Isn't that interesting about parsley - such a mundane plant, you'd have thought. Maybe it's because it's tricky to grow.

Emma

Lavender, much underused as a herb, can be sown by seed in spring. Its flowers can crystallized and used to flavour oil, or vinegar, as well as lavender water, herb pillows and tea. Historically it was used to treat headaches, swooning, and to strengthen the spirit in times of grief. An old wives tail is a woman with lavender planted in her front garden would never marry; so that’s me shot then.

Sage is another underrated herb, seeded in spring, supposedly good for the liver and a cleanser of blood, healing for wounds, ulcers, cramps and colds. It also tastes great in stuffing’s and meat dishes

Rue, a very pungent herb, sown in spring, added sparingly to salads in summers and causes a rash if picked on a sunny day sans gloves. Historically it was as its name suggests and used to provide relief against inflammations.

There’s also alfalfa, but I don’t know its historical connections. It is grown in spring tho.

I am now more reliably informed that marigolds are good for your holistic / organic gardener because they attract things that eat bugs.

And planting sweet peas at each end of a line of beans is good because they flower before the beans and attract bees and things - which is good for pollination.

and re the parsley - you have to pour boiling water in the hole before you plant it.

so my mum in law says - though I suspect any parsley plant that knew what was good for it would take care to flourish in her garden anyway

sarah

fascinating tales about parsley...alas, it grows best in moist, sandy soils.


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crossed with you sarah, but your mum's not wrong ;)

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sorry, mum-in-law ;)

Yes she knows her onions - that was another suggestion btw - and chives

sarah

sorry...

Interestingly, many herbs have supposed medicinal purposes (and they probably work!). Could your white witch character have a whole herb garden and claim to be able to cure people, Emma?

You could search Amazon for a little book on herbs and their properties/medicinal uses. I have a little book here - will check it's title and content later for you.

Deb

Emma, just re-read my post, hope it didn't sound like a lecture. My Great-Grandmother was a country woman, knew all about herbs, spells, and divining. I suppose in a deep rural area, where Dr's weren't as readily available people relied more on that sort of "knowledge." She learned from her mother, who learned from hers, and so on. I've been told people would travel outwith their own villages to see her. I can only presume it's true, folklore, eh.

Juliet, goodness, no, it didn't - I'm so grateful for the info, to you and everyone else. I know a herb from a vegetable and a flower from either, but other than that, if it doesn't get mentioned in Shakespeare I know nothing. The proof is that I live in a permanent state of astonished resentment that my lawn has to be mown...

Emma