 Summer Solstice 20th June- 31st July 2020
On the evening of 20th June 2020 the Sun will have reached its peak which marks a key threshold in the seasons of our life, it is the time when the great Oak of the Dagdha gives way to the tenacious strength of the Holly which takes us through to the waning year. This year it coincides with a New Moon and the annular solar eclipse making it the perfect time to re-emerge after a lock down! At this time of year I am normally extremely active running outdoor courses but this year I have had an equally special time celebrating with the Strange times story telling group telling the tales of Fionn McCuaill who matured into a wise leader and poet finding that connection with all of nature where he is free from the burdens of life, a place which has been very much needed this year : No pain here, no dull empty hours, no fear of the past, no fear of the future. So compactly filled with God’s beauty, no petty personal hope or experience has room to be. Drinking this champagne water is pure pleasure, so is breathing the living air, and every movement of the limbs is pleasure, while the whole body seems to feel beauty when exposed to it, entering not by eyes alone but equally through all one’s flesh like radiant heat, making a passionate ecstatic pleasure glow not explainable. John Muir Re-emergence Morning Meditation You may wish to connect with this time of year when Nature is overflowing with the joyous abundance and vibrancy of the young adult prepared to now step into the responsibilities that life has offered to them. This meditation can be done not just this weekend but every morning throughout the Summer Season. Light a candle and recite this traditional Irish prayer to arise with the power of the elements: I arise today through the strength of heaven: Light of sun, Radiance of moon, Splendour of fire, Speed of lighting, Swiftness of wind, Depth of sea, Stability of earth, Firmness of rock. Once you have recited this then offer a prayer to the Dagdha the embodiment of the spirit of the Green wood who represents the zenith of the mature Oak tree that will shelter you in times of need: Good God Dagdha, Father of Many, Parentage of the Sidhe, All-knowing Noble, Spirit of the Green Wood shelter us; Power of the soft brown earth comfort us. May the strength rising from the roots of the trees transport us to the bright realms acting as pillars of hope. May the roots of trees ground us in one reality, taking us into the depths of our being, the womb of the earth. Inspiring us to be caretakers of all Nature. Good God Daghdha, May we be as steady as a tree, serving all beings and taken only that which we need to sustain our lives. Good God Daghdha, Envelop us in the knowledge of the Green Wood. Teach us to have a compassionate heart and truly love all souls equally as one. Great God Daghdha teach us to be light of spirit, tender of heart, steadfast in being. May the wild wood of all souls continue to blossom for all eternity. Sit in an upright comfortable posture or lay down and cover yourself in blankets. Visualise a giant oak tree or just feel it is there and sense the protection of the Dagdha. When you are ready visualise yourself moving from the protection of the giant Oak into a Birch Grove, the tree of new beginnings which represents the gentle strength required to re-emerge. The light airy birch grove is teeming with melodious birds, a myriad of fungi and the sounds of wild animals stalking prey or making shelter. Make it as real as possible, try to touch the barks, smell the scents and hear the sounds. Go deep into the feeling of being immersed in nature, remembering it is the feeling rather than the visions that is most important. Feel the support of the woodland floor and imagine bright light coming up into you from its depths filling your being with peace, love, gratitude and acceptance. Stay here for as long as you need or are able to allowing the light to fill you with increased courage and energy at this vibrant time. Only when you are ready come out of meditation and recite the words: Light of a New Day awaken in my heart, May I greet each day with new eyes, ears and speech Knowing a new adventure has began. May I feel a passion for each day as if it is the only day I have to live my life A day filled with excitement, expectation and exaltation as the sun rises and I greet a New Day. J.Huet Thank the elements and all of nature for its support, know there is a place within you where there is no pain and fear and begin an exciting new chapter in your life. When you feel ready and strong you can take that joy and support with you out into the world, contemplating or reciting these words: Untouched, unshaken in a constant state of love. A state of peace connected to an ever-evolving heart that reaches out to every soul on the planet. To see only beauty, to allow every person to shine with the radiance of their own inner true selves. To go beyond judgement and fear and connect with every being in their innermost heart. To be patient, tolerant and unyielding in a state only you can know. To meet everyone in the bliss of conscious acknowledgement and to know every fault perceived is a reflection of the state of your own inner heart. Reach out to the goodness in the heart of every person you meet and watch them shine into conscious awareness knowing they are loved. Be kind to everyone you meet. ©Original writings created by and for the use of Jonathon Huet 2020. Continue to connect with the Celtic traditions of the Land and receive our free newsletter packed with articles on trees, plants and Nature Connection
