Our attractive new website will not only give you fascinating and useful information about the bath house and garden, but also video tours, plant facts and lots more.
Please note that http://www.congletonbpt.wordpress.com will no longer be updated.
What with Christmas and New Year, finding time to take photos and write the blog has to be fitted in around other commitments! So this one brings together the old year’s end and the new year’s beginning.
Work carries on, even in winter – a good time for planting bare root roses. We have chosen the rambling rose Adélaïde d’Orléans for the arch, and the rugosa rose Hansa near the garden shelter. We look forward to having a flower covered arch, followed by rose hips. These are a rich source of vitamins and minerals, with possible uses in the reduction of the growth of cancers. (See March 2015 blog for more information on Rosa rugosa)
David and Lyn by the rose arch
It has also been a busy time on the building front – so much so that we decided to defer the usual team Christmas meal until January. The weather was mild enough to pour the concrete for the base of the new building, and also the edging of the new steps. There were also trips to the reclamation yard to find slates for the roof, and granite setts for the path.
The newly poured base for the utility building
There was a nice sunny Monday between Christmas and New Year, giving people the opportunity to work off some festive food. Nick completed the edging of the new steps.
Nick working on the steps
Ros had sworn never to look at a cobble stone again, after the marathon effort on the path to the garden shelter, but here she is again – having been somehow persuaded that the area in front of the seat is not so huge. It was heavily populated by dandelion, however, to add to the challenge.
Ros continues her expert cobble-laying
The deferred team meal took place in January at the Four Friends Tibetan Restaurant on Mill Street (www.fourfriendstibet.co.uk). A good time was had by all twelve friends, with tasty food, excellent service, a lovely relaxed atmosphere, and one or two bottles brought in to help things along…
We would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to the team from Streetscape, who came in January to help us get to grips with some overgrown holly trees.
Streetscape workers tackle the giant holly
Their expertise and specialist tools made short work of something that we would have struggled with. A mountain of holly branches was cut and taken away, and the garden was left neat and tidy. The work was offered in recognition of our support for Congleton in Bloom, and has made a huge difference, letting more light into the garden. Thank You!(https://www.congleton-tc.gov.uk/your-council/streetscape-services/)
John with the Streetscape team
2020 is a celebratory year for us. It is the twentieth anniversary of the setting up of Congleton Building Preservation Trust, which was founded to restore and preserve the listed Bath House building and its surroundings for the people of Congleton. Over those twenty years, many people have contributed to the success of this project – and some of the original volunteers are still doing their bit! (2020 is also the bicentennial year of Bradshaw House on Lawton Street – our site is part of the original grounds of that house, and the Bath House was probably also built around that time).
One of the ways we are celebrating this milestone year is by developing a new website – so watch this space for more information in the coming weeks!
VA, JO
Dates for your diary in 2020
21stMarch – Visit our stall at The Old Saw Mill Craft Market
16thMay – Bath House & Physic Garden Open Day
14thJune – Visit our stall at the Congleton Food & Drink Festival
29thAugust – Jazz and Blues Festival event at the Bath House & Physic Garden
19thSeptember – Heritage Open Day at the Bath House & Physic Garden
A short blog this month, reflecting the poor weather and lack of pretty pictures! November is always about clearing and tidying and thinking ahead, with little opportunity for standing back and admiring our handiwork…
All those lovely golden leaves from just a few weeks ago have finally ended up on the ground – requiring lots of raking. At least the wet and windy weather has meant that it did not take too long, or too many laps of the lawn, before they had all fallen and been collected.
Ros and Linda sweeping the leaves
Quite a few leaves have been bagged up, to provide leaf mould for future years.
[See below for more about making leaf mould]
Lyn raking leaves into heaps for bagging
It is sad to think that it will be another six months before we see young leaves on the trees again. Still, winter brings its own attractions too – and there are always the spring bulbs to look forward to. We have planted some native daffodils in the borders near the garden shelter, as well as some Allium ostrowskianum– an ornamental onion with pink flowers in late spring. These should look good with the Alchemilla mollis, and the purple Bugle.
Allium ostrowskianum – image from J Parker Seeds
On the building side, there has been work to do on the new stone steps leading up to the Bath House. We are creating an edging, at one side of the steps, that will support a handrail. There has also been progress on construction of the new utility building, making sure that everything is level, and putting in the timber formwork in preparation for pouring the concrete base.
VA
DIY Leaf Mould
I have heard people complain about autumn leaves – so untidy on the front drive; blocking gutters and drains; such a pain to sweep up, especially on a windy day when they keep escaping from the pile. I personally like to see their glorious autumn colours spread out like a Persian carpet: but, realistically, these often turn a fairly uniform brown, and in typical British weather become a slippery mush. But fallen leaves = free compost!
Leaf mould – sounds like a rather earthy Tolkien elf – is splendid stuff that can be made from most fallen leaves at any time of year, but especially in late autumn / early winter. Evergreens such as holly and laurel, and also conifer hedge clippings, should go on the compost heap as they aren’t ideal for leaf mould; and since pine needle leaf mould is acidic and good for ericaceous plants like azaleas, these needles should be mulched separately. Collect the leaves into old compost bags or bin liners. ( To reduce plastic use, you can buy loose-woven bags designed for making leaf mould – search on line.)
