AS has become the custom since the Frome Selwood Horticulture Society (FSHS) restarted after the Covid break, the speakers have been excellent, none more so than in May when the energetic and highly entertaining Caroline Pakenham gave a talk on ‘The cultivation and usage of unusual herbs’.
FSHS Press Officer Jane Norris reports, “Carrie as she is known in local Rudge circles, gave little known facts, interspersed with anecdotes, and even neighbourly tales, all in the lean hope of sharing her passion for gardening in just 60 minutes.
“Carrie is also a garden guide at Highgrove and shares the organic desire of Prince Charles. And along the way she raises considerable sums for multiple sclerosis, the charity to which her fee was donated along with the proceeds from the plants and preserves she had brought along to embellish her talk.
“Caroline defined herbs as being anything you could use. Oak is therefore a herb as you can use the bark for dying and the acorn can be boiled, dried and ground and used similar to coffee. Stewing herbs included sweet woodruff. Houseleeks as the name inferred, were used lattice effect on roofs to stop leaks; sphagnum moss was described as a wonderful dressing used in the Great War for its absorbency qualities, and goats rue, when given to cows has been found to increase milk production by 50%.
“Moles featured in the talk, where the ‘mole plant’ (Euphorbia Lathyrus) was recommended to be put in mole holes to smell them out, but beware! Slugs thrown over the fence are not good for neighbours’ chickens! Likewise for good relations, if giving aquilegia it marks a cooling of friendship; if given yellow roses… that’s the end!
“Culinary recommendations included Sweet Cicely to rhubarb to sweeten.
“From imagining what an alien would think if arriving on a planet and discovering with the five senses what plants were good or poisonous; to the refining of the Romans; to evolution of remedies from the plague to Covid-19; to Carrie writing her own book of natural jams and preserves, the FSHS learnt so much and all with a wonderful patter.”
The FSHS meets on the second Tuesday of the month at Critchill School, BA11 4LD, 7.15pm for 7.30pm prompt start.
New members and visitors are always welcome to share company, enjoy the tea break and take part in all trips and other gardening related ventures.
More information from Jane on 0777 620 8531; or email: jane.norris9@ gmail.com