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kidney vetch- milkwort- birds foot trefoil. Flowers of the downsI'm just in love with all these three, The Weald and the Marsh and the Down country. Nor I don't know which I love the most, The Weald or the Marsh or the white Chalk coast! I I've buried my heart in a ferny hill, Twix' a liddle low shaw an' a great high gill. Oh hop-bine yaller an' wood-smoke blue, I reckon you'll keep her middling true! I've loosed my mind for to out and run On a Marsh that was old when Kings begun. Oh Romney Level and Brenzett reeds, I reckon you know what my mind needs! I've given my soul to the Southdown grass, And sheep-bells tinkled where you pass. Oh Firle an' Ditchling an' sails at sea, I reckon you keep my soul for me! Rudyard Kipling Ah, how I missed the Downs during lockdown and although it has been a worthwhile pursuit noting the flowers of the Cityscape I missed the Downs where I work. Old Winchester Hill is about two miles from the Sustainability Centre where I teach outdoor education. The site is a 66.2 biological Site of Special Scientific Interest as well as a Nature Conservation Review site and a National Nature Reserve. As you arrive and join the pathway you are greeted by long grass with the common sights of burdock, hogweed and willowherbs with a splash of yellow toadflax and the taller mignonette. The distinctive Jack go to bed by noon spreads its petals ready to close them at midday.The trefoils creep through the undergrowth and the yellow vetchling and the greater birds foot trefoil compete with the invasive species which indicate there is more here than the average grass sward. Left to Right- Jack go to bed by noon- Fragrant orchid - Yellow vetchling Then the magic happens, the more natural habitat of the unimproved grasslands of the Downs erupts before you with breathtaking beauty. The low clipped grass reveals a mosaic of hawkweeds, hawkbits, orchids and yellow rattles. Red kites soar above you seemly replacing the buzzards of the lower areas, skylarks rise in song as if they were presenting the climax of an aria in a famous opera and pipits dart around as if they are propelled by joy, the pulsing heartbeat of Nature seems to call out to the exploring naturalist. These Downs depend on the traditional hill-farming of England and although this area is a National Park much of the countryside is in a man-made state due to early clearances of woodlands. Ironically this biodiverse site shows human-habitation and therefore land clearance from at least the Iron age and maybe earlier as Bronze Age barrows are present within the remains of an Iron age Fort. Beatrix Potter most known for her illustrations was an avid conservationist and keen farmer demonstrating that farming and conservation can go hand in hand. Thanks to her much land has been preserved in the Lake district as she worked diligently with the National Trust which depends on pastoral farming for the survival of thousands of plant species, which in turn preserves insects, birds and mammals. Left to Right- Characteristic hangar woods- Ancient Yews- Rare Juniper trees As you approach the remains of an Iron-age Fort you receive glimpses of the original natural landscape literally clinging to the steep slopes creating hangar woodland that is so prevalent in the undulating hill landscape of this area. The trees are exquisite ancient living monuments of extreme importance consisting of the native rare junipers and yews which are thousands of years old! I shall take these visions and memories home and just like Beatrix Potter :- 'Thank God I have the seeing eye, that is to say, as I lie in bed I can walk step by step on the fells and rough land seeing every stone and flower and patch of bog and cotton pass where my old legs will never take me again.' Beatrix Potter If you have enjoyed this article and wish to receive our free newsletter packed with information on trees, plants and nature connection please subscribe below. May Nature continue to inspire you. Left to right- Dove's foot cranesbill, ivy-leaved toadflax- catsear Exploring the Cityscape'Always fond of flowers, attracted by their external beauty and purity. Now my eyes were opened to their inner beauty, all alike revealing glorious traces of the thoughts of God, and leading on and on into the infinite cosmos.... my eyes never closed on the plant glory I had seen.' John Muir This time has been great for me to connect with my home city of Brighton for usually I am working out on the Downs or in the woods away from home. Although I have been an avid botanist for over 30 years this has created a rare time for me to really observe