Start with leaves from your own garden: while clearing them from the lawn you may gather a certain amount of grass, and this adds to the nutrition. You could also fill bags of leaves from public parks and quiet streets: pollution will be higher on main roads used by heavy traffic, so avoid collecting these. The RHS advises shredding any thicker leaves (sycamore, horse chestnut etc) first, but they will eventually turn to leaf mould even if you just add them without shredding.
If the leaves aren’t already damp from the weather, they need to be moistened, and the bags need drainage: stab each bag a few times with a garden fork, tie the tops and stack them in an inconspicuous part of the garden. You could lie bags on top of each other alongside a wall, or behind the shed, where they won’t be disturbed. Leave them for about two years at least to get good quality leaf mould, and use as you would use any compost. But if you’re impatient, less mature leaf mould can be used as a mulch or soil improver.
An alternative method is to pack the leaves into a frame or bin, although this is obviously more complicated a job than stuffing sacks. Different methods and advice, including videos, are easily found on line. Happy Mulching!
JO
Acknowledgements Thanks for information to the following:
– http://www.gardenersworld.com
– http://www.rhs.org.uk
– http://www.carryoncomposting.com
– http://www.jparkers.co.uk (for the image of Allium ostrowskianum)
October has been a month of variety – heavy rain, bright sunshine, wintry winds. On one of the dry days, having finally got planning permission, we started work on our new utility building. To avoid disturbing the tree roots, a cellular structure has been laid on top of the existing soil level, and filled with gravel. This will spread the weight and allow water to percolate to the roots below.
Nick and Andy at work on the new building foundations
Amongst the days of copious rain, we had one or two lovely golden autumn days, with the leaves giving a final burst of colour, along with the rose hips.
The Bath House framed by a golden tree
Some bitter, wintry winds then followed, so the next job will be to collect those lovely leaves from the ground.
Another view of the autumn garden
Our medlar tree is doing better for fruit this year, having been planted just over three years ago. Apparently we need to allow the fruit to rot, before it becomes palatable – a process known as ‘bletting’. With a limited number of fruits, we may have to fight over this experience! It is not a tree that is widely grown now, but was much more common in medieval times – Shakespeare, among others, made a few rather rude allusions to it.
[See below for more about the Medlar]
Medlar fruit
After all our hard work in the garden this year, building up to the two In Bloom judging days described in earlier blogs, we were extremely pleased to hear we’d gained high marks in the competition. Two members of the team represented us at the RHS North West In Bloom awards ceremony in Southport at the end of the month. We were very proud to receive an award of ‘Level 5 – Outstanding’ in the “It’s Your Neighbourhood” section, for the fourth year in a row!
Linda and Lyn with the award certificate
VA
Common Medlar Mespilus germanica
Cultivated for possibly 3000 years, this shrub or small tree is mentioned in the writings of the ancient Greeks and Romans, being indigenous to Iran, south west Asia, and south east Europe, especially the Black Sea coasts of Bulgaria and Turkey. Its Latin name is due to a theory that the Romans introduced it to what is now Germany, whence it spread throughout Europe; and later, by European colonists, to North America. There are some naturalised trees in southern England, but in medieval times it was widely grown in the UK as a fruit tree. It is now generally considered ornamental here, although it is also commercially grown by Tiptree, the long-established jam and jelly manufacturers.
Medlars are slow growing shrubs or small trees, with large white flowers and late-ripening fruit. They thrive in full sun, in a temperate climate, with shelter from strong winds; and also need moist, well drained soil. They are self-fertile and pollinated by bees. The fruits aren’t generally harvested until October or even November. They are hard and inedible when first picked, and are left to ripen – or over-ripen – for a few weeks, when the flesh becomes brown and soft. This process is known as ‘bletting’, a word devised by a Victorian botanist, John Lindley.
A bletted medlar
Mespilus germanica was for a long time the only known species of medlar, but in 1990 a very small number of trees was discovered in North America and named Mespilus canescens, though there is a theory that it is a hybrid of the known tree and a North American species of Crataegus (hawthorn, on which the common medlar is often grafted).
Myth and Magic
In French folklore the medlar was said to protect the home from enchantment.
In Britain, references to medlars can be found in writers from the 14thCentury onward, including Chaucer and Shakespeare. Medlar fruits, deriving from their shape, were known as “open-arses”. (In French too, their word being cul-de-chien: dog’s arse). Many Elizabethan and Jacobean playwrights and poets used this common name for medlar in rude – and lewd – puns and other humorous writing.
Medicinal uses
Far from remaining in the Middle Ages, medlar is still used as medicine. An academic paper published in the Journal of Medicinal Plants in 2012 describes research, in the tree’s native Iran, into the medicinal use of the plant by the local people (aged over 50).
They found that the leaves, fruit and bark are all used to treat conditions of the intestinal tract such as diarrhoea, stomach bloating, and infection;
the fruit to treat menstrual problems;
the bark to reduce fever;
and the leaves as a gargle for throat and other oral abscesses.
Other properties described were ‘strengthening of fine skin’ and ‘strengthen nerves’.
Other recent researchers, also from countries where the tree is native, have extracted phenolic acids and flavonoids from the bark and leaves. Potentially harmful chemicals, that are known to play an important role in a variety of conditions including cardiovascular disease and cancers, are cleared from cells by these compounds. More research and development are still needed, but medlar could be a useful and affordable dietary supplement in these countries, which are traditionally very poor.
