Went to an interesting garden on Tuesday, well the talk was interesting
and the plants not quite so commonplace as the average garden.
Dr primrose (that's actually his name) in High Wycombe was telling us
about not trying herbal remedies for self medication (he's a micro
biologist of course) but he did tell us some ordinary remedies. One of
which was to combat those carpet beetles/bugs that leave their casings
on the carpet looking like rice grains. Apparently they are very
plentiful this year and one proven remedy is to crush Sweet Woodruff and
place it onto the carpet. It deters the moth from laying eggs into the
carpet or clothes.

Known as Ladies bedstraw for that reason i assume it used to also be put
into mattresses in the past.


Janet
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

Oh dear! - the problems of common names. Lady's bedstraw is the yellow one, Galium verum, sweet woodruff is Galium odoratum.

On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:20:26 +0100, Sacha wrote:

On 2011-07-14 13:43:38 +0100, Janet Tweedy said:

Went to an interesting garden on Tuesday, well the talk was interesting
and the plants not quite so commonplace as the average garden.
Dr primrose (that's actually his name) in High Wycombe was telling us
about not trying herbal remedies for self medication (he's a micro
biologist of course) but he did tell us some ordinary remedies. One of
which was to combat those carpet beetles/bugs that leave their casings
on the carpet looking like rice grains. Apparently they are very
plentiful this year and one proven remedy is to crush Sweet Woodruff
and place it onto the carpet. It deters the moth from laying eggs into
the carpet or clothes.

Known as Ladies bedstraw for that reason i assume it used to also be
put into mattresses in the past.


Janet

It is indeed a strewing herb, used to keep away fleas and lice in
mediaeval times. We have it growing wild in all sorts of parts of the
garden, so Ray often digs up littleb its for people who want it! It's
also very pretty!

In Germany you can get wine flavoured with it: "Maiwein". IIRC, very
pleasant...uh-oh! Wp reveals that it's been made illegal, because
slightly toxic; so any commercial kind will have artificial
flavouring.

--
Mike.

On 2011-07-14, Mike Lyle wrote:

On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:20:26 +0100, Sacha wrote:

It is indeed a strewing herb, used to keep away fleas and lice in
mediaeval times. We have it growing wild in all sorts of parts of the
garden, so Ray often digs up littleb its for people who want it! It's
also very pretty!

In Germany you can get wine flavoured with it: "Maiwein". IIRC, very
pleasant...uh-oh! Wp reveals that it's been made illegal, because
slightly toxic; so any commercial kind will have artificial
flavouring.

ISTR they add woodruff syrup to glasses of sour beers too.

In article ,
Adam Funk wrote:
On 2011-07-14, Mike Lyle wrote:
On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:20:26 +0100, Sacha wrote:

It is indeed a strewing herb, used to keep away fleas and lice in
mediaeval times. We have it growing wild in all sorts of parts of the
garden, so Ray often digs up littleb its for people who want it! It's
also very pretty!

In Germany you can get wine flavoured with it: "Maiwein". IIRC, very
pleasant...uh-oh! Wp reveals that it's been made illegal, because
slightly toxic; so any commercial kind will have artificial
flavouring.

ISTR they add woodruff syrup to glasses of sour beers too.

I have added it to apple juice, which improves that no end. It
has the taste of fresh hay. The toxin is only coumarin, and in
fairly low quantities, so only people on anticoagulants (and
probably with haemophilia) need be concerned.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , writes
I have added it to apple juice, which improves that no end. It
has the taste of fresh hay. The toxin is only coumarin, and in
fairly low quantities, so only people on anticoagulants (and
probably with haemophilia) need be concerned.



Would it be worth sourcing seed for this plant Nick or could i gather
viable seed from the wild? i wouldn't want to dig anything up growing in
the woods.


--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article ,
Janet Tweedy wrote:

I have added it to apple juice, which improves that no end. It
has the taste of fresh hay. The toxin is only coumarin, and in
fairly low quantities, so only people on anticoagulants (and
probably with haemophilia) need be concerned.

Would it be worth sourcing seed for this plant Nick or could i gather
viable seed from the wild? i wouldn't want to dig anything up growing in
the woods.

I don't know if it even reproduces by seed, and I wouldn't worry
about digging up a little. If it likes the location, it spreads
like the devil - if it doesn't, it dies off. Very like bluebells,
which were and are harmed only by destruction of habitat or the
use of heavy machinery to dig them up. Amateurs never made a
damn of difference, despite what the politically correct fanatics
claimed.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

It has the taste of fresh hay.


It makes me wonder how you would know that.

cheers
Alan

On Sun, 17 Jul 2011 09:12:57 +0100 (BST), wrote:

In article ,
Adam Funk wrote:
On 2011-07-14, Mike Lyle wrote:
On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:20:26 +0100, Sacha wrote:

It is indeed a strewing herb, used to keep away fleas and lice in
mediaeval times. We have it growing wild in all sorts of parts of the
garden, so Ray often digs up littleb its for people who want it! It's
also very pretty!

In Germany you can get wine flavoured with it: "Maiwein". IIRC, very
pleasant...uh-oh! Wp reveals that it's been made illegal, because
slightly toxic; so any commercial kind will have artificial
flavouring.

ISTR they add woodruff syrup to glasses of sour beers too.