closely what's on my doorstep and marvel even more deliberately on the common plant that grows through the cracks in the pavement. Isn't nature a marvel, here is a poem I wrote to acknowledge her tenacity and unaltered beauty: 'Delicate blooms of tenacious power, soft lush growth produced wherever it can flower. Over rubble and concrete, plastic and glass, nature regenerates, cares not if you've asked. Green fresh growth encapsulates beauty, every tiny flower tells a story. Showing no fear it grows where it can, covering up the waste produced by man. ' J.Huet 2017 I wish to emphasise most stringently that walking around Brighton from pavement to park, from shore to scrub and from busy coast to the start of the countryside has not felt a second-rate experience compared to the wilderness but an exciting pursuit to quote once more from John Muir : 'Everywhere and always we are in God's eternal beauty and love. So universally true is this, the spot where we chance to be always seems the best. ' I started my life living in centre of the City of Portsmouth in high rise flats and busy streets which meant the verges and parks were my way into nature. I always carried my note book and a pair of old heavy binoculars which I did hide most of the time because I felt I looked a little out of place. However I still remember that rush of excitement at discovering new plant and bird friends. Being a naturalist for me is finding the joy in the common place, the common wildlife and it seems I am not the only one as Patrick Kavanagh states about the plant below: 'O the prickly sow thistle that grew in the hollow of the near field I used it as a high jump coming home in the evenings. A hurdle race over the puce blossoms of the sow thistle.' One of our most common plants also pictured below is the daisy which John Muir describes thus: 'Daisies confiding wild children of light, too small to fear. To these one's heart goes home, and the voices of the storm become gentle.' Left to Right- Sow thistle - Daisy I now find myself acquainted more intimately with over 100 wild plant friends within an hour walk of the city where I live, which doesn’t include shrubs, trees or planted species.The plants vary from pavement rockets and mustards offering a ray of yellow petalled sunshine to clambering ivy- leaved toadflax and the dull pellitory of the wall in contrast to the bright red valerian growing through walls and crevices. Minute corn salad and swine cress flowers just a millimetre across, and larger but still small purple flowers of Crane and Storks bills so named from their beak-like seed pods. I still, after thirty years exclaim at the common sights of golden buttercups and dandelion and the deep purples and blues of ground ivy and speedwells sprawling or appearing to hover in the grass. I sit for a moment on a concrete slab and squinancy wort and mouse ear look out from crevices. My excitement when I see long horned poppies and bucks horn plantain growing on pebble and rubble. And then quite unannounced an area of unimproved grass boasting purple wild thyme, bright yellow catsear, autumn hawkbit (with its striking red streaks beneath its petals), and a mat of silvery fur produced by mouse ear hawkweed. The larger knapweeds, hawksbeards and ox tongue begin to flower and the promises of rest harrow and native peas. Left to right knapweed- yellow horned poppy- mouse-ear As I walk to the local shop I stop to admire the beauty of a dandelion peeping out from the pavement. The ray florets spreading out around a golden centre capturing the sun and inviting winged delights to pollinate them. Other native asters (members of the daisy family Asteraceae the largest plant family in the UK) also peeping out of cracks in the pavement include the common sow-thistle and the daisy already mentioned above whilst groundsels droop under the weight of yellow buds and little white stars shine up from the green foliage of chickweed.
Bittercresses and shepherds purse grow through the tinniest of spaces with hedge mustard and eastern rocket beside them. Germander speedwell finishes the pavement design with sky blue flowers on small patches of soil exposed to plant street trees. Luscious abundant foliage of the green alkanet, red valerian and jack by the hedge paint the pavement green and in the grass verges clovers, yarrows, nettle, and dock create a green oasis under blossoming cherries and plums. On the way back a single yellow flower of wood sorrel delighted my keen eye, common mouse ear stood proud and the red dead nettle lifted my spirits. I marvelled at so many common species decorating my urban neighbourhood from dainty and spiky to upright and sprawling to tiny and majestic to dull and shiny. As already quoted above: 'my eyes never closed on the plant glory I had seen.' John Muir If you have enjoyed this article you may wish to sign up for our free newsletter which is packed with information on trees, plants and connecting with nature. From left to right- red campion, white campion and bladder campion. The Campions 'Come to the woods, for here is rest. There is no repose like that of the green deep woods.'