Medlar bark has been tried as a substitute for quinine, but the results are inconclusive.
WARNING Medlar seeds are poisonous: they contain the toxin hydrocyanic acid.
Culinary uses
Medlars, like quince, are commonly made into jams, jellies, ‘pastes’ and chutneys. Such jellies, frequent accompaniments to meats and cheese, were commonly used in British and European cookery throughout the Middle Ages and into Victorian times. Tiptree, modern day producers of medlar jelly, describe it as having a rich red colour and the flavour of a spiced apple. They recommend using it in place of apple sauce.
The fruit can also be eaten raw, as the Victorians did, sweetened with sugar and served with cream, or blended with eggs and butter to make a sweet spread (like lemon curd).
The chef Nigel Slater, quoted in The Guardian, suggests a different dessert using medlars. They can be baked in a hot oven until “tender and fruitily fragrant”, served with cream and eaten with a small spoon; though he admits that they are “fiddly to eat”!
JO
Acknowledgements – thanks, for much information above, to the following:
http://www.beeculture.com
http://www.pfaf.org
http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com
http://www.rhs.org
http://www.theguardian.com
http://www.tiptree.com
http://www.deptfordpudding.com
(for the picture of a bletted medlar)
http://www.academicjournals.org
(for the article Medicinal benefits and usage of medlar (Mespilus germanica) in…Iran
by Bibalani and Mosazadeh-Sayadmahaleh)
It seems to have been a very unpredictable summer, with wide ranges of temperature, and long dry spells interspersed with very wet periods. These conditions have suited the unusual-looking coral fungus, (Ramaria stricta) that has sprung up in various places around the garden. It’s a fairly common fungus, that often grows on buried wood – ours is very close to the fence – but easy to overlook as it’s only a few inches high, so doesn’t announce its presence like larger or more brightly coloured fungi.
Coral Fungus – about 2in/5cm tall
But there is also colour still to be found, in the bright blue of flax and chicory, that have been flowering steadily for many weeks…
The glorious blue of flax
…and the vivid yellow of Rudbeckia, known as Black Eyed Susan in its native USA, saves itself for an end-of-season flourish. [Find out more below]
Rudbeckia looks splendid en masse
The mint is in flower as well, providing fuel for butterflies.
Comma butterfly on the mint flower
Our Black Cohosh is producing some dramatic spikes of pretty flowers, much appreciated by the hoverflies. This plant , like Rudbeckia, also originated in North America, where it was known as “squawroot” for its use in relieving symptoms of the menopause: you can learn more by reading our August 2017 blog.
The delicate blooms of the Black Cohosh
We did a bit of tidying up round the building, around the middle of the month. This clears the way for the start of our project to put up a new utility building, and made things a bit more presentable for Open Day. It’s amazing how much rubble had accumulated – a lot of it dug up when our terraced lawn was created out of uneven ground that had previously been allotments.
John and Nick get busy on the heap of rubble
It was a lovely sunny day for our Open Day on 21st September, bringing about 150 people to learn about the history of the Bath House, and enjoy the garden.
David starts his tour in the upper room of the Bath House
David gave the history talks, and Barbara Wilkinson of the Herb Society gave her popular tours of the garden, with fascinating information about the health benefits of a number of the plants. More information, and herbal products, were available on her stall.
Barbara’s knowledgeable tours draw a crowd
The Old Saw Mill also ran a stall, selling apple juice, cider vinegar, and preserves. Our own sales of plants, books and raffle tickets did well. Huge thanks to everyone who visited and gave support on the day – many of whom had travelled some distance to be here.
Once the Open Day was over, it was time to start clearing out the borders, tidying up the profusion of summer growth.
Lyn and Linda working on the borders
We are replacing some of the lavenders that had become a bit swamped – that Valerian gets everywhere! The badgers have also been at work, enthusiastically scarifying the grass for us. Happily, we have other new offers of help, from among our visitors on Open Day, and plenty more to be done!
VA
Rudbeckia hirta
A dazzling addition to the autumn garden, this American native is widely available from nurseries and garden centres and has even escaped in some areas of the UK into the wild. An annual plant, it loves full sun, can cope with a degree of drought, but will tolerate light shade, and has good disease resistance, so it is a low-maintenance choice. The main problem with this plant is choosing the right variety for you: the RHS lists 164 results from a search for Rudbeckia!
Myth and Magic
Linnaeus, the Swedish botanist largely responsible for the way we catalogue plants into families, named the plant in honour of both his patron Olof Rudbeck and his father of the same name, who had been an eminent botanist and founder of the first botanic garden in Sweden.
Several Native American tribes have been recorded as using Rudbeckia as an aid in treating a variety of conditions.
Widely naturalised across the USA, it is the official flower of the state of Maryland.
Medicinal Properties
Rudbeckia were used by early North American Settlers as a diuretic and as a stimulant. Dried plant leaves were usually consumed in the form of a tea. They were presumably guided in this practice by the Native Americans, whose knowledge of the plant is extensive. Conditions that they treated with Rudbeckia include dropsy, worms, snakebite, earaches. There are also records that they used it for the common cold and as pain relief for gynaecological and venereal problems.
