 Wild garlic Allium ursinumQualities of Wild Garlic Common Name:Ramsons/Wild Garlic Latin: Allium ursinum Family: Alliaceae Wildlife Value: Green veined Butterflies, long horn beetle and hoverflies amongst others. Wild Garlic or Ramsons lives underground for much of the year and then its aromatic leaves begin to grow up in March to eventually produce flowers in May. Carpets of green foliage and bunches of starry white flowers create magnificent displays in British woodlands preferring wetter and shadier parts of the wood than the bluebell which also puts on a display in May. These plants are typical shade-evaders making use of the Forest landscape before the leaves are produced to maximise the light levels. The wild garlic attracts many insects including hoverflies, beetles and butterflies. 'Nature is always lovely, invincible, glad, whatever is done and suffered by her creatures. All scars she heals, whether in rocks or water or sky or hearts.' John Muir The lore and uses of wild garlic is immense as both an ancient plant used in spells and folk traditions as well as in medical herbalism. Probably the most striking fact at the time of writing this is the faith people put in the plant in 1918 during an influenza pandemic, literally carrying a sprig of this plant for protection in their pockets. It is all too easy to put such acts in the realms of superstition when in fact the absorption of this plant can actually help cure infections. In World War Two garlic (usually cultivated) was applied to sphagnum moss and used as an antiseptic! If you have any medical conditions please check with a medical herbalist first before taking any plant and only harvest it if you are 100% sure what it is! In the realms of plants as discussed before it is also possible to connect with the qualities of a plant and ramsons is full of healing vital energy providing many nutrients with healing tendencies. In Ireland this plant has been used traditionally for tooth ache, inflamed fingers, mumps and swellings. 'nine diseases shiver before the garlic'- Irish proverb In the West of England they talk of eating leeks in March and ramsons in May so that all the year after the physicians may play! The plants properties are considered to also help purify the blood, cure boils and heal sore eyes as well as help many infections as well as sore throats and colds, the list seems endless. In the main the plant was administered by eaten it raw or boiling it in milk to produce a liquid which produced a burning sensation when applied, this made it popular as we seem to believe more in something if a reaction is induced! We now know that the most effective way to use this plant is to to crush, chew and digest the leaves as then it will release allicin that will act on micro-organisms. Wild garlic eaten by cows makes their milk undrinkable and maybe this is the origin of its name of ramsons as rams is an older word for 'rank.' The latin name of 'ursinum' comes from the latin word for bear which some may claim means it is only fit to eat by a bear or maybe it is referring to the shape of its leaves resembling the ears of a bear? However this plant is very popular as food flavouring dishes and sauces, it is best to use its leaves as the bulbs can make you feel ill and always be aware that you will kill large quantities of the plant if you trample all over it! If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection please become a member and have exclusive access to our online course.
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 Celadine Ranunculus ficariaQualities of Lesser Celadine
Common Name: Celadine Latin : Ranunculus ficaria Family: Ranunculaceae History and/or use: Called Pile wort to treat haemorrhoids. Its rootlets can be fried as tasty food. Wildlife Value: Early nectar provider. Before the hawthorn leaves unfold, Or buttercups put forth their gold, By every sunny footpath shine The stars of Lesser Celandine. Cicely Mary Barker This delightful plant brightens our native woodlands as one of the first to flower going through until the bluebells and wild garlic begin to blossom. As the cuckoo flower is a harbinger of the cuckoo, celadine is said to be the harbinger of the swallow which the plant is named after as the word celadine is rooted in the Greek word for this bird. Its starry flowers are upon dark green heart-shaped leaves which have patches of light and dark colourings. The plant invites early pollinators and will therefore be of use to queen bees and other hibernating insects which will feed on its nectar. Wordsworth praised the plant above all others and dedicated a poem to it, below is the last verse of his poem where he calls it a prophet