Month: July 2015

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Herb of the Month – Vipers Bugloss

This time of year is all about those blooming flowers, when all your gardening seems to pay off. One of the most satisfyingly beautiful plants you can grow, our herb of the month is Vipers Bugloss.

 Echium vulgare, also known as Vipers Bugloss, Adderwort, or Blue Devil, is characterised by its cylindrical spikes of gorgeous bell shaped flowers. From the Boraginaceae family, Vipers Bugloss will take 1-2 years to reach its maximum height, up to 75cm tall – all of which will be covered in flowers when it blooms in early summer. Each flower on the column will itself be 1 to 2cm in length. It originates in Europe and grows best in dry grassland or dunes, preferring sand or chalk soils. Whilst it is slightly fussy about soil, Vipers Bugloss will grow in either exposed or sheltered areas and in varying amounts of sunlight.

This is a fantastic plant to have in your garden if you want to attract bees or butterflies – both of which love the colourful flowers come summer. In the language of flowers, Vipers Bugloss represents falsehood or untruthfulness, most likely due to its snakelike appearance (as described in its alternative name, Snake Flower). The name ‘Bugloss’ is also derived from the appearance of the plant – this time its leaves. The term comes from the Greek word bou, meaning cow or ox, and the Latin glosso, meaning tongue. The leaves of the Vipers Bugloss could be said to resemble an ox-tongue in shape. Though it was once used as an anti-venom for snake bites, it is best to avoid touching it as it can cause irritation to the skin and will cause stomach upset if ingested.

Whilst it’s not always possible to grow in your garden (if you don’t have chalky soil or have kids who might take a bite!), it’s always worth keeping an eye out when you walk along the dunes, as this really is a stunning plant.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Recipe – Lavender Drizzle Cake

With summer finally looking like it might be on its way (fingers crossed!), it’s time to move away from the heavy, chocolate-based comfort foods and onto something a bit lighter. I’d like to say healthier but I have too much of a sweet tooth for that! This recipe is a basic Madeira cake base, always a summer favourite, but (as always) with our own special twist. The lavender glaze compliments the subtle lemon of the Madeira for a sweet, summery treat. Anyone who’s been following our recipe blog will have worked out by now that I adore Nigella Lawson, so of course it’s her Madeira cake recipe that I started with! I have adapted the cook times slightly so that I could make individual cakes, but if you want a traditional loaf cake then Nigella’s is the recipe to go with.

Ingredients:

For the cake:

240g butter or margarine

200g sugar (Nigella recommends caster sugar, but if you’re lazy like me then granulated works fine)

grated zest and juice of one lemon

3 eggs

300g flour

2 tsp baking powder

6 small ramekins or 1 loaf tin

For the glaze:

6 heaped tbsp. icing sugar

3 tbsp lavender syrup

cold water

 

Method:

– Line either your ramekins or loaf tin with baking parchment.

– Preheat the oven to gas mark 3/170C

– In a mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, then add in the lemon zest and mix well.

– Add the eggs one at a time. Adding a tablespoon of the flour with each egg will help it to mix in better without curdling.

– Mix in the rest of the flour, stirring gently so as not to lose the air from the mixture.

– Add the lemon juice and mix thoroughly.

– Put into your preheated oven and bake for roughly 45 minutes if in ramekins or 1 hour if in a loaf tin. I start checking the cakes about 20 minutes before this, to avoid burning. You’ll know they’re done when a cake tester comes out clean.

– Put your cakes to one side to cool whilst you get on with the lavender glaze.

– In a bowl, mix together the icing sugar and lavender syrup. I use a fork for this to avoid any sugary lumps.

– Once the icing has formed a paste, add the cold water a teaspoon at a time. Stop when you have a relatively thin, runny icing.

– Before your cakes have completely cooled, turn them out onto a wire rack. Once they are cold, cover in the lavender glaze and leave to harden.

This really is a super easy recipe (like everything I make) and guaranteed to impress!

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Make your own – No Sweat Foot Spritzer

We’ve been having some beautiful weather recently (for Britain anyway!) and it’s great to enjoy it, but I have to say I’m not enjoying the sweaty feet it’s led too! This fantastic no sweat foot spray has been a godsend for me, and it smells great too.

Ingredients:

2 sprigs fresh rosemary

125ml witch hazel water

35 drops (about 1.5ml) cypress essential oil

5 drops (about 0.25ml) patchouli essential oil

Pop the rosemary sprigs into a bottle, cover with the witch hazel water and essential oils and shake well. The cypress essential oil helps to close your pores to prevent sweating, whilst the patchouli acts as a deodoriser so you don’t have to worry about smelly feet. You’ll want to make sure to use a spray bottle so you can spritz your feet throughout the day- it feels so refreshing I could just bathe in it! (I wouldn’t recommend actually bathing in it, probably best to keep it for your feet…)

 

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Herbs for Health – Valeriana officinalis

There are many herbs that are useful in a medicinal capacity but perhaps none are so well known as valerian. Valeriana officinalis, of the Valerinaceae family, is also known as valerian, Baldrian, cat’s love, cat’s valerian, kesso root, St George’s herb and garden heliotrope. Its medicinal properties lie in its root, which can be dried for use in tea or capsules, or distilled into oils and ointments.

valerian.flower

Though it has a relatively wide range of uses, valerian root is most commonly used for sleep disorders – particularly insomnia. It acts as a sedative to the brain and nervous system, allowing for sleep to come easily. As a remedy for insomnia, valerian is often combined with hops or lemon balm, either in a tea, pill, in a sleep pillow or even added to bath water. Many people choose valerian as an alternative to prescription sleeping pills, such as Valium, as it is less likely to leave you feeling groggy the next morning. Its sedative properties also lead it to be used in combination with other herbs as a remedy for conditions such as anxiety and stress, as well as symptoms related to these conditions, such as hysteria, panic, excitability, fear, migraines, stomach upset, depression and mild tremors. It is thought to help with sciatica and multiple sclerosis, shingles and rheumatic pain, as well as being useful to stabilise blood pressure and regulate arrhythmias. Some people also prescribe this for epilepsy, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder and chronic fatigue syndrome. Some women use valerian to help with pain from menstrual cramping and symptoms associated with menopause. It is not recommended as safe for use when pregnant or breast-feeding. The usual dose of valerian is 1 teaspoon in oil form, 1 – 2 cups of tea or 1 – 2 capsules, though as you are unlikely to overdose on valerian you can play around until you find what suits you.

Though it is commonly used as a remedy for insomnia, there are many things to think about before taking valerian – including whether medicine is the best optionyou’re your condition. More information can be found here. Valerian tends to be most effective when used regularly, with the best results seen after around 2 weeks. However, there has been no research into the effects of long-term use of valerian. There can be side effects to taking valerian root, including headaches, dizziness and (counter-intuitively) sleeplessness. Due to its nature as a sedative, there can be reactions with other drugs and if you are due to undergo surgery under anaesthesia it is recommended you stop taking valerian at least 2 weeks beforehand.

*This article is intended for interest only – use of herbs given are traditional and do not reflect the herbs efficacy. It is not intended, nor should be taken as medical advice. If you have a medical condition please consult a qualified health professional prior to using any herbal preparation. Although the facts have been checked carefully, we cannot guarantee the reliability of information provided. Essential oils should not be used on children or vulnerable adults (elderly, breast feeding or ill) or during pregnancy. Some essential oils and herbs can be toxic, whether taken internally or used on the skin – your health care professional will advise.