I have added it to apple juice, which improves that no end. It
has the taste of fresh hay. The toxin is only coumarin, and in
fairly low quantities, so only people on anticoagulants (and
probably with haemophilia) need be concerned.

Coumarin: is that the Zubrowka vodka and Tonkin bean stuff?
....Wkp...Yes, I find it is. Found also, among other plants and to my
surprise, in mulleins. You're not alone in associating it with apple
juice: Zubrowka and apple juice, known as a "Frisky bison", is a
standard way of administering the self-medication.

--
Mike.

Are we still on woodruff? I grew mine from seed from Chiltern. Though having said that, I could look later on and see what it has in terms of viable seed, or perhaps send you a root.

I also have Lady's bedstraw (the yellow stuff) from seed, also, I think, from Chiltern

On 2011-07-19, Mike Lyle wrote:

On Sun, 17 Jul 2011 09:12:57 +0100 (BST), wrote:

In article ,
Adam Funk wrote:
On 2011-07-14, Mike Lyle wrote:
On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:20:26 +0100, Sacha wrote:

It is indeed a strewing herb, used to keep away fleas and lice in
mediaeval times. We have it growing wild in all sorts of parts of the
garden, so Ray often digs up littleb its for people who want it! It's
also very pretty!

In Germany you can get wine flavoured with it: "Maiwein". IIRC, very
pleasant...uh-oh! Wp reveals that it's been made illegal, because
slightly toxic; so any commercial kind will have artificial
flavouring.

ISTR they add woodruff syrup to glasses of sour beers too.

I have added it to apple juice, which improves that no end. It
has the taste of fresh hay. The toxin is only coumarin, and in
fairly low quantities, so only people on anticoagulants (and
probably with haemophilia) need be concerned.

Coumarin: is that the Zubrowka vodka and Tonkin bean stuff?
...Wkp...Yes, I find it is. Found also, among other plants and to my
surprise, in mulleins. You're not alone in associating it with apple
juice: Zubrowka and apple juice, known as a "Frisky bison", is a
standard way of administering the self-medication.

ISTR you can't get Zubrowka in the USA because the FDA bans coumarin,
but according to Wikipedia sweet woodruff is allowed in alcoholic
beverages (but not in food).

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._and_cosmetics

On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:27:50 +0100, Adam Funk
wrote:

On 2011-07-19, Mike Lyle wrote:

On Sun, 17 Jul 2011 09:12:57 +0100 (BST), wrote:

In article ,
Adam Funk wrote:
On 2011-07-14, Mike Lyle wrote:
On Thu, 14 Jul 2011 17:20:26 +0100, Sacha wrote:

It is indeed a strewing herb, used to keep away fleas and lice in
mediaeval times. We have it growing wild in all sorts of parts of the
garden, so Ray often digs up littleb its for people who want it! It's
also very pretty!

In Germany you can get wine flavoured with it: "Maiwein". IIRC, very
pleasant...uh-oh! Wp reveals that it's been made illegal, because
slightly toxic; so any commercial kind will have artificial
flavouring.

ISTR they add woodruff syrup to glasses of sour beers too.

I have added it to apple juice, which improves that no end. It
has the taste of fresh hay. The toxin is only coumarin, and in
fairly low quantities, so only people on anticoagulants (and
probably with haemophilia) need be concerned.

Coumarin: is that the Zubrowka vodka and Tonkin bean stuff?
...Wkp...Yes, I find it is. Found also, among other plants and to my
surprise, in mulleins. You're not alone in associating it with apple
juice: Zubrowka and apple juice, known as a "Frisky bison", is a
standard way of administering the self-medication.

ISTR you can't get Zubrowka in the USA because the FDA bans coumarin,
but according to Wikipedia sweet woodruff is allowed in alcoholic
beverages (but not in food).

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._and_cosmetics

Yes: I believe they've been working on a version acceptable to the US
authorities, but I don't know how successfully. I'd have thought the
alcohol posed a vastly greater health risk than the grass, but the FDA
are probably right to be conservative.

--
Mike.

In article ,
Mike Lyle wrote:
On Wed, 20 Jul 2011 12:27:50 +0100, Adam Funk
wrote:


ISTR you can't get Zubrowka in the USA because the FDA bans coumarin,
but according to Wikipedia sweet woodruff is allowed in alcoholic
beverages (but not in food).

https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikiped..._and_cosmetics

Yes: I believe they've been working on a version acceptable to the US
authorities, but I don't know how successfully. I'd have thought the
alcohol posed a vastly greater health risk than the grass, but the FDA
are probably right to be conservative.

They most probably aren't! The toxicity is such that there is no
significant danger from any realistic intake, according to that
reference. If you avoid all such compounds, you would have to give
up almost all spices and herbs, and more.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In article , Sacha
writes
I'll see if we've got any available atm, Janet and send it on, if we
have. I'm sure we can spare some!
--



Thanks for all the offers, got a load today from my friend's woodland ,
well when i say load actually three plants. As you say, it's got a root
a bit like ground elder so I assume it will spread easily so i shall be
careful where I plant it!

Thanks, keen to see if it really does all it was said to do)
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

jaytechmagnate wrote:
I am Jay Kumar and i am new user. I want to improve our bathroom .
please suggest me which types of flower to include in my bathroom for
nice looking .

Hello Jay. My bathroom is full of orchids and ferns.