of delight and mirth. Prophet of delight and mirth, Scorned and slighted upon earth! Herald of a mighty band, Of a joyous train ensuing, Singing at my heart's command, In the lanes my thoughts pursuing, I will sing, as doth behove, Hymns in praise of what I love! William Wordsworth Lesser celadine humbly hugs the earth and if you stoop low enough you can uproot this plant if you have permission and it is in abundance to taste its small rootlets. When the tubers of this plant are fried I feel they have a taste reminiscent of pine nuts. Starchy roots providing valuable calories were very appreciated by our ancestors. The leaves can be cooked but only if collected before it flowers. If you have any medical conditions please check with a medical herbalist first before taking any plant and only harvest it if you are 100% sure what it is! These rootlets are used to treat corns, warts and haemorrhoids and are a typical example of what is known as the doctrine of signatures in ancient classical herb lore. The doctrine of signatures is based on the concept that plants represent the ailment that they cure. A use that is less known is the petals and leaves have been used for cleaning teeth. If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection please become a member and have exclusive access to our online course. Goose Grass Gallium aparine Lady's Bedstraw Galium verum Cleavers (Gallium aparine)Qualities of Goose Grass
An abundant straggling plant clambering through the undergrowth and climbing through the hedgerows. Its seeds cling to animal fur to aid distribution. Its luxuriant keen growth in spring brings a cleansing, moving refreshing energy of determination and direction. The family it belongs to are known as the bedstraws for their lush green foliage traditionally provided bedding ( see Lady's bedstraw). The bedstraws have four-angled stems and their leaves are arranged in whorls. Common Name: Cleavers Latin : Galium aparine Family: Rubiaceae History and/or use: Good spring tonic and nutritious vegetable boiled or eaten raw when very young. Wildlife Value: Food plant for insects. Goose Grass or Cleavers is a common plant that can be eaten as a green vegetable. Its seeds can be roasted to make a hot beverage. Medicinally the plant is an astringent and diuretic. It is used to help heal inward and outward wounds as well as being used to cleanse them. Internally it is used to treat psoriasis and eczema and support the lymphatic system. The plant is best used fresh as it loses its medicinal qualities in the drying process. Please note the plant can be a skin irritant. If you have any medical conditions please check with a medical herbalist first before taking any plant and only harvest it if you are 100% sure what it is! The plant clings or cleaves to fur/materials to aid its distribution, giving it the name of cleavers. Shepherds have used it to strain hair out of sheep’s milk, and it has been fed to goslings, giving rise to the name Goose Grass. There are many related species including hedge, heath and lady’s bedstraw which are all part of the bedstraw family ( Rubiaceae) so called as they are plants traditionally used for bedding. Medicinally many species of bedstraw are used for staunching wounds especially woodruff, hedge, heath and lady’s bedstraw. The last two species are known for being styptics and therefore are good for treating nosebleeds. Lady’s bedstraw (Galium verum) is so named because the Virgin Mary is said to have given birth to Jesus upon it as all the other fodder was eaten by the donkeys. This story may be rooted in the folk tradition that the plant is said to help women to have a safe and easy childbirth. Lady’s bedstraw is also known to treat urinary diseases, epilepsy and gout and to help tired feet when placed in the bath. Its yellow flowers were used to curdle milk given rise to the folk names of ‘cheese rennet’ and ‘cheese running’. Both the leaves and stem of this plant create a yellow dye and the roots create a red dye. Crosswort ( Cruciata laevipes) is another bedstraw especially reputed for healing wounds. It grows in open woodlands and has yellow-green hairy leaves and numerous tiny yellow flowers. I usually dry the whole plant, steep it in oil for at least two weeks on a sunny windowsill, drain and add beeswax to produce an ointment. If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection please become a member and have exclusive access to our online course.  Imbolc 1st February- 19th march Imbolc is that burst of light, that emergence of blossom, the first tentative steps into a still cold, harsh climate patched with moments of warm sun daring the hardiest of nature to come out and play.
