Welcome to my blog. I live, knit, crochet, spin and craft near the Northumbrian Coast (but not too near – the waves won't be splashing my yarn!).There's a story in every stitch, every grain of sand, every blade of grass. I thought I'd blog about it…
Sunday was a dull, dank sort of a day, but we headed up the coast to Newton-by-the-Sea. Daughter, K and Buddy went along the sand and I took the dune path, which is more scooter friendly.
Behind the dunes are a series of ponds that are a magnet for waterfowl. I could hear a flock of geese fly by. As they came down in an adjacent field another flock flew up. What a din they made!
Further on there are reed beds.
The bird hide that overlooks the main pool is locked up at the moment – (another consequence of the pandemic) .
At the side of the path is this rather interesting seat
Sheltered by a woven willow screen, a simple bench has been decorated with driftwood and bits of discarded fishing gear washed up on the tide.
There was so much moisture in the air that dew was condensing on to plants like this Burnet rose.
The cobwebs looked bejewelled with raindrops.
The only wildflowers I saw were an occasional hogweed flower…..
…and bright yellow gorse.
The gorse, known locally as whin, blooms throughout the year. At the end of November it brings a very welcome splash of colour.
Wildflower of the Week is back on the blog with Hogweed, that has taken over from Cow Parsley as the dominant large wildflower of our hedgerows and road verges. Both are umbellifers, with white, umbrella-shaped flower heads, but Hogweed’s flowers are a creamier shade, sometimes tinged with pink, and the whole plant is sturdier.
Cow Parsley (left) is a much more delicate plant with frothy pure white flowers; Hogweed (right) has creamier flowers and is a much sturdier plant.
Hogweed, also known as Cow Parsnip or Eltrot, is a biennial or perennial plant and grows to 2m high. The shoots and flower buds are covered in a leafy sheath when they emerge, opening to reveal a rosette of large, divided hairy leaves.
The flowers are carried on hollow hairy stems. They are rich in nectar and pollinated by insects. They have a rather unpleasant “farmyards” smell, possibly a reason for the hogweed name. The outer petals of the flower cluster tend to be larger. The flowers are followed by flat disc-shaped seeds.
The plant has been used in folk medicine as a sedative and an expectorant … in parts of Eastern Europe it was also traditionally used to treat gynaecological and fertility problems and impotence. Foragers pick the young shoots to cook as a vegetable, reporting it to be tasty and rich in minerals. The dried seeds can be used as a flavouring said to resemble that of cardamon. All however advise extreme caution for a a couple of reasons. First of all the young shoots are hard to identify when the leaves are not fully open so it is easy to confuse the plant with similar looking and extremely poisonous members of the same plant family. Secondly, hogweed sap contains chemicals called furanocoumarins. If you get these chemicals on the skin it becomes highly sensitive to UV light and develops blisters that may leave severe scarring. Foragers advise the use of gloves when collecting hogweed. People using a strimmer to cut down hogweed have reported getting the rash of blisters even through clothing and appear to have been sprayed with the sap. Scything (using a well-sharpened blade) is seen as safer, producing a cleaner cut rather than pulverising the stems.
Cases of skin blistering around the mouth have been reported in children using the hollow stems as pea shooters – to be discouraged!
The hogweed’s big brother, the non-native Giant Hogweed, which grows to 5m, has higher concentrations of the irritant chemicals and should be avoided at all costs. Classified as an “invasive alien’ under the WildLife and Countryside Act, it is an offence to cause Giant Hogweed to grow in the wild – landowners may be compelled to remove it from infested areas or face penalties.
This all makes me rather relieved that our area is populated by the smaller, native version!
Is your neighbourhood troubled by any invasive species?
NB Always follow these guidelines when foraging
Don’t touch or pick any plant unless you are ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN that it is safe to use, and not poisonous.
Don’t pick anything unless it is abundant
Only pick small amounts and no more than you need
Don’t pick if there is a risk of pesticide/weedkiller or other contamination, including from traffic or other forms of pollution.
Always get permission from the landowner.
Avoid areas which may be soiled by animals (wild or farm animals or pets)
Stitches by the Sea 