Greenhouses and Garden Living...

Being an avid gardener, a good proportion of my time is spent in the garden and outside. I have greenhouses where I grow a variety of plants and vegetables. However my favourite and newest addition is a garden office. My particular one is made of timber so while not costing a great deal, it provides a more natural feel.

A timber building in the right position in the garden can provide a fantastic retreat where you can relax, get some work done ( in my case blogging) and still enjoy the surroundings. I would certainly recommend checking out what options are available if you, like me, spend a lot of time outside.

I spend a lot of time in my garden office reading and writing my guides and various other projects. I guess the most important thing is design and making sure the timber building fits in with the overall feel of your garden. A contemporary style office would not have looked right nor suited my home or garden. So this was a major  factor I considered before choosing what company to go with.

Contemporary buildings can look great in some circumstances and I saw some wonderful ones while doing some research. However for me personally I prefer a more rustic and natural feel, so I went with a classic garden studio design.

New Addition to My Fish Tank...

Some of you may know that I have been keeping fish for a long long time. I started as most people do with simple gold fish when I was younger and whenever I would go into the fish store, I would gaze longingly at the beautiful tropicals swimming around.

It took about 10 years though until I was ready for tropicals, mainly due to college and not really having a fixed place to live while renting apartments. So anyway, I finally got some Guppies a couple years back and got my first Siamese fighting fish the other week!

I have also started planting my tank! Yes it’s true. The horticulturist in me is diversifying to aquatic botany. It sure if fun setting up the substrate, CO2, setting up the driftwood and plants.

Controlling algae growth is just as annoying as dealing with pests in my normal garden but well worth it as things really do look beautiful underwater.

I get my aquatic plants from AquaEssentials who have a pretty large collection. UKAPs is great for information if you want to start out too!

The Supererogatory Salvia...

“Tis a plant endued with so many wonderful properties, that the assiduous use of it is said to render man immortal.”
1699, John Evelyn, English Author and Naturalist

The botanical name salvia is Latin and means safe, healthy, or salvation. Salvia is a powerful herb known since ancient times for its association with health and longevity, and magically for its love and youth potions. The Roman scientist and historian, Pliny the Elder, was the first to use the name salvia. Salvias’ common name is sage, which originated in England and is believed a corruption of the old French sauge. I call it supererogatory, as sage goes above and beyond the call of duty!

Sage was dedicated to the Greek God, Zeus, and the Roman God, Jupiter. A tenth century medical school in Salerno, Italy, coined the saying, “Why should a man die who has sage growing in his garden?” As Christianity evolved in history, sage became one of the numerous symbols of the Virgin Mary.

Yes, sage is so magically powerful that its use gives immortality, longevity, wisdom, protection, and the granting of wishes. Carry sage to promote wisdom? If that’s all it takes, why are there so many dullards in this world? It is said that by eating sage everyday in May one will become immortal. An old English couplet promotes this usage; “He who would live for aye must eat Sage in May.” I’ll try this next year. For a wish to come true, it must be written on a sage leaf and hidden beneath the bed pillow for three nights. If one dreams of the desire, the wish will be come true; if not, the sage must be buried in the ground. I’m going to write my wishes on Clary Sage leaves because they are large enough. If I use enough of them, all my wishes will come true.

The herb is sometimes spoken of as Salvia salvatrix (Sage the Saviour). In the Jura district of France they purport that sage mitigates grief, both mentally and bodily. Pepys in his diary says, “Between Gosport and Southampton we observed a little churchyard where it was customary to sow all the graves with Sage.” In the language of herbs, sage aleves sorrow caused by the death of a loved one.

An old tradition was to plant rue among sage to keep noxious toads from valued and cherished plants. Ancient superstition said that a woman who drank salvia cooked in wine would never be able to conceive. This must have been the ancient birth control; guess it didn’t work. Ancient folklore says of the Lyre-leaved Sage (Salvia lyrata); that since the plant grows like a cancer upon the earth, it will cure cancer. Its fresh leaves are said to remove warts.

Sage also symbolizes domestic virtue, wisdom, skill, esteem, long life, good health, mitigates grief, and is said to increase psychic powers. This is the only herb I know where so many varieties have their own unique symbols in the language of herbs. The Jerusalem sage (phlomis) symbolizes pride of ownership and earthly delights. Mexican or velvet sage means spectacular and eloquent. Pineapple Sage symbolizes hospitality, esteem, and virtue. Purple-leaf Sage is a symbol of gratitude. Blue Salvia symbolizes wisdom and “I think of you.” and the red, energy and forever thine.

Salvia Apiana (White Sage or Bee Sage) is still highly valued by Native Americans and is used in many of their ceremonies for the purification of the body and material objects. For this reason white sage is a sacred plant to many tribes.