This is a time not depicted by the slow steady ceaseless play of light and dark but by the less predictable play of the green world. The hedge-hog, snake and hazel catkins unfurl from a winter lull and it is they who announce it is time to wake. Imagine our leaders looking to nature to begin a new political agenda, surrendering to the knowledge of trees and animals to decide our fate. This is not some ungrounded fantasy but recognition of being part of nature for it is nature who tells us it is Imbolc and that the time has arrived to sow early crops, help the birthing of lambs and prepare for the new growing season. Imbolc Fire Ritual Imbolc or Oimelc can be translated as butter-bag and the key component of the festival is the birthing of lambs. It makes sense therefore that the festival is dedicated to the Goddess and to the women who start to bring creation into birth. The archetypal young mother of Celtic belief is Brighid, so exalted and honoured she continued into Christian lore and was feared by the patriarchal sect of Christianity. In Christianity she took the form of the high abbess of Kildare and her sanctuary which no man could enter was tended by nineteen or nine nuns. At this time her importance was considered to be greater than the bishops which upset the Roman Catholic Church. A papal decree was passed in 1151 to close the hermitage which was later reopened, only to be challenged again in the reign of Henry V111 when the sanctuary was closed forever. However she still lives on in our culture as the archetypal mother of all and as the caretaker of Celtic society. She takes on many roles as a healer, foster-mother and midwife, demonstrating the strength and power of the Goddess. In Celtic lore the most important aspects are played out in threes, this was long before the idea of the holy trinity in Christian lore. Brighid is also seen as three, in the form of the three sisters, the daughters of the Dagdha. Each sister represents a key component of Celtic life which are poetry, healing and smith craft. In her form that represents poetry she is honoured as the patron of the bards and a source for their inspiration. In these times she is needed more than ever as a symbol of true womanhood, power and strength, a beloved Goddess. The Sacred Three My fortress be Encircling me, Come and be round My hearth, My home. Fend Thou my kin And every sleeping thing within From scathe, from sin. Thy care our peace Through mid of night To light's release. Traditional Celtic Prayer We can use the prayer to Brighid on the front page of the last course to open the Imbolc cermony. This can be spoken standing, with people holding hands, as the invocation is very much about feeling the support of Brighid and the memory of tradition. By holding hands we can feel that support and connection to others and allow the spirit of Brighid, the Goddess to endure. We can feel again the qualities of the season through poetry, this time with the words of Coleridge. One month is past, another is begun, Since merry bells rang out the dying year, And buds of rarest green began to peer, As if impatient for a warmer sun; And though the distant hills are bleak and dun, The virgin Snowdrop like a lambent fire, Pierces the cold earth with it's green-streaked spire And in dark woods, the little wandering one May find a primrose. Hartley Coleridge Feb 1st 1842 Brighid's Bed ( Leaba Bride) The next part of the ritual involves bringing in a small Wicca basket to represent Brighid's bed. The basket can be decorated with seasonal flowers and hazel catkins on a bed of straw. A white wand of willow or poplar can also be put onto the basket to represent justice, peace and purity. The bed is honoured and passed around, we can use this time to focus on the women who have inspired us, and honour and bless the powerful presence of women in our lives. A moment of silence can be observed before invoking the protection of St Brighid's cross. ' May the protection of Brighid be given through Bogha Bride, St Brighid's cross' - the cross can be passed around and a silent prayer can be made to the Goddess. The wand on the bed can now be offered to the fire as we chant: Now we banish winter, Now we welcome Spring. We can also gather all evergreens left over from Yule and burn them on the fire at this point in the ritual. Wishing you all a blessed Imbolc. If you would like to learn more explore our Woodland Bard Course at: https://www.walkwithtrees.com/woodland-bard-course.html Samhain 1st November- 19th DecemberSamhain 1st November- 19th December
