A Herb Walk for Stroud District Council
As part of the week long programme of events for Gloucestershire Biodiversity Week, Cotswold Herb Centre were invited to lead a Herb Walk at Ebley Mill, for Stroud District Council Employees.
The Mill has an historic setting between the canal and the River Frome which would once have powered it. At times the canal and river run almost side by side but at Ebley Mill the river makes a southward bend creating space for a large meadow between it and the canal.
Paths from the main buildings at Ebley Mill allow you to walk by the river, and over it, into a choice of two meadows. A perfect setting for a lunchtime stroll and a bit of plant spotting.
Even the structural planting beds at our meeting point had interesting finds, among them a buddleja which has been studied for its beneficial skincare properties. The plant has sometimes been called ‘the natural DNA bodyguard’ it’s so good at stimulating our skin’s own self-repair functions. (As the walk was being led by Laura, our Hedgerow Skincare expert, there would be quite a few skincare-related tips along the way).
Tipping our hat at the elder, in bloom for this early summer walk, we headed for the riverside where we found hemp agrimony. The name suggests to us its use for managing stress and anxiety. It also has anti-inflammatory properties making it good to add to a foot bath to combat arthritis.
Willow was enjoying the water too, it’s well known for its salicylic acid content, the compound salicin was extracted to make aspirin. Willow is understandably good for relieving pain and reducing inflammation, as are the other salicylics, birch and meadowsweet, which we also found by the river.
A shiny-leaved holly guarded the way along to the bridge, always a good boundary plant – to keep lifestock out, and (in tincture form) good in helping us maintain our personal boundaries. Holly contains the alkaloid theobromine, which is also found in cacao. It stimulates the central nervous system and can bring about feelings of euphorbia and heightened awareness, a little bit like chocolate does.
The bridge has plenty of ivy on it, a not-so-well-known source of saponins. Those are the soap-making compounds. We can put this to use for washing our clothes (pop a few ivy leaves in with your wash instead of the detergent) and our hair. To make ivy shampoo, pick a few leaves and put them in jug, then pour boiling water on and leave them overnight. In the morning strain off the leaves and use the saponin-rich water to wash your hair. It won’t lather, but you’ll be able to work it in until you get that squeak that tells you its clean. Laura had a bottle of ivy ‘shampoo’ for the group to see.
A last minute joiner to the group asked ‘have you done sticky willy yet? I wanted to hear about that’. Sticky willy, or goosegrass, or cleavers (there are so many common names for it) was all around us, so no better time than then to talk about it. The great lymphatic cleanser, arriving in spring to get our sluggish systems going again. We recommend it as a refreshing addition to water, pop it in a glass, jug or your water bottle, just as you would a slice of lemon or cucumber, it tastes a bit cucumbery.
Another mighty common plant is nettle, known well for its sting. Therefore, it can be a surprise to learn that nettle oil makes a soothing contribution to a lotion, able to clear redness and help eczema. Drinking nettle tea is great for allergies, have it daily from well before the hayfever season starts. And, if you do get stung, although there were plenty of docks around, it’s worth knowing that our belief that these will aid the sting comes from a misnomer: it’s plantain you should look to for help.
A quick diversion to praise plantain saw Laura producing another pair of bottles from her bag, this time with spray nozzles. Plantain hydrosol, and plantain-and-rose hydrosol. Anyone experiencing hot flushes will be very glad to know of plaintain hydrosol. A quick spritz has a remarkable effect on vanishing the flush. However, being a plant that hugs the earth, it does have an earthy scent, so combining it with rose made a more fragrant option. The group could choose which they preferred, it wasn’t quite 50/50.
The massive leaves of burdock stood out alongside the path. This is a cleansing and purifying herb, so another one good in spring. Do you remember having ‘dandelion and burdock’ to drink? traditionally that was made from the roots of both plants, so it was a health tonic. ‘Not with the amount of sugar I remember in it’ was the reply!
In the meadow we met with hawthorn, now a little past her early May best but still good to pause with a moment to think of her properties as a heart tonic, but also both reminder of home and cure for homesickness. Plus, she’s another fantastic skin plant, a real support for building and defending collagen.
Lovely goat willow was there too, a celebrated early spring tree. Her soft wood was used for paper pulp and, being easily bend-able, was useful for the wattle of a wattle-and-daub construction. Left to grow happily in the meadow, her catkins are good early forage for bees and other insects.
Before we could strike out to the middle of the meadow, where yarrow and clover and cinquefoil mingle, our hour was up.
One last plant: jack-in-the-hedge. A bit like a jack-in-the-box, you take a little nibble of its lush green leaves, gentle at first then, ‘pow’, the sharp garlicky mustard taste hits and fills your mouth. Would be great in a cheese sandwich, shame our lunch time was over.
If you know a group who would enjoy an organised Herb Walk, do get in touch. They’re a great way to be able to share plant knowledge and look through each others’ eyes, there’s always something new to learn.
Laura and Viv have a broad range of herbal expertise from medicinal uses to teas, skincare and the common or folk stories about our local plants.
To know more, contact us at hello@cotswoldherbcentre.uk
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