-
Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Snowberry Snowberry, or Symphoricarpos, is the name for 15 or so shrubs that boast gorgeous white berries. The plant is part of the honeysuckle family, and is also known as waxberry or the beautifully evocative name, ghostberry. The inspiration to write about this plant came from my 13-year-old, who sent me this cute WhatsApp message on his way home (pictured). It’s lovely to be the “go-to” person for plant info, and nice to be able to give some fast advice on a potentially toxic plant! The interesting thing about snowberries is that, while they can be toxic, they’re also used medicinally in some…
-
Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Olives The olive tree, Olea europaea, is an evergreen tree, bearing small fruits that we harvest for their oil – or simply to preserve and eat. Olives are native to many Mediterranean countries and the Middle East, which is why they are often linked to Greek and Roman deities in Western spirituality. The first time I saw olive trees in the wild, it was amazing. Here was my favourite snack, growing right by the side of the road! I saw them in Portugal, Spain, but none were so striking as in the olive groves of the Greek island of Rhodes. Rows upon rows of small,…
-
Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Heather Heather or ling, Calluna vulgaris, is a short, evergreen, bushy shrub with stalks of tiny purple, pink or white flowers, prolific on moorland or heathland. It’s native to Europe but has been introduced to many countries across the world. It often indicates areas of deforestation, where trees have not been allowed to grow back, so the heather and other shorter plants take over. I asked my three-year-old which plant I should explore for this month, and she said, “A pink one!”. After some pondering, I showed her some pictures of pink, purple, and white heather stretching across the moors, and she was delighted. So,…
-
Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Clover Clover is also called trefoil, literally “three-leaves”, and grows in most places around the world. Although many clover plants look similar, there are around 300 species of Trifolium and they’re in the same plant family as peas. Both the round, joyful flowers and the iconic triplet of small, round leaves have a ton of folklore around them – and some surprising modern research, too. The Kitchen Garden Red and white clover are the most common where I live, and often pop up in lawns without any encouragement from gardeners. As well as being a fantastic food source for bees and other insects,…
-
Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Lilac Lilac is a flowering shrub in the olive family, Oleaceae, cultivated in many parts of the world including all across Europe and North America. Robust spikes of delicate yet strongly scented flowers come in colours ranging from purples and pinks through to blues and whites. I’ve been writing Notes from the Apothecary for over 6 years now, and some months I struggle to think of a plant that’s magical, seasonal, and of interest to our readers worldwide. I had no such struggle this month, thanks to the wonderful fragrance that stopped me in my tracks as I was out playing with my 3-year-old…
-
Pixie Witch Kitchen
Samhain Pumpkin Cookies We all love Samhain for so many reasons. Theres always so much going on at my house on that day. Getting ready for the trick or treaters, Samhain rituals, Witches New Years and it’s also my wedding anniversary. With that being said I always bake up a bunch of treats for everyone and this is one of my favorite cookies for this time of year. Soon it may be your favorite. It is a pretty simple recipe and the taste is just amazing. So lets get started. Ingredients 2 cups butter, softened 2 cups white sugar 2 teaspoons baking powder 2 teaspoons baking soda 1…
-
Notes from the Apothecary
Notes from the Apothecary: Jack by the Hedge I don’t get a huge amount of time to spend keeping my garden super tidy, but that’s ok, because I like it to run a little wild. Because of that, we get plants that come in from outside the garden, often spread by birds and small animals, or simply by seeds blown in on the wind. Once such plant which is a star of British verges and hedgerows is this lovely plant, pictured. It has many names, but my favourite one is Jack by the Hedge, Latin name Alliaria Petiolata. Jack by the Hedge is also called Garlic Mustard, or even Poor…