There is an old French saying; “Sage helps the nerves and by its powerful might palsy is cured and fever put to flight.” The old English Herbalist, Gerard says, “Sage is singularly good for the head and brain, it quickeneth the senses and memory, strengtheneth the sinews, restoreth health to those that have the palsy, and taketh away shakey trembling of the members.” He also shared the popular belief of the time that sage was a good snake-bite remedy, and says;“No man need to doubt of the wholesomeness of Sage Ale, being brewed as it should be with Sage, Betony, Scabious, Spikenard, Squinnette (Squinancywort) and Fennell Seed.”

The wife rules when Sage grows vigorously in the garden. Sage will thrive or wither, just as the owner’s business prospers or fails. These are my favorites. Sage thrives in my garden. Therefore, I rule the household and my business prospers. Got to go make dinner; my husband will be home soon. Got to make it his favorite meal, so he will be in the right frame of mind when I ask him for that business loan.

“I will suffer all for you.”

The Hawthorne Tree – Holy or Unlucky?...

“And therefore hath the white thorn many virtues!
For he that bearest on hym thereof, non manner of
Tempest may dere him: be in the hows
that yt is ynne may none evil ghost entre.”
1350 John Mandeville

The common name for hawthorne comes from haw, which is an old English word for ‘hedge.’ The tree’s name simply means ‘thorny hedge.’ After the British General Enclosures Act of 1845 hawthorn was used extensively as hedgerow because of its thorny nature and quick growth, angering peasants who no longer could enter the lands they previously roamed at will. Its Latin name, Crataegus, means ‘hardness’, referring to the quality of the wood. In medieval Europe hawthorne was considered both holy and unlucky, as well as a favorite of witches and faeries. Maybe hawthorne’s great beginnings were because it blossoms so beautifully and at just the right time of the year for many pagan rituals of spring, the union of nature and fertility. I think the unlucky part was mostly propagated by the growing Catholic Church influence of the time; attempting obliteration of pagan beliefs about the hawthorne and it’s sacred, magical and mystical powers.

Throughout early English literature, the hawthorne tree is known as ‘May Tree’. From ancient times hawthorne associated with the month of May because that is when it bloomed, but when the European community adopted a new calendar developed by Pope Gregory XIII in the middle ages; time shifted. The Gregorian calendar is still in use today. It replaced the Julian calendar, which was introduced in 46 BC by Julius Caesar, the Emperor of Rome. The hawthorne and its associations with May became displaced, as it no longer bloomed in May.

In Lancashire, a hawthorne spray hung over a door indicates scorn. But then again, fasten hawthorne to a cowshed and be assured of an enormous milk supply or place a globe made of hawthorne in the kitchen for fire protection. Put hawthorne in the rafters of your home for protection against spirits, ghosts and storms. In ancient Britain, destruction of a hawthorne tree might bring on tragedies such as the death of one’s cattle or children and a total loss of well-being.

Faeries abound in both British and Celtic antiquity, when the powerful ‘three’, oak, ash and thorn, grow together. Solitary hawthorne trees growing on hills or near sacred wells serve as markers to the faery realm. Never cut a blooming hawthorne, as the faeries become angry and definitely don’t sit under a hawthorne tree in the month of May or you will be lost forever to the unknown, mystic faery world. Even today, in parts of Ireland and Wales, a springtime custom, to bring blessings upon yourself and your family, is to plait crowns of hawthorne blossoms and leave them for the angels and faeries, who come at night and dance around them.

Witches were said to have the ability to turn themselves into hawthorne trees at will. On Beltane (May Day) morning, many witches wash their faces at sunrise in the morning dew of the hawthorne tree for beauty throughout the coming year. This little quote from the original ‘Mother Goose’ story bears this tradition out, as the story really was about witches and not nearly as innocent as at first glance appears.

“The First Of May
The fair maid who, the first of May,
Goes to the fields at break of day,
And washes in dew from the hawthorne tree
Will ever after handsome be.”
From the 1916 edition of Mother Goose

In ancient Greece, hawthorne was a symbol of hope and happiness, while in Rome it was considered a potent charm. According to the Romans you should place the leaves of hawthorne in your newborn’s crib to ward off evil spirits. Want happiness and hope for your upcoming wedding? In Greece bridesmaids wear hawthorne blossoms. The bride carries an entire bough and don’t forget the wedding procession; they carry torches made of hawthorne. Hawthorne leaves placed under the bed or around the bedroom preserves chastity. What a horrid joke to play on a newlywed couple or just the thing for a Daddy wanting to preserve his daughter’s virtue.

The Hawthorne Tree

Of every kind of tree–
Of every kind of tree–
The hawthorn blooms sweetest
Of every kind of tree.

My lover she shall be–
My lover she shall be–
The fairest of women,
My lover she shall be.
Old English Rhyme

This quote by Rudyard Kipling sums up the resistance to change prompted by the Catholic Church’s unsuccessful attempts to eliminate pagan practices associated with the hawthorne tree.

