365 Frankendael day 286

365 Frankendael

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I’ve been planning for the February River of Herbs course today and it made me notice this tree pit as I walked to the shops. It’s on my street and someone has put useful effort into edging it with old granite cobbles, I guess to deter stray feet and paws. It seems that no one really claims it anymore and each recent year it’s looked like this: fairly barren and hosting just some self seeded Wormwood (from my geveltuin) and a couple of other plants. Perhaps I’ll start tending it myself when I find surplus plants in the neighbourhood.

365 Frankendael day 285

365 Frankendael,

Today feels like spring has ready arrived. It’s been about 14°C, odd considering we’ve had -5°C and heaps of snow just a couple of days ago. How many plants will react to these yo-yo temperatures is anyone’s guess.

How tasty, vitamin and mineral rich Chickweed reacts is more predicable. Here is a little patch of Stellaria media in an otherwise barren looking tree pit. It looks pretty perky to me and quite unperturbed by the weather.

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And here’s a miniature Dandelion plant in a crack between a building and pavement.

365 Frankendael day 284

365 Frankendael,

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When I took this photo I thought it was a Speedwell, probably ivy leaved speedwell. A pretty, edible and apparently versatile little plant which has been used over the years for many things including to cleanse the blood, to ease itchiness, even thrown into a chicken broth to help fight cancer. Certainly interesting! I like to eat different Speedwell species in salads sometimes, the little blue flowers are an easy way to get to know the plant on your plate.

Here’s a nice link about Speedwells (botanical info) and another about more recent uses and applications for this abundant herb genus.

However this “Speedwell” does not have flowers and the way it grows is is different to the speedwells I am familiar with. Looking closer at the plant it seems it could alternatively be the more succulent (and also edible) Pennywort. I must have a better look later this week. With flowers it would be very simple to tell the difference. Must take my vegetative key along with me on Thursday…

River of Herbs – 10th February

River of Herbs

The first gathering for the River of Herbs course will be on Sunday 10th February 2013. We will begin at 10.30am and continue until 12.30pm. We will meet in Oosterpark, in the bandstand (where thre Tai  Chi group practice). So if it’s raining we’ll hopefully have a little shelter to start with. You can easily reach the bandstand by entering the park at the entrance nearest the Tropenmuseum and NH Tropen hotel. Keep the lake on your left, go over the bridge (hotel and museum on your right). Continue just a little way and you’ll be at the bandstand. Oosterpark can be reached directly by trams 9, 7 & 3 (Van Swinden, Linneausstraat stops). Trams 14 &10 stop at Alexanderplein, just a short distance away.

Please be prepared for all weather possibilities. I suggest you bring along a small flask of hot water. I’ll bring some herb bread or cake to share.

This time we’ll look at:
Choosing suitable sites/containers for the plantings that I’m calling Urban Herb Meadows,
How to get permission to plant in public spaces (should you want/need that),
Suggested plants to suit you and the location,
How to prepare for spring planting
How to build up your plant stocks for free or very low cost.

The course is fully booked but there’s a huge waiting list of interested people. Obviously, the idea of growing and using herbs in this way is popular.  If any of the waiting list (or others) like, I’ll gladly send a summary handout by email, after the event, should it be of interest. Maybe I’ll post it here as a pdf, if I can work out how to do that!

The idea of River of Herbs is to share and spread knowledge in the hope that we can plant, maintain and safely harvest herbs in forgotten spaces of the city. By focusing on herbs, we can become empowered in many ways and at the same time can help urban neighbours such as pollinating insects.

I planned this start meeting to coincide with Imbolc – The time of year when new life begins to stir. The time to take action on ideas that have been incubating over winter. The time to do what you have been dreaming of. I look forward to sharing the powerful Imbolc energy with many of you and with the soil of this city.

The government funding, via Groen en Doen, has reached me already so a dedicated website for River of Herbs is now being created.

Any questions, feel free to contact me via Lynn.Shore@gmail.com or 0627596930

365 Frankendael day 280

365 Frankendael, ,

Today a perky frost tolerant Chickweed,

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A Hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale) plant (I think, I haven’t smelled or tasted this one yet), in a crack beneath a house entrance,

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And another plant I’m seeing lots of at present, Campanula. It has pretty blue flowers in the summer and winter hardy foliage which is seen as edible (if harvested from an appropriate location). It grows very well in tiny cracks, here in Amsterdam. I’ll be encouraging it’s use in the River of Herbs project.

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In contast, this Winter Jasmine looks very washed out by the recent cold snap.

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