Saved by a blade

It was very odd. I was in the copse and inspecting the flora. Yes, more plants. I wanted to collect things to make mead. Anyway, I stood up and the world went black. This happens occasionally. Blood. Brain. Whatever. I felt i might fall but was holding onto something and it did help me stay upright.

I looked down and realised that I was holding grass.

Supported by GRASS???

I know so little about grass. I've ignored it for trees and herbs.

On the subject of trees, the Poplar spoke to me.

I asked, what do you want to say? And she said, what can you say to a world that doesn't want to know? It was rather musical - I don't know if you know this song - Jessamine? Well, the Poplar sang what she said in the tune of the song. Funny as Jessamine is described as 'a butterfly child'... remember that Poplar is BUTTERFLY medicine? The tunefulness suggests a sense of humour but the message is seriously bleak.

I told my friend Ali about the tree's message and he said he had a vision of a tree's bark pulled apart at heart level, and, inside, a bleeding heart. A powerful image. Yet, more than that: for the Anishinaabe First Nation people, the Trembling Poplar (or Aspen) is heart medicine. They used to cut a piece of bark at heart level, boil it into a tea and drink it for heart health. The Chippewa made a decoction of root, bud and blossom of Balsam Poplar for the heart. What's more, Diana Beresford-Kroeger's research shows that this species does indeed create chemicals that support healthy cardiac functioning.

Tree magic.

On a more cheerful note, maybe my Cherry and front Lilac are not entirely doomed. I feel a little less desperate about them today. Perhaps because my garden revealed that the whole back of the garden has become a plot of wild strawberries!

They went into the mead alone with willowherb, selfheal, raspberries (from the garden), mint, lemon balm, lavender (from Michael at work), elder flowers, rose petals, honeysuckle blossoms... and half a honeycomb. This is not ideal, what with the wax, but apparently you need raw honey and it was the only raw honey I could get my hands on at short notice. Oh and spring water, not tap water.

Next to it is bark for when I repot my orchids.