“O do not tell the priest of our Art,
For he would call it a sin,
For we’ll be out in the woods all night,
A-conjuring summer in.”
‘A Tree Song’ from Puck of Pook’s Hill

There is a Judaeo-Christian legend that specifies that a species of hawthorne, Crataegus pyracantha, was the ‘burning bush’ through which Moses spoke to God on Mount Horeb. According to Christian legend, the ‘Crown of Thorns’ was made of hawthorne (Crataegus albiespyne). Therefore, the herb was thought to possess miraculous health properties. Both ancient and modern herbalists have successfully used hawthorne for its food and health benefits.

Saint Joseph of Arimathea made his way, after the Resurrection and Ascension, to Britain, and established a church in Glastonbury, Somerset, England. For over sixteen hundred and fifty years it was said that Joseph’s own staff, which he had planted at Glastonbury, had become the large hawthorne tree that flowered there, miraculously, every Christmas Eve. This was the sort of ‘nonsense’ the Puritans hated, and just to be safe; they cut the tree down. This is the location of the Glastonbury Abbey and has been a venerated spot since long before Christianity. In 1750 a marker replaced the famous stump.

The hawthorne tree is considered a holy tree, once thought to be a trysting place for the Earth spirits. It was often planted at crossroads, since such spirits were thought to gather there. Weary travelers often would tear off and leave bits of clothing hanging in the trees as a prayer flag or ‘wish-rag’ offering for health, luck, love and success. This tradition continues today.

Use a piece of thorn as an amulet to ward off depression and restore happiness. This practice may have started when travelers picked the hawthorne leaf and chewed it for nourishment, a feeling of well-being and replenishment of energy. Thus, the hawthorne became known as the ‘bread and cheese’ tree, giving as much sustenance as a plate of bread and cheese.

The hawthorne tree seems to have had some unlucky places in history and folklore but still given it’s due, standing on its own merits. If you are a fisherwoman like me, you will recognize the hawthorne’s power and carry your ‘thorn’ in a pouch while fishing and your fishing will be bountiful. I never forget my lucky fishing cap either.

The College Garden at Westminster Abbey...

In April of 1999, during my visit to London, I had the extraordinary opportunity exploring The College Garden at Westminster Abbey. Westminster Abbey itself is rather spectacular; founded in 1065 by Saint Edward the Confessor. I could not spend time under its roof without feeling the dignity and awe of past kings, queens, knights, ladies, statesmen, and poets who are not only buried there, but also honored by exquisite monuments to their memory. Following the path of millions through this maze of tombs, I realized that each step is placed on tombs of those found worthy of everlasting resting places among their famous and historical companions in the hereafter.

After overwhelming awe, I escaped to the cool, restful monastery; open colonnades that surround the ancient cloister where Benedictine monks once sought holiness through work in a spirit of prayer. A glance down the lengthily colonnade and you can almost see the fleeting ghost of a robed and hooded monk, head bowed in prayer. Sit on a stone bench; God knows how old the bench itself is, and you can almost hear chanting from within carried on the soft breeze.

At the end of the colonnade, duck into the darkened hallway with sunlight bright at the end. What have we here? Oh my, a little gated, cloister garden surrounded by rosemary for remembrance and lavender for devotion with a delightful fountain of water sparkling in the sun. How the monks must have loved this little hide-away.

Finally, slip through the hidden alcove and you are in The College Garden with its expansive grassy carpet, surrounded by elements of the Abbey. What a delightful surprise, this garden has been open to the public for only a short period during its 900 years existence. It started out as the Abbey’s infirmary garden in the eleventh century. Herbs such as fennel (worthy of all praise) and hyssop (cleanliness and sacrifice), vegetables and fruit were grown here for the monks’ use and supporting the infirmary. A herbarium was completed on this site in 1306 and is currently the location of a small knot garden; its spaces filled with various shades of lavender. The garden’s name, I presume, came from the 18th Century Westminster School whose dormitory still stands at one end of the garden.

A corner of the garden is wild with deep blue iris (compliments) in contrast with the order of the knot garden but a few yards away. Five tall, dignified Plane trees, Platamus x bispanicus, planted in 1850, are the oldest living plants in the garden. Off of private doorways are small areas paved with brick and cobble; some with low walls, decorated with urns and pots filled with colorful, trailing herbs. Some of the urns must be from medieval times. Gone are the ponds that must have been beautiful in this tranquil setting and used for cultivation of water plants such as edible lilies (majesty and splendor).

The garden has been and continues to be a medicinal herb garden, probably because of its origins supporting the infirmary and a desire to maintain its historical significance. Many of the old herbs are grown in the garden today. However, because of the high lead content of the soil, they are useless for consumption or medicinal purposes. In the spirit of maintaining the garden for the Monastic Infirmarer’s desire to promote health and welfare for the people of London, the garden is mainly used for charity fund-raising events. If you are interested in more information regarding this beautiful hidden garden, check out the web-site at: www.westminster-abbey.org or go there.