Making rosehip syrup with eight year olds from Wallands School

The Lottie project asked me to join in with one of their school parties for a Herbal medicine making session. What a treat it was, i loved working with the children. Every other week a group of 12 children visit the community allotment in Lewes run by Sarah Rideout and Tanya Lewis, to grow some fruit and veg and often to harvest and cook themselves lunch. Their organisation Common Cause promotes gardening and growing locally.
This is the season of berries, bright and alluring to children, but often children are nowadays taught that all wild berries are poisonous. It was good to teach their benefits. I brought some Thyme from my garden, Some Liquorice from my dispensary and after putting the Liquorice on to simmer we went of to collect Rose hips together. This was a fun part of the morning and gave the children real ownership of the finished product. Rose hips were collected in WWII in their tonnes to provide English children with Vitamin C when supplies of oranges couldn't get here. They contain the highest concentration of Vit. C of any (certainly indigenous) fruit.
I think that its really important that children are taught sometimes by non teachers as i don't have to conform to any "standard practices " or education agendas. We took the hips back to the camp kitchen and i smashed the hips up in a tea towel between rocks before putting them into the Liquorice brew. They had 15 minutes simmering gently and the Thyme went in for the last five minutes of this. The whole brew was poured into a muslin bag and pressed through the press you can see. Though not strictly necessary, i thought the children would like to use some machinery, and the press added to the theatre of the event. Everyone had a spin of the press, and the resulting decoction was returned to the clean pan and sugar added. Three kilos of sugar added to 2 Litres of decoction. Yes its a lot of sugar, some people use a ratio of 1:1, some 2:1 sugar:liquid, mine was in between. I didn't want their syrups to go mouldy. When the sugar had melted the syrup was poured into sterilised bottles , labelled by the children, so they could take it home. A certificate of excellence in potion making was awarded to each child.

Herb walk around central Lewes town

I led my fourth herb walk of the summer today. We met at the castle gate in the middle of Lewes, and ambled around the lanes, and alleyways of the medieval town. It was so good to be in the centre of Town, yet to be away from cars, and taking the slow route around town. We first came across Pellitory of the Wall, growing out of the Castle wall. This herb in the same family as Nettle is used for conditions relating to gravel and stone in the urinary tracts. It action is cooling, diuretic (increasing flow of urine), and demulcent (soothing to the tissues of urinary tract. For such complaints it it used more often than any other herb.


Next we came across a cultivated wonderful scented Damask Rose growing above the wall of the bowling green. The bowling green was the old jousting area of the castle grounds and the archery practise area. The bowling club is still a male bastion, only the sport is now a sedate one, though i believe the mortality rate of the sport is as high as jousting. The rose, fragrant and a symbol of summers joy, lifts the heart and raises our spirits. Rose is considered cooling in fevers, and an action in common with all its relatives in the rose family is that it is astringent, drawing in tissues.Its essential oils lift the spirits and it is used as a nervine, to soothe the furrowed brow. Rose hips are used as a soothing syrup for chest infections , also being high in vitamin C and the flavonoids that make vit. C easily absorbed by the body.
Fifty yards on we came across four Lime trees Tilia cordata shading the view north over the Sussex Weald. One tree was still in blossom, past its full fragrance when its perfume fills the neighbourhood. The flowers are revered in France as a tea 'Tilleul', a relaxing digestive remedy, it is wonderfully relaxing to drink,and was used as a relaxing diaphoretic, to promote sweating in a fever and therefore reduce the body's temperature. This century experiements have found the plant able to reduce blood cholesterol, lower blood pressure through relaxing the blood vessel walls. Its wood is the finest for carving, and the inner bark can be woven into a coarse rope or binding.

Walking down the alleyway down to the Paddock we found Elderflowers Sambucus nigra mixing their scent with that of the mock orange. The children in our party tasted a petal of the mock orange, and they were quite delicious.
Elderflowers as well as all parts of the Elder tree are widely used in Herbal medicine. A classic combination for the common cold or early stages of flu being Yarrow , elderflower and peppermint. Drunk as an infusion regularly and often . Elderflower is astringent to the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, reducing the inflammation that occurs in a cold and drying the overproduction of cattargh. For this same reason i use it in hayfever. They have a history of use in bronchial disease, and in eruptive fevers such as measles and scarlet fever. Externally an ointment was used for wounds, burns and scalds, chill blains and used for horses wounds in WW1. Distilled elderflower water was a common cosmetic for sunburn and freckles and generally toning the skin.
On the summer solstice up on Firle beacon a came was passed around at dawn which had elder flower stalks lining the base of the sponge, really fragrant as the essential oils released by the baking get trapped within the cake.
We saw Greater Celandine, in the poppy family, its bitter alkaloids are strongly acting on the liver, stimulating this organ to break down chemicals , its used only by practising herbalists, and used in many gall bladder and hepatic conditions.