Rudbeckia is related to, and sometimes confused with, the better known Echinacea – both being members of the plant genus Asteraceae. While Echinacea, or cone-flower, is much more widely used in modern herbal medicine, Rudbeckia is however still recognised as making some contribution, as suggested by this recipe for Rudbeckia tea: steep 5 tsps of dried root in boiling water for five minutes, and strain before drinking. As always, we recommend caution – get advice from a professional before self-medicating.
Modern science may yet discover more uses, as there have been several investigations in recent years. Research into the potential for medicine of Rudbeckia hirta has focused on the qualities of its roots, looking into the value of its antioxidant, immune-stimulating, antitussive and anti-inflammatory properties.
WARNING
There have been some reports of Rudbeckia causing skin irritation in humans, and the plant is reputed to be poisonous to cattle, pigs and horses.
JO
Acknowledgements – thanks to the following for much of the information above
– http://www.garden-network.co,uk
– http://www.herbal-supplement-resource.com
– http://www.medicinalgarden.trekbirmingham,com
– http://www.Pfaf.org
– http://www.RHS.org.uk
The first half of August brought a record amount of rain, flattening many of the taller plants. Last year we had to top up the pond and bog garden – no need for that this year! The waterlily is doing well, producing a fine succession of flowers, and a healthy amount of leaves.
The Water Lily
In the bog garden area around the pond a tall, pale version of the Common Selfheal has appeared (it could be Prunella intermedia, a hybrid of common selfheal and cut-leaved selfheal). Apparently the bill-hook shape of the flower led people to believe that the plant would heal wounds made by sharp tools. It does in fact have anti-bacterial qualities, and has been the subject of several recent scientific studies that found it has anti-viral properties. [See below for more about Selfheal]
Unusually tall and pink Selfheal
Just when we thought that the rain would never stop, we came into a dry spell, allowing for more work on the Bath House. The exterior has now been brushed down, spruced up, painted and looks as smart as it must have done in 1820! David then volunteered to paint the upper ‘warming’ room, a perfect Georgian parlour in miniature which has not been redecorated since the original restoration of the building, nearly 20 years ago. At that time, flakes of possibly original light blue paint were found, and so a quick colour match ensured that this colour, typical of the Georgian period, was retained. After a lot of shifting of furniture and sorting of assorted ‘stuff’ by the team, David was able to get going.
David the Dedicated Decorator
He did an excellent job of the walls, the skirting boards (in dark green) and finally the dado rail and the ceiling: the freshness and light created is a real boost to this charming room. We will in due course clean and treat the wooden floorboards, and create display areas for some of the many oddments of pottery, bottles, clay pipes and other items found during our work on the site.
At the end of the month we hosted a day of performances during the annual weekend of Congleton Jazz and Blues Festival, and the Saturday proved to be the perfect day for relaxing in the Physic Garden and listening to music. It was warm and sunny, with a lovely view over the garden to the rest of the town beyond. Lots of people found their way up the hill, to listen to performances by the Madhatters, Musical Moments, and the Jazz and Blues Band Workshop.
First the Madhatters got everyone singing along to a selection of familiar tunes. The performers were all members of the ‘Can’t Sing Choir’, although this was not evident on the day!
The Madhatters lead the singing
Plenty of children discovered the fine rolling conditions of the lawn while the adults enjoyed the music.
Rolling…rolling…
Later, there was a performance by a Jazz and Blues band specially put together for the occasion. Some were new to playing in a band, but they all left the audience wanting to hear more. Their music created the perfect laid-back atmosphere for a sunny afternoon on the lawn.
World Premiere at the Bath House!
VA
Selfheal (Prunella vulgaris)
Selfheal, (also spelled Self Heal) heal-all, slough heal or woundwort, is a native British perennial plant, found among short grass on waste ground, grassland, roadside verges and open spaces in woodland, not to mention garden lawns. Growing close to the ground, it is easily overlooked, but its heads of violet blue flowers bloom from June to September and left alone it can sprawl to cover a whole grassy bank or lawn. It can be confused with Bugle (Ajuga reptans), another common British plant that grows in similar habitat. Selfheal also resembles mint, and apparently also tastes slightly minty, though other descriptions include slightly sweet, mildly bitter, and ‘a hint of rosemary’…
Myth and magic
Astrology in medicine is the belief that the stars and planets control different body parts, different diseases and thus different ingredients used in remedies. Culpeper, in the 17thcentury, was not unusual in following this idea, as medical science then included many practices that we now consider odd, irrational or frankly dangerous! Medicinal herbs were ruled by individual stars or planet: yellow flowers belonged to the Sun, and thorny or stinging plants to Mars, (named after the Roman god of War).
Another medieval medical system was the ‘Doctrine of Signatures’, the belief that a plant’s appearance indicated its usefulness in medicine. In the case of Selfheal this can be seen in the list of alternative common names listed by Culpeper: carpenter’s herb, hook-heal, and sickle-wort.
But it was as a ‘herb of Venus’ that he suggests this rather delightful remedy: ‘The juice thereof, used with oil of roses, to anoint the temples and forehead, is very effectual to remove the headache.’