John Muir Common Name: Red Campion Latin : Silene diocia Family: Caryophllaceae History and/or use: A soap can be made from the roots. Wildlife Value: Nectar plant for bees, buterflies and hoverflies. A walk in the green woods in June reveals Silenus who is the Greek intoxicated God of woodlands that gives a home to the plant sucking nymph known as froghopper who encases herself in a protective foam. All of this of course is true for the sight I speak of is the gentle plant known as Silene (campion) the name of which is derived from Silenus the Greek God of the woods. The campions I write of have red and white flowers and also share the folk name of cuckoo flower with the plant called lady's smock ( Cardamine pratensis) which also houses the froghopper nymph, a common spring site on our British flora. Further folk names of the campion such as Robin Hood and adder's flower point to a plant which once was noticed and celebrated at a time when nature is brimming with the 'silent uprush of sap' to paraphrase the inspiring John Muir who continues to state that the sap rising and the storms of every sort 'are the orderly beauty-making love- beats of Nature's heart.' Campions can vary in colour from red to pink and white and once were used for snake venom as the above folk name indicates, their roots make soap and the juice of the plant was said to remove warts and corns. Please do not use this plant as used incorrectly it is incredibly toxic! The red campion is closely related to the white campion (S.latifolia) and when they grow together they readily hybridise unusually compared to other plant species, still remaining fertile thus disguising the original parents creating various shades of red, pink and white flowers. The other common species of campion is known as the bladder campion as it has an inflated calyx that resembles the bladder, its closest relative is the sea campion ( S.vulgaris) which also has the same distinctive calyx. You will find this species growing on cliffs and shingle distinguished by having larger scales on its petals than the bladder campion. The bladder campion exudes an evening scent but even for long-tongued invertebrates its nectar is hard to obtain which has led bumble bees to bite through the base of the flower to obtain the nectar. If you have enjoyed this article you may wish to sign up for our free newsletter which is packed with information on trees, plants and connecting with nature. Pictures from left to right- Dog rose Rosa canina, Field rose R. arvensis, Sweet briar R.rubiginosa Wild RosesThe rose is the ultimate symbol of the English garden. Its beauty and fragrance has captured the heart of the Nation despite its vicious thorns that could cause infection. Maybe it's due to its thorns that it has been used as a symbol of warring factions and such a charming flower speaks of the masked deceptions of politics and pleasantries?
Shakespeare used the symbology of the red and white rose in his play of Henry Sixth setting them against each other with the words: Let him—a true-born gentleman who values the honour of his birth—pluck a white rose with me from this bush here, if he thinks that I have spoken the truth. ... Let him that is no coward or flatterer, but who dares to tell the real truth, pluck a red rose with me, from this thorn. In later writings the phrase ‘War of the Roses’ is coined by Sir Walter Scott to describe the English Civil Wars between the Royal Households of Lancaster (red rose) and York (white rose). This symbology seems to ring true and perhaps speaks of older folklore. The rose as it represents love maybe is fraught with much deception as pain and love so intricately weave together as joy and woe do according to Blakes auguries of innocence: ‘Joy and woe are woven fine, A clothing for the soul divine, Under every grief and pine, Runs a joy with silken twine. It is right it should be so, We were made for joy and woe, And when this we rightly know, Through the world we safely go.’ William Blake seems to be alluding to opposites, polarities within us all that we cannot escape and ultimately need to be woven together. Much older lore seems to also speak of these opposites but using dragons instead of roses and yet still referring to warring factions and still using the clear colours of red and white. This time the red dragon represents the British and the white dragon is the invading Saxons. This image was depicted in Geoffrey of Monmouth’s History of Kings and is rooted in even older stories of warring dragons causing chaos across Britain until caught by Lludd and buried at Dinas Emrys. Let us come back then to the rose for in older lore it was also recognised such as in the story of Suibne Gelt, a man who seeks the solitude of nature after the conflict of War. In nature he connects with the animals, birds and plants and writes verses about them. Here is the verse he is said to have uttered about the wild rose: 'O briar, little arched one, thou grantest no fair terms, thou ceasest not to tear me, till thou hast thy fill of blood. ' Irish texts Society (translated by J.G. O’Keefe) This verse aptly moves us away from the Garden Rose admired in later times to the wild roses of Britain, who’s arching spiny and vicious thorns are decorated with the delicate petals of flowers that provide nectar for insects and hips (fruit) for the birds. There are three main common roses which are the Dog rose (Rosea canina), Field rose (R.arvensis) and the Sweet briar (R.rubiginosa) as well as the more specialist low growing species of coast and chalk downlands the Burnet rose (R.pimpinellifolia). 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! Our wild roses are known throughout history as remedies for coughs and colds especially when their hips (fruit) are made into a syrup. The buds and petals are said to strengthen the stomach and make a pleasing tea which I like to have mixed with honey and elderflower. 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.  Qualities of Lady's Smock