'These early November hours that crimson the creeper's leaf across. Like a splash of blood, intense, abrupt, o'er a shield; else gold from rim to boss And lay it for show on the fairy-cupped elf-needled mat of moss.' Robert Browning ( 1812-1889) The time of Samhain is when the veil between this world and the next is at its thinnest. A time for deep meditation and thought. The harvest of this time is of the inner worlds, the stage of old age where we touch the depths of true knowledge and have the opportunity to embody the soul. Once at this time, the winter stores were topped up and the cattle slaughtered for winter food. Great fires for the burning of the livestock’s bones were made called Bonfires (Bone-fires) which may be the origin of Bonfire night. This was known as the Festival of Tongues where all could speak freely. Samhain simply means end of summer and is a time for inner reflection and the remembrance of our ancestors. The guardian of Samhain is the Apple tree whose fruit can transport us to the Bright Realms. Light a candle and immerse yourself in deep meditation: Deep meditation True meditation is a deep connection to the soul, the eternal self. Relief of stress, clarity of vision and mind and improved focus are but symptoms of meditation rather than its essence. Its essence is beyond the mind, body and material world, a state untouched by the fore-mentioned symptoms. Through spiritual practice and soul nourishment it can be made into a permanent state of being. When a seeker starts to meditate energy is awakened in the base of the spine or a fire in the belly which flows upwards releasing sublime nectar, an exquisite feeling of joy and love for all life. It is like the joy of love-making for the first time and a feeling of being complete, sated. This state can be experienced when the body is in a focused flow such as when you skydive, abseil, rock climb or drive at top speeds. In meditation this feeling is prolonged and if you learn to sustain it, it will rise up within you awakening the inner senses, literally enabling you to experience the most divine touch, sound, taste and sight, saving you from the need to search for them in the external world. Imagine the time, money and resources this could save us! The next awakening is in the heart, though this process need not be linear as each centre can awaken at different times. The secret of unlocking the mysteries of the heart may be implemented in the very human act of heartache, and if one can fully experience a broken heart this centre is pierced. A divine love beyond human suffering may only be possible through the feeling of this intense pain. Entering this heart ache can erupt into an intense joy, a painful yet blissful longing to be complete. I believe that your partner, if you can love them with a pure heart, can take you to this state as a teacher, master or Guru traditionally would have. Through spiritual practice or mastering of an art form such as poetry, this exquisite pain can reach up to the next energy centre between the eyes. The sensation felt in this centre can also be very intense as it opens, piercing the brow and allowing bliss to enter the head, lifting the spirits and awakening a sensuous flow throughout the entire body. This moving energy is what the poets call inspiration, the fire in the head. In Gaelic, inspiration is called 'Imbas' and it’s source flows from the sacred water ways, the river Boyne (which could be likened to the river Ganges in India). The seeker becomes the salmon flowing against the current of ordinary life to the source of the Boyne, the Well of Segais where they obtain knowledge by the eating of hazelnuts, and are reborn in the well of inspiration. The understanding and assimilation of pain brings great knowledge and/or mastery of the arts. It is this time of Samhain that takes us deep within. If you would like to learn more about the traditions of the land you may wish to enrol on our Woodland Bard Course. Dock speciesBroad-leaved dock ( Rumex obtusifolius) Curled dock ( R.crispus)
Wood dock (R.sanguineus) Clustered dock (R.conglomeratus) Common Name: Dock Latin : Rumex obtusifolius Family: Polygonaceae (buckwheat family) History and/or use:. Juice of plant excellent for bites and stings and root rich in iron. Wildlife Value: Key butterfly food plant especially for the small copper. Qualities of Dock 'No landscape that I have seen holds anything truly dead or dull, or any trace of what is called in manufactories is called rubbish or waste; everything is perfectly clean and pure and full of divine lessons. When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe. ' John Muir Dock is a survivor it produces thousands of seeds and can grow from the tinniest root left in the ground. Plants such as this always come back despite the world trying to destroy them! However as you shall see below it has many uses and if it were not common would be a plant admired for its foliage and rust coloured flowers standing amongst the green sward. Dock therefore to paraphrase from the quote above despite being common is still 'full of divine lessons' providing foliage and sustenance for wildlife including humans. There are many species of dock but one often thinks of the broad-leaved when referring to it. The curled dock is the most commonly used for medicine today and the wood dock is the only species preferring the shade although will still grow in the open. Most