Medicinal Uses
Selfheal’s common name shows it has been a widely used medicinal plant, although some herbal books don’t list it. It has been used for many centuries: Dioscorides, the ancient Greek physician, used it to cure inflammation of the throat and tonsils. It is known as a ‘summer-dry’ herb in Chinese medicine, prescribed for signs of heat and liver conditions, while in Korea it is used to treat oedema, nephritis, scrofula and goitre.
Selfheal’s Latin name is said to be derived from its German name Brunelle. This name is thought to relate to a disease of the gums called in German Breuen; or Bräune, the German word for quinsy, a severe sore throat caused by abscess of the tonsils. Both suggest that it’s been known for a long time as a cure for problems in the mouth.
Modern medicinal herbalists prescribe it as a gargle or mouthwash in cases of sore throat, mouth ulcers and bleeding gums, and externally to reduce the swelling around bites and stings. Its affinity with the lymphatic system means it is also offered for a range of conditions including glandular fever, mumps, cancer and swollen glands.
Modern laboratory studies have shown Selfheal’s constituents to have a number of applications: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, astringent, anti-viral and antimicrobial.
Other Uses
Culinary
Selfheal leaves are edible, and make a useful pot herb in a soup or stew, although cooking reduces the nutritional value. Raw, they can be tossed in a salad, or added to mashed potatoes. A cold water infusion of freshly chopped, or dried, leaves makes a nourishing drink, or you can make a ‘tea’ by using boiling water instead.
Dyes
The flowers and stems can be used to produce an olive-green dye.
JO
Acknowledgements – thanks to the following for much information above
http://www.herbalremediesadvice.org
http://www.pharmaceutical-journal.com
http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk
http://www.ediblewildfood.com
http://www.pfaf.org
http://www.webmd.com`
Culpeper’s Herbal
We were all busy getting the garden ready for two lots of judges this month. Firstly, we were to be judged for North West In Bloom in the category It’s Your Neighbourhood (IYN), and later we’d be inspected in a separate visit by the judges for Britain in Bloom. Lawns were cut…
Not quite a billiard table, but looking good
… hedges were trimmed…
Trimming the hedge along the footpath
… paths swept…
Sweeping the path by the shelter
… and borders tidied. ‘Tidying’ is always a difficult judgement call, as there are no such things as weeds in our garden, only medicinal plants that sometimes try to take over where not intended. We were quite pleased with how everything has turned out, and hoped that the judges would be too!
The first judging was on 9thJuly, and it seemed to go very well. Particularly attractive on the day were our wild flower meadow…
Wild flower garden in full bloom
….and the border of medicinal plants.
The Officinalis border
One of our favourite, and most dramatic, herbs is Chicory (Cichorium intybus), whose beautiful blue flowers start to appear in mid-July – but you need to get there in the morning to see them at their best. By lunch time the flowers start to fade and close, although the tall branching flower spikes have plenty more to come, and last throughout the summer. [See below for more about Chicory]
Chicory seen through the lower gateway
There don’t seem to have been so many bees about this year, and hardly any butterflies, which is a bit worrying, but one bee, at least, found our Meadowsweet.
Bee on the Meadowsweet
Meadowsweet has been known for its health benefits since ancient times. In 1830, German scientists discovered it was a source of salicylic acid, and named the chemical Spirsäure after the plant’s Latin name, Spiraea. In 1893, another German chemist managed to make a synthetic version of the chemical, which they named AcetylSpirsäure, and this was eventually marketed as Aspirin. People who love words as well as plants probably know that ‘salicylic’ itself comes from a plant name: Salix, the Latin for Willow. Willow, known for thousands of years as a medicinal plant, was previously a common source of the same chemical.
The Britain in Bloom judges were due on Thursday 25thJuly and, as you all know by now, it turned out to be the hottest day of the year. The judges arrived at 11:30, which we thought would be in good time to see the Chicory flowers, but they had already had enough of the heat, and folded up! At least we had managed to take a picture for ourselves earlier in the day, and our new Passionflower put in an appearance for the judges instead.
Passionflower in full bloom
Meanwhile, at the Bath House itself, this month has also seen much activity. The sight of volunteer Nick up a ladder has been a rare one of late as he has concentrated on groundwork for our new utilities building, installation of seats and arches in the Physic Garden and the completion of a wonderfully restored flight of ten stone steps leading down from the Bath House. But we had realised that the building itself deserved some TLC so Nick, ably assisted by Andy and David, has repaired and weather proofed the two main sash windows before painting them in an attractive pale sage finish.
Nick working on the windows
Our three wooden doors also benefitted from a clean, gentle rub down and a coating of linseed oil. Some oak strips fitted round the edges top door were also needed to seal off some surprisingly wide gaps. Our beautiful listed building has now had a good face lift and looks all the better for it. A check of the gutters and slate roof will complete its “annual service”.
VA
Chicory Cichorium intybus
Chicory is native across Britain, Europe and Asia, but is often grown in the UK as a garden annual or perennial for its beautiful blue flowers that bloom throughout the summer season. It can also be found as a wild flower in the UK in rough grassy areas, roadside and railway verges and wasteland. Sometimes known in the UK as Succory, it has many other common names in the USA including blue daisy and blue dandelion.
In the garden, as well as being decorative it also attracts bees and other useful insects, being on the RHS list of Plants for Pollinators. The blooms open in sunlight but close in wet weather; and as well as the brilliant sky blue it is also seen in white or pink forms.