Soft curls of innocent love, Subtle blooms of a maiden’s heart. Pink and white flowers of gentle persuasion, Midst rough coarse grass and buttercup invasion. Crisp cold winds, flat wet meadows, Suffused with beauty, as she softly spreads, Fresh new excitement, Spring's quickening pulse, Tenacious young growth, love ever unfolding. J.Huet 2018 Common Name: Lady's smock Latin : Cardamine pratensis Family: Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) History and/or use: Good for coughs and digestion Widlife Value: Good food plants for the caterpillars of green veined white and orange tip butterflies. On the edge of an ancient woodland I used to visit in my teens was a brook and a wet meadow cheered by ragged robin, lady’s smock and a hedge of Blackthorn. It brought much joy to me and a reminder of the importance of our wetlands which we have drained in the pursuit of agriculture. Indeed a quarter of Britain once consisted of some type of wetland be it a bog, meadow, fen or marsh. Lady’s smock is a delicate looking yet hardy plant, a spring addition to wet areas. Its subtle white or mauve flowers and soft foliage warms the heart in April through to June. It may well be the time of year that it flowers that gives it the name of Cuckoo flower or the fact that it is home to the substance known as cuckoo-spit ( which is made from froghopper bug nymphs). Its spring blooms also give rise to associations with milkmaids, their smocks and to the Virgin Mary. Older spring traditions remind us to respect the lady of the land as picking the plant can lead to a snake bite and bringing it indoors can cause a lightning strike. Folk traditions are urging us to treat her bounty with respect as the snake is a sign of spring and the lightning a reminder of elemental power. Where the grass is damp and green, Where shallow streams are flowing, Where the cowslip buds are showing, I am seen. Dainty as a fairy’s frock, White or mauve, of elfin showing, ‘Tis the meadow-maiden growing- Lady’s-smock Cicely Mary Barker 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! Lady's smock in medical literature, as in the writings of John Ray, is given a reputation for healing nervous afflictions as it was believed to ease hysteria due to its function as a powerful antispasmodic. Mistletoe is another plant said to have been used in this way. However we would expect more evidence of this use in folk traditions which tend to focus on its ability to help fevers such as in the Highlands and in Gloucestershire the plant was commonly used for headaches. The plant is rich in vitamin C which is probably why it has been used to ease scurvy and is a good tonic for coughs. Traditional uses also include breaking stones, restoring appetite, helping digestion and warming a cold and weak stomach. 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.  Hairy bittercress ( Cardamine hirsuta) Common Name: Hairy bittercress Latin : Cardamine hirsuta Family: Brassicaceae (Cruciferae)
History and/or use: Tasty peppery addition for salads rich in vitamin C. Hairy bittercress ( Cardamine hirsuta) is a very common weed which looks like a mini watercress and has a succulent peppery taste that is fresh and clean to the palate. It is a wild mustard rich in vitamin C and mentioned in Saxon herb lore and yet when investigated the knowledge of this small plant seems to be very minimal. A plant with these qualities and listed as one of the nine key herbs in Saxon lore surely is worthy of much scrutiny. Qualities of Bittercress. Bittercress although it grows, flowers and seeds in a very short time, is very productive provided bare soil is available for it to set seed. It demonstrates the ability to endure by ever-changing and adapting to new habitats that present themselves. Its longevity borne out not in a long life but in its ability to survive as a species. As humans the whole act of destruction and sacrifice is hard to contemplate but plays a huge part in Nature's cycles to quote John Muir once again: 'But we quickly learn that destruction is creation. Nature is ever at work building and pulling down, creating and destroying....' However it must equally be noted without change this plant would not persevere for the soil must be disturbed for it to regenerate whereas long-lived species that require stability have a different survival niche. 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! Bittercress in Saxon lore is said to drive out venom and remove pain and certainly this plant is nutritious and can provide many health benefits. It is all too easy to put the science first but time and time again it is the folklore informing the science and the science simply confirming what the plant was already known to do. Maybe our ancestors used the qualities of this plant in ways we are yet to re-discover! 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. Daisy Sow thistle Yarrow Introducing Urban Plant Friends. Delicate blooms of tenacious power, soft lush growth produced wherever it can flower.