of us have grown up with the idea of docks growing with nettles and it is indeed true that both these plants can grow together and often where humans have been for both plants crop up in cultivated and disturbed soils. The dock especially grows on soil which has been compacted by feet or machinery. Dock is known as the cure for the nettle sting and this extends to any burn, scald or blister as the juice of this plant has many healing properties. Ironstone quarry workers are said to have rubbed freshly cut dock on their forearm sores. Science is now implying dock is a placebo but Science is far behind Indigenous traditions when it comes to a knowledge of nature, I find dock incredibly effective especially when treating insect bites! If you have any medical conditions please check with a medical herbalist first before taking any plant and only harvest it if you are 100% sure what it is! Naturalists who have a love of the common species have been heard to dismiss this plant in a derogatory fashion but history has not done so. It is one of the four most commonly used herbs; elder, nettle and dandelion being the others. Its root is rich in iron and can be used to purify the blood and as a laxative. The bitter leaves are edible and traditionally used to wrap butter in. If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection please become a member and have exclusive access to our online course. Ground Ivy Glechoma hederaceaCommon Name: Ground ivy Latin : Glechoma hederacea Family: Lamiaceae ( mint family)
History and/or use:.Brewing ale and herbal tea to ease stomach pains. Wildlife Value: Many wild bees depend on this plant. This common plant brightens up woodland glades and grasslands with its many mauve flowers. It is probably most well known for its use as an alternative to hops in the brewing of ales. Up until the 1500s it was used in brewing to clear the fermenting liquid and add a sharp flavour. This beverage was known as gill-ale and unlike most ales was reputed to clear the head effectively often within 24 hours. Jonathon Swift (1767) is quoted as remarking on this drink. If you have any medical conditions please check with a medical herbalist first before taking any plant and only harvest it if you are 100% sure what it is! Like many of our common plants ground ivy is overlooked and yet has a long impressive history of use. Traditionally ground ivy is infused with nettle to make what is known as ‘gill tea’. Every spring children from Warwickshire drank this bitter tea for nine days for good health. This tea not only can help soothe the stomach including griping pains, coughs and chest disorders it also will help clear mucous membranes and as an inhalant help colds, coughs and respiratory complaints. The dried leaves can be used as a snuff and the herb can clear up skin complaints, bind wounds and draw out splinters. If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection please become a member and have exclusive access to our online course. Self heal Prunella vulgarisCommon Name: Self-heal Latin : Prunella vulgaris Family: Lamiaceae
History and/or use:.Excellent astringent for wounds and for internal bleeding. Widlife Value: Ground cover and nectar provider. Self heal survives well in grasslands, waste spaces and more open woodlands. A close cut lawn in summer can look beautiful with the purple flowers of self heal to enliven the otherwise monocultural sward. There is a rarer species known as the cut-leaved self heal ( Prunella laciniata) which has cut leaves and white flowers. Both the Latin and common name of this plant point to its continued use as a herb. Prunella or Brunella is the German name for a sore throat. Dioscorides knew of the plant’s use for sore throats and treated inflammations of the throat and tonsils with this plant. The common name of self heal as well as the folk names of hook- heal, sickly-wort and carpenter's herb all imply an obvious link to medicinal usage. In the doctrines of signatures (the concept that every plant has a signature that tells us its use), the flower of this plant is said to resemble a hook and as in the past the most common wounds were from billhooks and sickles this implied its use to stanch bleeding. Self heal does staunch bleeding effectively and is also used for internal bleeding as a syrup or as a tea. It is also used for respiratory complaints, piles and in Ireland to treat heart trouble. It is less known as a cure for colds. If you would like to receive our Newsletter packed with articles on Trees, Plants and Nature Connection, subscribe for free below. Autumn EquinoxAutumn Equinox 20th September- 31st October