Myth and Magic
Chicory was reputed to have the power to confer invisibility, and it was said you could open a locked door simply by placing a branch of chicory against the lock. Culpeper, who knew the plant as Succory, suggested its efficacy in a wide range of ailments, including ‘hot stomach’, ‘swoonings’, and ‘passions of the heart’.
Its habit of closing petals in dull weather led the botanist Linnaeus to include it in his Floral Clock. His clock was based on his observations of the time of day when individual plants opened, and chicory was positioned at 4-5am. It was an idea that appealed to many leading gardeners at the time, who tried it out with varying degrees of success. Linnaeus was a serious 18thcentury scientist, and his system of plant classification, although modified, still influences botany and horticulture today; but we now appreciate that climate, altitude and latitude, not to mention soil type, are all significant factors in plant growth so we’ll stick to our digital watches for now…
Medicinal Uses
Chicory has been known in folk medicine since the time of the Pharaohs, and is still used in herbal medicinal preparations in many countries around the world. The following examples demonstrate the wide range of uses for different parts of the plant:
– South Africa: a ‘tea’ made from the plant is recommended for jaundice, and chicory syrup is given as a tonic to children;
– Turkey: the leaves are made into a skin ointment to reduce inflammation;
– Italy: a decoction of the leaves is prescribed for high blood pressure;
– Morocco: a decoction of the whole plant is given in cases of kidney disorder;
– Poland: a tea made from the roots is prescribed for digestive complaints.
Chicory was discovered in the 1970s to contain up to 40% inulin, and is therefore safe for diabetics as it has a negligible effect on blood sugar. It is now grown commercially to produce inulin.
Culinary uses
Vegetable
You will usually find Chicory (Cichorium endivia, a species related to the native flower) in the vegetable or salad aisles as a tight bunch of pale leaves (rather like a mini Cos or Romaine lettuce), or in ready-bags of mixed salad leaves. Eaten raw in salads, it has a bitter tang that’s not to everyone’s taste, though the fresher it is the milder the bitterness. Chicory in this form is ‘forced’ – grown quickly in darkness – and the leaves are harvested after only a few weeks. Another name to look out for in those salad bags is radicchio, referring to a red-veined variety of the same plant.
Like other green leafy vegetables such as leeks, lettuce, and celery, chicory can also be cooked: recipes often suggest braising or roasting.
Confusingly, in much of Europe the vegetable is actually known as endive – a name that in Britain usually refers to a variety of curly lettuce!
Coffee
Older people in the UK may associate chicory with a certain brand of liquid ‘instant coffee’ that was actually made mostly with roasted chicory root, baked and ground, and full of sugar to disguise the bitterness. It’s still available, and is also useful as an easy ‘coffee flavouring’ in classics like coffee and walnut cake. You can also buy powder-type instant coffee drinks containing chicory in varying proportions to actual coffee beans.
Chicory drinks are also available without any coffee addition: they are said to taste like coffee but slightly woody and nutty. As this type of drink contains less caffeine than coffee, it’s a possible alternative for those who are trying to reduce their caffeine intake.
JO
Acknowledgements Thanks to the following for much of the information above
– http://www.webmd.com
– http://www.healthline.com
– http://www.jamieoliver.com
– http://www.rhs.org.uk
– http://www.naturespot.org.uk
– http://www.magicalrecipesonline.com
– http://www.publicism.info
– http://www.ncbi.nim.nih.gov
– http://www.wildflowerfinder.org.uk
After only a few days away from the garden, we discover everything has suddenly doubled in size and come into flower.
Peony
The colours of the comfrey, wisteria, clematis and peony are looking lovely – soon to be joined by the lavender.
Comfrey, Clematis and Wisteria
We recently bought some fencing and two arches, using money awarded by the Tesco Bags of Help scheme last year – thank you to all who placed their votes! These have now been installed, with much digging and careful levelling. The fence provides a good south-facing support, where we hope to grow a grape vine.
Andy, Nick and David putting up the fence
The arches have added some height, and a new feeling of arrival, in the lower garden – and the air is full of the scent of valerian, and the buzzing of bees on the chives. We have been planting up one of the new arches with Akebia quinata– the Chocolate Vine. It has pretty leaves and purple, chocolate scented flowers in spring. The stems, when dried, have been used medicinally to control bacterial and fungal infections.
Linda adjusts the Akebia on the arch
We had a great spot for our stall at the Congleton Food and Drink Festival, and the day even started out sunny for once… Lots of people came by, bought a plant, and learned a bit more about our garden. We sold nearly all our plants, so it was a successful day all round, with more visitors coming to enjoy the garden, and a bit extra in the tin to help us pay the bills. Thank you to everyone who contributed, and we hope to see you again.
Lyn, Ros and Linda on duty at the Food & Drink Festival
The wild flower meadow is looking good this year – colour of petals and texture of leaves and grasses combine to make it a favourite spot.
The Wild Flower Meadow
And our baby Sumac tree is happy. We planted this Stag’s Horn Sumac (Rhus typhina) for its dramatic autumn foliage. It has been used in native North American medicine, and both the bark and the leaves can be used in dyeing. Although it has been described as potentially irritating, the sap of ornamental sumacs does not normally provoke itchiness. There are many other Sumacs that may, including a distantly related tree found in the wild in America and known as Poison Sumac (botanic name Toxicodendron vernix). However, there is no medical evidence that any part of our Sumac tree is poisonous, although eating it is not advised because it would taste extremely bitter!
