .. spring is in the air!

Venturing out today, we gave our lady elder a libation of nettle infusion to wish her well for the coming season. She is just starting to sprout buds into leaflets, so magical to see.

Pleased to see big fat healthy looking ladybirds all over the garden, particularly as the new growth on the elder was covered in aphids last year all spring/summer (I hosed them off each morning with a high power jet had a little chat and a stroke while I was at it .. nice to have that daily contact, but nicer to see hoardes of ladybirdies munching away instead!)

Which reminds me, I took a photo last autumn which I didn't get around to posting.. I had gone outside to have a little tidy up and was tying up all my tall-stemmed seed headed herbs into the fence, when I found this little ladybird party, all huddled inside an evening primrose leaf.

It made me really careful about not disturbing any of the big overgrown plants and aside from just securing things to the fence against the wind, I left everything be. So glad I did! Today I found my little ladybird friends still intact inside their (now dried out) leafy home. In fact, several little huddles on the evening primrose and one on a sage leaf. Think because the shape of these long leaves is such that they naturally curl, providing a little handy crevice for hibernating creatures. Hurray!

Seeds

no words needed .. the pictures tell it all .. unadulterated bliss!

today we planted sweetpeas and a tomato or two in the incubator, a tray of calendula, some rocket and basil for the kitchen windowsill and last, but not least, trays of six different types of sunflower (spot the Leo!)

Queens Wood

If you go down to the woods today, you'll never believe your eyes ..... well I couldn't anyway, the floor was carpeted in beautiful wood anemones which I had to stop and admire.



This is Queen's Wood, Highgate, and we were only passing, so I couldn't stop for a proper walk, only stretch my legs a little and drink in the fresh smell of the earth and trees and spring sunshine (5 minutes later it was hailing!). I'm hoping to visit again soon to see some of the other woodland flowers.



I also loved the way this fragile pretty blossom contrasted against the dark knarled bark of a tree trunk - old man winter garlanded with soft spring flowers.

Spring

With the Spring Equinox last week and Mothers' Day at the weekend, it really feels the time of year to celebrate burgeoning new life. For me this spring is especially magical as I have just given birth to my first child, a wonderful little son.

I took these baby animal pictures last year on a visit to a farm with some good friends who had recently become parents. Now the wheel has turned another year and I am looking forward to going again with my own little one. Enjoy!

Tottenham Marsh

Beautiful March sunshine here in London and it really feels like spring has sprung! We took a lovely walk along the canal at nearby Tottenham Marshes and got these wonderful photos.



Its so peaceful there - despite being adjacent to main roads and a busy built up part of North London. And the trees were budding, and there were ducks, swans and geese to be fed..



.. and just wonderful to feel the sunshine on your face!

More info for anyone in the area who fancies a visit here

Speedwell

Regarded as obsolete by herbalists today, Speedwell (veronica officinalis) was a popular healing herb in the middle ages in Europe, known as ‘herba Veronica majoris’.

It was formerly taken internally for nervous exhaustion and stomach upsets, as well as for bronchial, arthritic, rheumatic and skin complaints, and was used externally for minor injuries. The name ‘speed well’ is testament to its reputation as a healer!

An infusion is now suggested for digestive problems, diarrhoea, coughs and colds or as a gargle for mouth and throat infections.

A bitter, astringent herb with weak diuretic and expectorant effects.

Flowers June to August.




PLEASE NOTE: These notes on the history and use of herbs have been compiled for general interest and are not intended as medical advice, for which you should consult a professional herbalist.

BIBLIOGRAPY:
‘Herbs and Healing Plants of Britain and Europe’ Dieter Podlech (1987)
'A Modern Herbal' Mrs M. Grieve FRHS ed. Mrs C. F. Leyel (1973)
'The Herb Society's Complete Medicinal Herbal' Penelope Ody MNIMH (1993)
'RHS Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses' Deni Brown (2002)

Tree Tribute

Time for this month's tree tribute. As its May, I thought we might indulge in a bit of a blossom fest? One of nature's real joys each year, for me, at least.

A real treat this month has been learning from Cheryl at My Wildlife Sanctuary how the Hawthorn 'blushes' once it has been pollinated in the spring. Her post includes a marvellous photo which captures the lovely pink tint on the white blossoms.

Blushing Hawthorn

The perfect companion to this is Dave's hawthorn post at Osage and Orange which shows the varieties specific to his part of the world. My favourite thing about blogging is how much I learn from other bloggers and how it has made me think much more globally.

Hawthorns in Columbus Park

Also on the springtime blossom theme, I would highly recommend a visit to Ruthie's blog to see her crab-apple blossom in all its glory (as well as some spectacularly colourful birds!).

Colours of Spring

Enjoy your trip!

Elder

The Elder (Sambucus niger) has been referred to as ‘the medicine chest of the people’ and revered down the ages for its healing abilities. Superstitions around placating the Elder Mother, such as asking her permission before cutting a branch, and against removing Elder trees may very well stem from this usefulness. The Latin name is from the Greek ‘sambuke’ meaning ‘musical pipe’, as the shoots were traditionally hollowed out to be used in this fashion.

There is so much folk-lore surrounding the elder that it would be difficult to even summarise it here, but here is a late 17th century example. Elder leaves were gathered on the last day of April and affixed to doors and windows. This is very interesting as elder leaves are insecticidal .. so buried in the folk belief that the plant would deter ‘evil spirits’ is a practical measure to prevent insects and the bacteria they carry entering the home.

This insecticidal property can be utilised by gardeners: a decoction of young leaves sprinkled over delicate plants and flower buds is supposed to keep off aphids and caterpillars. An infusion of the leaves can also be used as an insect-repellent by dabbing it about the person to prevent being bitten by midges and the like.

All parts of the elder have medicinal properties, though the flowers are favoured nowadays. The flowers and fruits are used internally for colds, catarrh, flu and fever and the bark for constipation and arthritis. Externally, the leaves or bark will help minor burns and chilblains, while the flowers treat inflamed skin, mouth ulcers and minor injuries.

The are many ways in which elder can be used in the domestic setting: a small muslin bag of elderflowers in the bath is suggested for irritability of the skin and nerves and the ointment (traditionally made from equal parts of elderflowers and lard) is an old remedy for chapped hands and chilblains. Elderflower tea is considered ‘spring medicine’ and is taken every morning before breakfast for some weeks as a blood purifier. It also effective if taken at the onset of flu, especially if combined with yarrow and peppermint.

A bitter, pungent, cooling herb which lowers fever, reduces inflammation, soothes irritation and has diuretic and anti-catarrhal effects. The leaves are insecticidal, antiseptic and healing.


Flowers June to July

Pick the leaves in the summer and use fresh. Strip the bark in late winter (before new leaves appear) and dry for decoctions. Collect fully open flowerheads and dry whole, then strip the flowers.



CAUTION: The leaves and berries are harmful if eaten.

PLEASE NOTE: These notes on the history and use of herbs have been compiled for general interest and are not intended as medical advice, for which you should consult a professional herbalist.

BIBLIOGRAPY:
‘Herbs and Healing Plants of Britain and Europe’ Dieter Podlech (1987)
'A Modern Herbal' Mrs M. Grieve FRHS ed. Mrs C. F. Leyel (1973)
'The Herb Society's Complete Medicinal Herbal' Penelope Ody MNIMH (1993)
'RHS Encyclopedia of Herbs and Their Uses' Deni Brown (2002)