On the left of the Paddocks entrance gate we found Lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis These tiny flowers are heady scenters , and were traditionally carried by brides and set upon the wedding table. To be collected and given to your true love every spring. In Sussex we have the best wild spread in the country. Medicinally they are also restricted to use by Medical herbalists only. They contain cardiac glycosides with a direct action on heart , and a diuretic with an action sililar to Digoxin, the commonly prescribed drug synthesized from Foxglove Digitalis . It slows the heart beat whilst making the beat more effective , thus pumping more blood. It is also easier to prescribe than Digitalis which is liable to accumulate in the body with poisonous effects.
Calendula officinalis pot marigold is used for as a healing herb topically for cuts , scrapes etc, in creams and ointments, and also for spots and swellings when the 90 % alc tincture applied neat is really effective. Its the resins used within the petals that require an oil base or such a high % of alcohol.
We saw the oriental opium poppy still the most effective pain reliever in the world In Victorian England it was used to power the industrial revolution as 'mothers little helper', sold in corner shops to soothe small children whose parents were out working for long hours.
We also and talked about nettle, yellow dock, Plaintain, Artichoke, Borage and bitter chickory,
but i've run out of time to talk about these now. Try making tea out if them and see what happens.

Three Herb walks

This is my poster for my latest herb walks. The first on friday morning, this week, will be a very leisurely stroll around the Railway land, mindful that there may be mothers with toddlers there at that time of day. It is important to point out that as the Railway land is a nature reserve, no plants can be picked on it. You will find out on the walk however that powerful medicinal plants grow everywhere; often insignificant looking , they are outside your front door, often growing in the cracks of your door step. Look at the weeds today growing right outside your front door. You may recognise them, they may be something that could benefit your health; dandelions, cleavers- creeping up other plants, plaintain, and nettles. They grow everywhere in such abundance that we can often overlook their wonderful healing potential, and look further afield for rarer and more exotic plants. The next two herb walks are on Sunday afternoons; on the 23rd we will be exploring the rich habitat of the chalk downs to the west of Lewes. Meeting by the Neville allotments, we will explore above the chalk pits, again this is more an exploration of local flora than a ramble, so all fitness levels are welcome.

Back garden Bee swarm

My friend Adrienne phoned to say there was a swarm of bees in town and she was going to collect it for her newly built hive. The swarm was just a few streets away in the Pells area of Lewes. I cycled down there and walked up the alley way between the backs of two terraces, eyes wide open, looking for my first swarm. Would they be flying creating small clouds like in Winnie the Pooh? After passing 5 gardens with no sign of buzzing i asked an old lady sunning herself in her garden. Neither she nor her neighbour opposite had heard nor seen any bees. She said " I think i'd be able to tell if there was a swarm of bees around here." Now arrived Adrienne, and she knew exactly where to go. Just 4 more narrow gardens up was a huge swarm of bees. They had come from the hive pictured and travelled 20 feet to the next garden. Luckily the lady whose garden they were encamped in was