[See below for more information about Sumac]
Our baby Sumac tree
The dragonfly is less happy though, seen here sheltering from the weather under a meadowsweet leaf by the pond. Possibly a female Southern Hawker?
Dragonfly
We, however, have been lucky to stay mostly dry for our work in the garden on Mondays during this record-breaking wet month, and were very happy to welcome a number of new visitors who came to see the garden and the Bath House.
VA
Stag’s Horn Sumac – Rhus typhina
Sumacs are deciduous shrubs native to North America, Africa, and the Middle East. They are suckering plants and tend to be invasive, growing in thickets on waste ground and anywhere they are unchecked. Also spelled Sumach and Sumaq, there are around 35 different species, with Stag’s Horn Sumac being the most commonly grown as a garden ornamental in Britain. It may have gained a reputation for being an irritant because of the Poison Sumac, Toxicodendron vernix, a noxious tree growing wild in North America.
Stag’s Horn Sumac can grow to 18-20 feet high, and suckers freely, so it should be coppiced in order both to control its spread and increase its longevity. It is grown not so much for its dense panicles of small summer flowers, but for its large pinnate leaves (like ash or elder) that turn bright red in autumn. Flowers can develop into bright red furry berries later in the year, but these will only form if male and female plants are grown together. (Note: Varieties of Sumac with non-hairy berries are poisonous).
Sumac was used extensively by Native Americans for food and medicine. Young shoots and roots were peeled and eaten raw, while the raw or cooked fruits were eaten or made into a sweet drink – what Americans know as ‘pink lemonade’.
Myth and Magic
Since Sumac is not a European tree, and was introduced to Britain as a garden plant, there are no local legends or supernatural attributes. In North America, however, it is said tp bring harmony and resolve difficulties: I even found a suggestion that, if found guilty in a court of law, carrying sumac berries in your pocket will reduce your sentence!
On a more practical note, the Smudge Stick, (commonly used in folk rituals and magic ceremonies), when made from Sumac berries or leaves, creates a mildly aromatic smoke reputed to help with creative thinking – and such a pleasant smoke can also be used by a traditional bee-keeper to calm the swarm.
Medicinal Uses
Modern research is being carried out into the active constituents in Sumac. It has been suggested that these may be useful in some cancer therapies, as well as in treatments for diabetes and tuberculosis.
In herbal medicine, Sumac was employed for the treatment of several ailments. Having antiseptic and diuretic properties, the bark would be powdered and made into a salve. Sumac bark and roots were also used in infusions for colds, sore throats and fever, as well as for infections, inflammation of the urinary tract, and for diarrhoea. External application was recommended for burns and skin conditions.
The leaves were also used in a poultice for skin rashes or as an infusion for asthma, and chewed in cases of sore gums or lips. Sumac berries (red) were used in various treatments for diseases and conditions of the digestive tract; for menstrual problems; and fever. An infusion of Sumac blossoms could be made into an eye wash for sore eyes, while the milky sap was used as a salve for sores.
Other uses
Culinary
Some species of sumac, especially Rhus coriaria, have long been used widely in Asian and Arabic cooking as a spice for meat and vegetable dishes, rice, and in desserts. Herbal wine can be prepared from the gum-like ‘galls’ formed when the sap leaks from the cut stems.
Leather manufacture
The leaves of Sumac contain considerable quantities of tannin, as does the galls mentioned above which also contain gallic acid. The tree is therefore very useful in tanning leather, and its Hebrew name translates as “tanner’s sumac”.
Dyes
The berries can be processed to produce dyes ranging from red through brown to black, suitable especially on wool. The tannin-rich leaves are used both as a brown dye and as a mordant. The roots, and the inner bark along with the pith, also produce dyes – yellow and orange respectively.
Candles
An oil can be extracted from Sumac seeds to be used in the manufacture of candles that, while burning well, give off a pungent smoke.
Other uses
The young shoots can be made into pipes, for drawing sap from sugar maples; and boiling seeds and leaves together produces a dark ink. Sumac’s suckering root system makes it useful planted as a windbreak and where soil erosion is a problem.
JO
Acknowledgments Thanks to the following for much of this information:
– http://www.pfaf.com
– http://www.rhs.com
– http://www.sciencedirect.com
– http://www.druidgarden.wordpress.com
– http://www.herbmagic.com
– http://www.iowaherbalist.com
– http://www.learnaboutherbs.com
This month saw our now regular Spring Open Day, and over 100 people came to visit us. They took guided tours both of the Bath House and of the medicinal and dye plants in the garden. Many visitors told us they’d only discovered this secret garden in the centre of town for the first time on Open Day; but we were pleased to see many others coming back for more, which made our hard work in preparation all the more worthwhile. How many volunteers does it take to put up a marquee?
I’m sure that goes there…
More than you’d think, and we often have to draft in friends and neighbours. But it was done in record time on this occasion, as we’ve learnt from previous experience that it is best to put the cover on the right way up! And if you would like to lend a hand, not just with marquee-erection but with any other construction or gardening jobs, do come and see us on any Monday morning.
