Hips, Haws and Seedheads



Saddington Reservoir

Not far from where I live is Saddington Reservoir, I decided to pay it a visit yesterday to see what the situation was with the water level.  You could count the rain we have had this summer on the fingers of one hand.  The picture above shows how low the water level is.  The grassy area in the foreground is usually covered with water.  There were only a handful of birds on the water, a couple of swans and some Canada geese.  Around the reservoir is a wooded area, quite wild, with old bog willows and brambles, but I did find quite a few things to take pictures of.

Thistles gone to seed

Ripening hawthorn berries

Cow parsley seedheads

Queen Annes lace scattered in the hedge

Convolvulus twining its way through the brambles

An ancient gate post all weathered and worn

Rose hips beginning to ripen

And this little beauty standing all alone in the middle of a clearing

 - I have no idea what it is - I have checked through all my reference books - and there is no sign of it.  I think it must be a garden escapee, maybe brought in by birds, there are red berries under the petals, it looks like some form of shrimp plant.  Can anyone help me identify it for me?

All the above pictures signify one thing for me - Autumn is on its way.

The Comfrey Cure-all



Russian Comfrey (Symphytum uplandicum)

 Comfrey has been used in herbal medicine for hundreds of years, indeed its Latin name Symphytum which derives from the Greek work 'to unite' refers to comfrey's ability to knit together broken skin and tissue.  It is usually the common comfrey that is used for healing purposes.  Russian comfrey is the best type for organic gardeners as it has a much higher potassium content.  It has dark blue/purple flowers and is the real caviar of comfreys.  It should come with a 'Beware' sign, because it is a bit of a thug in the garden, once you have it you will never get rid of it.  Comfrey tea is perhaps the best known use for it.  To make it fill a bucket with the leaves and top up with water.  Leave for three of four weeks (during which time it will smell revolting) when it is ready use the solution, roughly one part to twelve parts water and water with it.  Dont waste the dregs - the remains can be thrown on the compost heap where they aid de-composition.

You can also use the leaves as a mulch or to line your potato and bean trenches.  They may also act as a slug-deterrent placed round vulnerable plants as slugs and snails don't like the hairy leaves.  It is part of the Borage family and in the wild is mainly found on damp grasslands, riverbanks and woodland in Europe.

Cleome (Spider flower)



Cleome (Capparidaceae)

 Although the flowers of this plant are unusual, the stems and leaves are even more so.  They are spiny, the stem is full of spines and so are the underside of the leaves.  It is an annual and the snails, slugs and caterpillars love it.  One minute the foliage was lush and lovely, the next completely devasted by cabbage white caterpillars, however many I pick off they reappear, and all that is left is the rib of the leaf.  Why they should be attracted to such a spiny plant I don't know.  What I do know is that they look a mess, have been a complete disaster, and I definitely won't be growing them again.

Antirrhinum (Snapdragon)

From spider flower to dragons.  In complete contrast is the Antirrhinum, nothing attacks this plant, it is what I would call a good doer.  The flowers last all summer long and are fully hardy, I have known them overwinter and reappear the following year.  To keep them flowering it is best to remove the seed heads, the picture shown is the second flush of flowers.  They can be propagated by seed in late spring or by stem cuttings in autumn.  I have never tried this, but may well experiment this year, and see how they go.  They come in all different colours and all different sizes.  This one is a Tom Thumb variety which only grows to about 6in. and I have used it as ground cover beneath my young wallflower plants.  They have trumpetshaped flowers that open to look like a dragon 's head when you press the sides of the flower You all knew that though didn't you?

Sunlike Sunflower



Sunflower (Helianthus annus)

The Sunflower, so called because the flower head follows the suns track,  has been with us since 1576 and is a great favourite with record-breakers.  This fast growing annual has a thick, tall, hairy stem, heart-shaped leaves and large yellow flower heads in the summer.  The nutritious seeds are eaten raw, roasted, and ground into meal or nut butter, and were used by native American warriors as 'energy cakes'.  The flower-buds give a yellow dye and can be cooked like artichokes.  The pressed seeds yield an all-purpose oil with culinary, cosmetic and industrial uses.  The stem pith yields potash and fibres for textiles and paper.  The seed heads also provide food for birds in winter.  Its natural habitat is the USA and needs well-drained soil and lots of sun.

Coneflower Classic



Echinacea purpurea

 The species came to England from the USA in 1699 and was widely grown in cottage gardens as it can be raised from seed.  It has more or less disappeared now to be replaced by hybrids.  The hybrids can be propagated by division, but they don't transplant very well, so it is best to take root cuttings in late winter and sow seed as soon as it's ripe.  The plant has long stems bearing summer flower-heads with rose-pink to purple florets around a central cone.

The rhizome is the most significant proven herbal immune system stimulant and is under investigation by AIDS researchers.  Without toxicity, it stimulates the body's defences against disease.  It is also antibiotic, anti-viral , and restores inflamed connective tissue.  It treats fevers and infections and may reduce allergies.

Rampant Nasturtiums



Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus)

A rampant hardy annual introduced to Britain from Peru in 1684, this easy-to-grow, twining plant has been a favourite cottage plant ever since.  In Elizabethan times it was called 'yellow larks heels'.  It has highly attractive shield-shaped leaves and masses of lovely trumpet flowers in bright yellow, red, orange and crimson.  Can be found with single, semi-double and double blooms.  It will flower from early summer to the first frosts and does best in poor soil.  Sow it in spring where it's to flower and stand well back!

The fresh leaves and flowers give bite to savoury foods, and the green seed pods can be pickled and used as capers.  The whole plant, a reputed rejunevator and aphrodisiac, is used in hair and scalp tonics.  The seeds contain an antibiotic and an infusion treats coughs, colds and infection.

The vitamin-rich flowers attract hoverflies which eat aphids and its local name is Indian Cress, grown in the Andes for 8,000 years.



Wildflower Wednesday



Elder (Sambucus Nigra)

 A native shrub or small tree, long cultivated and still well known for its aromatic white flowers and black berries used for cordial and wine-making.  It has musk scented wood and leaves, the muscatel-scented flowers flavour sweet and savoury dishes .  The berries give a port-like wine, and add flavour, colour and vitamin C to cordials, jams and pies, the buds can be pickled.  The Elder yields green, violet and black dyes.  A leaf brew can be used as an insecticide.  Named the 'country medicine chest' for its many health uses it is also rich in European folklore.  As the berries ripen, it is a sure sign that autumn is on its way.