on holiday. The two photos through the trellis are from the garden with the hives in it. Though i've never worked with bees or seen a swarm before, i have always felt confident and safe with individual bees that come visiting. They are quite happy to be carried to an open window when they are lost in the house. So I went into the garden and walked up to the table where they were gathered. I believe they had chosen the two small terracotta pots as a cool haven for their queen. Its just that they couldn't all fit in them, so 80% of them were bundled under the table. Without a white suit to protect me, i tied my hair in a scarf, and tucked my trousers and shirt in. Bees get tangled up in hair and sting out of frustration. I was shown how the bees are so pre-occupied with making their new home, that one can put a hand safely onto the swarm , even nestling a hand into the mass and the bees will part allowing fingers to nestle amongst them. What an incredible feeling it was, very peaceful. Adrienne and placed the newly built hive under the table and brushed bees into it, they landed in clumps making loud thump noises. With about 80 %of the bees in the hive, most importantly the Queen, the other bees slowly walked towards it, like one walks to the sofa after a sunday lunch. I think they are gorged with food for their swarming adventure. At this point i had to leave the bee party. I've heard since that the bees are settled on Adriennes allotment.
My partner Marianna has freshly whitewashed yet empty hives in our garden. We are waiting for another swarm, Marianna has even made a skep from straw, a traditional basket for catching swarms in. Domestic beekeeping without the commercial pressures normal beekeepers face is becoming increasingly important with the devastating effects of the verola virus , and of neonicotinoid pesticide damage to bee colonies world wide. Without bees our lives, dependant as they are on pollination of fruits and vegetables, would become impossible. www.biobees.com are dedicated to natural forms of bee keeping, also see the excellent herbal website for a great article on natural beekeeping http://theherbarium.wordpress.com/category/8-articles/g-beekeeping/
Buy local honey ! Support your local bees.

Sweet Violets and Wild Cherry

Before my friend and famed Lewes herbalist Kym Murden moved to New Zealand in February, she told me where i could find Coltsfoot growing wild. I'd cycled to Barcombe a few times waiting to find the flowers, which appear suddenly and unusually before the leaves. The leaves and flowers are an exceptional lung remedy. This winter i've found Coltsfoot given simply as an infusion sometimes more effective than complicated combinations of tinctures and Linctuses. On my third visit to the spot, down Church Lane, i found a few flowers, it seems the local farmer has dug the ditch next to where they grow on the bank, and disturbed the colony. They'll be back next year i'm sure, as Coltsfoot is a tenacious plant, not easily removed from any garden or wayside.

Towering above the small flowers i noticed one other plant i had been searching for that day, a Wild Cherry Tree. Prunus avium. Cherry bark is another cough remedy, with a very specific sedative action on the cough reflex. This makes it useful in irritating coughs,and it is usual to combine it with herbs that will treat the chest infection at the same time.The bark is usually collected in mid Autumn, but In spring before budding is fine as well. Traditionally the american species Prunus serotina is used, however when in Sussex use the local variety, it seems to work just as well.
I cut carefully cut off and cut up a few small branches, and put them in my bike pannier to take home.
Coming over the style i noticed just outside the canopy of the tree a wonderful spray of Blue sweet violets Viola odorata. There really is something magic about this flower growing on masse. You only see them sparsely in towns as they don't like the pollution, but here in the country when you found them, get your head down to the ground and inhale that exquisite perfume.
I have never used Viola odorata before but ive been seeing it everywhere on my excursions out of town. So after a few minutes of reflection/ meditation with the plant and explaining my intentions to it i gathered up half the flowers and headed for home. On the way i stopped and explored a small stream running thru some woods, i came across a batch of white sweet violets with a view of the Anglo Saxon Hamsey church on its hill in the background.
Back home exploring new and old recipes, syrups seemed to be the order of the day. I'm a bit ambivalent towards syrups, sugar not known for its therapeutic qualities. For short term use however it is great for soothing remedies for the throat and lung remedies.
For the Cherry bark i peeled the bark with a knife, careful to collect the green inner bark as it hold the chemicals required. I cut it up in my blender and stuffed it lovingly into a jar, pouring over a simple syrup.The smell is of Amarretto biscuits,bitter almonds, this fragrance is the active constituents Cyanogenic glycosides, and i love it. I will let this sit for three weeks before straining. See the wonderfully comprehensive site http://theherbarium.wordpress.com for the full recipe

For the Violets i used an old recipe from Mrs Greives " A Modern Herbal". Pestling then soaking the petals for 24 hours in boiled water before straining and adding the sugar, bringing to nearly a boil then bottling in sterilised jars. I will be using it as an relaxing expectorant for bronchitis, for childrens constipation and skin conditions and for fun relaxation for stressed children. The ancients used it for many things. I felt it has an affinity for small children, those of the age who still believe in fairies.

Making this syrup was magic from start to finish because of the colour, which seemed to change at each stage from light blue to dark purple. This remedy need a clear glass bottle, to show it off.
The fragrance hasn't survived being made into a syrup, i'm not sure why, but the taste is excellent.