The marquee successfully in place, we set up stalls for the Alsager Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers; the Herb Society and medical herbalists; apple juice, second hand books, and plants. Not needed so much to shelter from the sun, despite recent heat, but also thankfully not as protection from the rain which has drenched previous Open Days!
The Marquee!
Barbara Wilkinson, of the Herb Society, gave her ever popular talks about the medicinal uses of our plants. She is a stalwart supporter of the garden and we’re grateful for her willingness to return time after time!
Barbara captivating another audience
Nicola, from the Alsager Guild of Weavers Spinners and Dyers, gave a fascinating tour of the dye plants, showing the colours that can be achieved with such plants as madder, dyer’s camomile and woad – that’s the tall yellow flower in the picture. [See below to find out more about Woad]
Nicola explains the dye plants to the crowd
The group also gave us demonstrations of hand spinning, and a rainbow display of colours available from our plants, and how these vary with different mordants and modifiers.
A rainbow palette of dyed wools
The first prize in the raffle was a box of goodies donated by The Old Saw Mill, as well as some that we made ourselves. Many thanks to everyone who bought a ticket – it all goes to help us maintain this special place.
Happy winners
Tearing ourselves away from the everyday practicalities of maintaining and developing our historic building and garden, and putting on events such as the May Open Day, we’ve also devoted some time to serious thinking about the future and how we could encourage visitors. After much deliberation and debate over various options, we arrived at a new logo to encapsulate the idea of the Bath House and Physic Garden, using it to help to raise our profile on future communications, events, and items for sale.
Our new logo
The logo represents the late-Georgian Bath House surrounded by a selected number of herbs from the Physic Garden. This shortlist was more difficult to choose than Desert Island Discs, but we ended up with Ginkgo, Borage, Rosemary and Hawthorn (leaf and berries) – all significant inhabitants of the garden with interesting uses and stories to tell. Many thanks go to Laura Weir for her skill, patience and inspiration in designing the logo. She is also drawing up a map of the garden for us, and we hope to use it in a new leaflet, as well as on a much-needed revamp of the website. Watch this Space!
VA
Woad Isatis tinctoria
Isatis tinctoria – Woad
A hardy perennial or biennial, this tall striking plant can be grown in most soils and tolerates shade and sun. It may have originated in southern Russia but has naturalised widely since early times. Because it was the main source of blue dye in Europe, it was later grown extensively as a commercial crop, and may thence have escaped into the wild. So prolific is it in the USA that it is there considered an invasive pest.
Myth and Magic
Woad is associated in British legend with warpaint, reinforced in recent culture via such films as Braveheart. 2000 years ago, the Roman writer Eumenius described the northern tribes as Picti, meaning ‘painted ones’. Similarly, an old Celtic word Brithon means stained or painted man, and some historians believe that’s how we got the word Britain.
Woad has also been used in magic and pagan rituals, as an aid in ‘shape-shifting’. It was also supposed to help you look into past lives, perhaps from its reputation as a hallucinogenic. However, its actual ‘mood altering’ properties are that its raw sap can cause numbness and dizziness in some people, and no hallucinations have been reported.
Another name for woad is Glastum, and one theory is that Glastonbury, that centre of ancient mysteries and modern festivals, actually means ‘the place where woad grows’.
Use as a dye
Woad has been cultivated as a dye plant in Europe from the Stone Age, and an important dyeing industry developed in Britain, particularly in East Anglia. The leaves were harvested, ground into a paste in a mill, and hand-rolled into balls. These balls were dried over a few weeks until hard as wood and then crumbled into powder, sprinkled with water and left to ferment. When this mixture also dried, it was packed in barrels for the dyers.
The powdered dyestuff
The dyers poured hot water over the woad, and added potash or urine, and it was again left to ferment for three days before it could be used as a dye bath. The whole process was so smelly that Queen Elizabeth I decreed that it could not be carried out within five miles of any of her palaces.
The plant Indigofera tinctoria grows in India and South East Asia, and as the British Empire spread from Tudor times onwards, this gradually – and more cheaply – replaced woad in the indigo dye vats. These imports, and the development of synthetic dyes from Victorian times, killed the woad industry, and the last mill closed in Lincolnshire in 1932.
Woad is not often commercially used nowadays, except by artists and craftspeople interested in working with natural materials. Although it is famously blue, when mixed with dyer’s greenwood (Genista tinctoria) it produces an excellent green.
Medicinal uses
The leaves and roots of woad contain antibacterial and antiviral compounds, useful in treating a range of ailments. The leaves also contain fever-reducing chemicals.
Culpeper, in his 1653 Herbal, wrote that woad was so drying and astringent it should only be used externally, for treating ulcers and to staunch bleeding. However, in Chinese herbal medicine it is taken internally at quite high doses, and is associated with treatments of a wide range of ailments including mumps, influenza, heat rash and pneumonia. The roots are used to treat cold and throat infections.
An anti-cancer chemical, glucobrassicin, found in broccoli, has now been identified at twenty times greater quantities in woad. As extraction from broccoli is difficult, woad may prove an effective alternative source.
JO
Acknowledgments Thanks to the following for information and opinion:
– http://www.britannica.com
– http://www.thecultureconcept.com
– http://www.thewoadcentre.co.uk
– www. fascinatinghistory.blogspot.com
– http://www.woad.org.uk
– http://www.pfaf.org
Congleton Building Preservation Trust 