Over rubble and concrete, plastic and glass, nature regenerates, cares not if you've asked. Green fresh growth encapsulates beauty, every tiny flower tells a story. Showing no fear it grows where it can, covering up the waste produced by man. ' J.Huet As I walk to the local shop I stop to admire the beauty of a dandelion peeping out from the pavement. The ray florets spreading out around a golden centre capturing the sun and inviting winged delights to pollinate them. Other native asters (members of the daisy family Asteraceae the largest plant family in the UK) also peeping out of cracks in the pavement included the common sow-thistle who's luxuriant growth dominated the grey landscape and although considered a garden nuisance the poet Patrick Kavanagh claims it took him to a place beyond desire. I discovered other asters like our common daisy spreading their petals and hugging the floor whilst groundsels drooped under the weight of yellow buds and the little white stars shone up from the green foliage of chickweed. Clambering over walls the deceptively delicate lilac and yellow flowers of the ivy leaved toadflax grew amongst the duller foliage of the plant called pellitory of the wall. Bittercresses and shepherds purse grew through the tinniest of spaces with hedge mustard and eastern rocket beside them. Germander speedwell finished the pavement design with sky blue flowers on the small patches of soil exposed to plant street trees. Luscious abundant foliage of the green alkanet, red valerian and jack by the hedge painted the pavement green and in the grass verges clovers, yarrows, nettle, and dock created a green oasis under blossoming early cherries and plums. On the way back a single yellow flower of sorrel delighted my keen eye, common mouse ear stood proud and the red dead nettle lifted my spirits. I marvelled at over twenty common species decorating my urban neighbourhood from dainty and spiky to upright and sprawling to tiny and majestic to dull and shiny. As John Muir has written 'my eyes never closed on the plant glory I had seen.' If you would like to support our work and go even more deeply into Nature Connection you can sign for our free newsletter and also become a member with exclusive access to our online courses. Wishing you all well.  Speedwell veronica speciesHeath speedwell ( Veronica officinalis) Field speedwell ( V.persica)
Germander speedwell (V.chamaedrys) Wood speedwell ( V.montana). Common Name: Germander Speedwell Latin : Veronica chamaedrys Family: Veronicaceae History and/or use:. Treatment for bronchitis, coughs and catarrh. Wildlife Value: Good nectar plant. Qualities of speedwell Clear blue are the skies; My petals are blue; As beautiful, too, As bluest of eyes. The heavens are high: By the field-path I grow Where wayfarers go, And “Good speed,” say I; “See, here is a prize Of wonderful worth: A weed of the earth, As blue as the skies!” This familiar plant of waysides and grass verges produces bright blue flowers from April to June. This wonderful plant is known as one of the wayfarer herbs guiding the lone traveller along country lanes cheering their journey and offering good luck. However this dainty bright weed has a tenacious habit and bears a warning of protection. Its flowers are watchful likened to eyes but what are they watching? 'Fresh beauty opens one's eyes wherever it is really seen, but the very abundance and completeness of the common beauty that besets our steps prevents its being absorbed and appreciated. It is a good thing, to creep like worms into dark holes and caverns underground, not only to learn something of what is going on in those out-of-the-way places, but to see better what the sun sees on our return to common everyday beauty.' John Muir In traditions all over the globe we are asked to respect nature and this plant is said to be protected by birds and offers good luck but if we sever our connection to nature and no longer see its beauty in the dark places as well as the light where creation begins we fall into forgetfulness of the earth and all its beauty. These traditional warnings therefore are reminders to honour nature at all times or to fall out of sync with her sweet caress. Many poems and stories refer to the wonderful blue eye-like flowers of this plant. It is a weed of cultivation as well as an ancient herb and popular tea. As a tea it can help relief bronchitis, whooping cough and catarrh. Although the heath speedwell’s Latin name ‘officinalis’ denotes it as the official plant used by the apothecary, all of the above species named can be used. It is the germander speedwell which is most commonly referred to as bird’s eye mainly due to its distinctive white eye against its bright blue petals. Traditionally as already mentioned it is said that birds protect it, so pick with care! In Ireland sprays of speedwell were pinned to traveller’s clothing to protect them from accidents and the phrase ‘speed-you-well’ was used to bless their parting. This plant seems to invoke tenderness as its Latin name Veronica may be named after the saint who wiped Christ’s face as he carried the cross. It is a key nectar plant well known for as producing nectar for the solitary bees who like the lone traveller follow it along the wayfarer's paths. 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.  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. |
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
November 2020
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