The Rose of Mercia 🌹
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Folklore, history, allotmenteering and other such things. 🌱
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Bluebells and apple blossom.

It has been a very slow start to spring this year, but it's starting to pick up now.
Forwarded from Æhtemen
The Nine Herbs from the Nine Herb Charm (ink drawing by myself).

Una / mucgwyrt - Mugwort
Waybread / wegbrade - Plantain
Stune, suggestions vary between lamb’s cress (or hairy bittercress) / shepherds purse / water cress
Atterlothe / attorlaðe - Betony (some say Nightshade)
Maythe / mægðe – Mayweed
Wergulu – is German for Nettle but sometimes translated as Crab Apple
Stiðe – Nettle
Fille - Chervil (some say Wild thyme)
Finule - Fennel (English wild fennel - not bulb fennel)
Rather than cut down these trees, the fruit could have been gifted to local people.

They would rather cut down an orchard because the demand for cider has fallen than give the fruit away. Greed at its finest.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-wales-68907812
Forwarded from The Jolly Reiver
Comfy map from a 1952 book of West Midlands folklore.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-68931202

It is nice to see that there has finally been some movement on this.

This was a beautiful place that meant so much to people, including myself.

Many "normies" will respond with "it's just a tree! Thousands are cut down every day and no one cares!"

But we do care, we always have. This is why it hurts.
My friend and I went foraging to see if we could find some wild garlic today. We actually struggled to find it and when we finally did, whole plants had been picked bare.

There are some unwritten rules of foraging that I think many people have forgotten.

Do not strip a plant. It is damaging to the plant and it may not regrow in the following year.

Do not take more than you need, unfortunately it seems that these people have. Some of these plants had even had their flower heads taken.

Make sure that you know what you are foraging. Wild garlic can grow close to Lily of the Valley and Lords & Ladies, but these are poisonous. Both of these can look very similar when there is a sea of wild garlic plants.
Forwarded from Æhtemen
The Maypole is called the Maibaum or May Tree in Germany. In England the Hawthorn is also called the May Tree as the tree is in full bloom right now and it’s the flowers of the hawthorn which were traditionally used to decorate the crown of the May Queen.
Elderflowers are starting to emerge from their slumber and are blooming throughout the English hedgerows. A little earlier than last year, but a welcome sight after a long, wet spring.

Elder trees are easily identifiable with their feather shaped leaves, light brown roughly textured bark and their large cream coloured flowers.

Elderflower champagne is a fantastic taste of summer. You can find my recipe here: https://theroseofmercia.co.uk/elderflower-champagne/

The video on how to make it can be found here: https://youtu.be/WwG9o_nrxGY
The Rose of Mercia 🌹 pinned «Elderflowers are starting to emerge from their slumber and are blooming throughout the English hedgerows. A little earlier than last year, but a welcome sight after a long, wet spring. Elder trees are easily identifiable with their feather shaped leaves…»
The Rose of Mercia 🌹 pinned «https://theroseofmercia.co.uk/five-things-you-should-do-in-may The sun is finally shining here. There's a lot to be cracking on with this month, but here are just a few things to get you started. 🌱»
I've never sown any Aquilegia seeds, but they're most welcome on the allotment. 💐
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