Herbs and plants
Blackberries
Blackberries – the gold of autumn This time of the year Ireland´s, and of course most of Europe’s, hedgerows are full of gold. A black gold that helps us put a spring in our step and remind us what Nature…
Clivers: Medicinal and Spiritual Uses
Introduction Clivers, Galium aparine L. in Latin, is a versatile herb that has been used for centuries in both medicinal and spiritual practices. This herb, with its delicate green leaves and small white flowers, is native to Europe and parts…
Sloe/ Blackthorn
Sloe / Blackthorn Prunus spinosa A deciduous shrub that can grow to be 5 meters tall (1). It has long sharp spines, that has a bad reputation for giving you blood poisoning should you get stung. The shrub is flowering…
Elder
Elder – Sambucus Nigra What a wonderful bush or indeed tree. Elder is a truly fabulous plant with lots of both culinary and medicinal purposes. It is also one of them that are really easy to grow, almost like a…
Glorious weeds!!!!
Edible weeds Glorious weeds, we find them everywhere, the edible weeds, even in the inner city concrete jungles. They charge through the thickest layers of asphalt and cement and they make the smallest of cracks their home. There is something…
Dandelion
Dandelion is one of those herbs with lots of uses and is common in lots of places too.
Lamb´s quarters (Chenopodium album)
Lamb´s quarters (Chenopodium album) There has been a reported case in Sweden where a lady poisoned her horses with the herb Lamb´s quarters (fat hen). She was trying to cure their laminitis, it all went wrong. Why? How did the…
Gorse (Ulex Europaeus)
Gorse – mountain gold! Gorse is one of my absolute favourites when it comes to lightening the mood. It is almost always in bloom and covers the Welsh mountains in gold. There is an old country saying that “when gorse…
Rosehips
Rosehips – a jewel on the beach I went out on the beach of Hollviken in Sweden to gather some rosehips late last autumn. The wind was fierce but the sun was shining brightly and it almost felt like early…
Ragwort – high time to clear the fields!
Ragwort After having seen some dreadful pictures on Facebook I started to realise that you cannot inform enough about this poisonous plant. Ragwort (Jacobaea vulgaris) belongs to the Asteracae family and can reach heights of up to 2m even if plants…