Autumn is a time of ripening and the beginning of maturity as we enter into an older phase of the life cycle. We gather the harvest of the year and reflect on the season behind us as we step into our strength, wiser and more confident of our abilities. This time of high tides and abundant fruit reflects the life-giving properties of the experienced mature mother as she radiates vitality before retreating into her depths at Samhain. The male energy is also at his peak, mature, giving, and nurturing. He has nothing to prove for he also radiates an inner strength as the fruition of his life unfolds. The guardian of this time is the fruiting Elder that can cure ailments and guide you at this time. She is the protector of the land, the animals and the mind. A powerful symbol of strength and wisdom. Use this time to truly acknowledge all you have achieved this year and in your life. Be at ease, confident in your abilities and allowing them to nurture and aid a new generation. This is a good time in the words of Sir Walter Scott ( 1759-1796) - “To see the heath-flower withered on the hill, To listen to the woods' expiring lay, To note the red leaf shivering on the spray, To mark the last bright tints the mountain stain, On the waste fields to trace the gleaner's way , And moralise on mortal joy and pain.” If you would like to learn more about the traditions of the land you may wish to enrol on our Woodland Bard Course. Broom- Cytisus scopariusBroom Ngetal (Gaelic Ogham name) Cytisus scoparius ( Latin)
nGetal, Fern or Broom. A physicians strength, broom. Beginning of heroic deeds, healing. Robe of physicians. Book of Ballymote 1391 Broom is the ogham of healing, it signifies a good time to soak yourself in a bath of healing herbs, nourish yourself and tidy up your life both externally and internally. Use the broom to make a clean sweep. Broom today seems to escape notice and yet seems to have had a very key role in the Celtic Tree Ogham for healing. The Irish deities connected to healing are Dianecht, his daughter Airmed and son Miach. In a jealous rage Dianecht kills Miach and it is said 365 herbs appeared where Miach was buried positioned on the parts of his body they would cure. Airmed collected them to preserve the knowledge but Dianecht destroyed them thus taking away the higher knowledge of healing and herbs forever! This story is centred around the story of the first battle of Moytura where a great well is prepared with healing herbs and in the later Fenian stories of Ireland the Druid Caolite prepares herbal baths to uplift the wives left behind when their husbands go to war. Broom also seems to have been a key plant in Celtic times due to its bright yellow flowers that come forth about the time of Beltaine. In the Welsh poem ‘Cad Goddeu’ or ‘Battle of Trees’ Balor appears masked as broom and is depicted as a solar hero rather like Beli who Beltaine is said to be named after. Balor lives in a great castle with his daughter Floripar which means born of a flower rather like the stories of Yspaddeden Pencawr and Olwen also in Welsh lore discussed under Hawthorn. This connection seems to connect broom yet again to the flora and maybe the healing wells and herbal baths of our ancestors. The yellow flowers of broom, like hawthorn perhaps also depicted the time to break the winter camp when our ancestors lived a more nomadic live. Broom is also the plant used to make brooms as it has ideal stiff yet flexible foliage. These two facts point to broom as a plant of new beginnings, of a clean sweep and when we examine the two Ogham letters that represent broom we notice the combination of N for Nion, the ash tree and G for Gort the ivy plant. Combined these letters tell us broom is about breaking free from lethargy ( represented by the ash tree) and the inevitable back lash (represented by ivy) that will result from that. Broom therefore is a great plant to clean up problems of an especially emotional or spiritual nature encouraging us to outwardly demonstrate this by cleaning our living spaces especially where we sleep and/or meditate. Medicinally the young branches or seeds of broom can relief gout, sciatica and painful joints though are liable to cause vomiting. The oil from the stems of broom drawn out over the fire is said to relive toothache and help clean the head of parasites and the skin of parasites like lice. The ogham name Ngetal can also represent reed, fern and guelder rose also known as water elder which can cause some confusion. If you wish to learn more please subscribe to our free monthly newsletter or join us on a course where we can soak up the beauty and learn a deeper appreciation of nature. |
Poetry of flowersJoin me to explore the flora of the British Isles on this blog. My intention is to attempt to capture the unique quality and beauty of each species of flower, tree or shrub. For every species featured I will be growing many more wildflowers to celebrate the joy of their existence, their intrinsic conservation value and bewildering array of uses. For nearly 30 years I have noted, studied and explored wildflowers in the field much to the patience of the walker beside me. To share this passion is a heartfelt plea to respect, preserve and care for all British Wildflowers no matter how common they seem. Archives
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