All About Herbs

18/09/2025

Interesting....

12/09/2025

Gardening Post - With the usual disclaimer as follows:
I am in no way a professional gardener and the list below isn't exhaustive, it just covers a few things that can be done to various parts of the garden within that particular month. Enjoy anyway, and I hope it encourages you to get out and play in your space; whatever that space might actually consist of.
Trees, Lawns and Soil
Lawns can become very compacted during the summer so rake out any thatch, then aerate – either the whole lawn or just compacted areas. Brush a soils conditioner on, such as sieved leaf mould, into the holes after aerating. Avoid any lawn foods high in nitrogen at this time of year as it will promote growth at the wrong time.
Leave some areas of grass long over winter, many creatures will be hunting for winter shelter from now on. Leave the hedge trimmings under the hedge, where they will provide the perfect hibernation site for a whole range of wildlife including hedgehogs and frogs.

07/09/2025

My second day with a stall at the Ilkley Alternative Healing fare at the King's Hall and winter gardens.

05/09/2025

Gardening Post - With the usual disclaimer as follows:
I am in no way a professional gardener and the list below isn't exhaustive, it just covers a few things that can be done to various parts of the garden within that particular month. Enjoy anyway, and I hope it encourages you to get out and play in your space; whatever that space might actually consist of.
General Maintenance
The warm days and cool nights of this month require careful management of the greenhouse – remember to open and close the doors and windows. Water plants less frequently from this month and avoid watering the foliage. Damp foliage = fungal spore germination. Throw out any leaves that start to develop a grey fuzz or become slimy and brown.
If you bring plants into a greenhouse or conservatory, check thoroughly for pests. Look for mottled leaves that would indicate spider mites and treat with an organic spray. Remove rolled and webbed leaves, they indicate tiny caterpillars lurking. Shake off the top centimetre of topsoil to clear out any pests on the soil surface and replace with a layer of grit. Next spring remove the grit and replace with a fresh layer of potting compost.
Clear out your pond of any weeds, overgrown plants and any dead foliage before hibernation starts. Leave all the plant debris in a pile by the pond for a couple of days to allow any creatures caught to make their way back to the water. Early in the month before the heavy frosts set in is a good time to build a pond. You would plant it in the spring.

29/08/2025

Gardening Post - With the usual disclaimer as follows:
I am in no way a professional gardener and the list below isn't exhaustive, it just covers a few things that can be done to various parts of the garden within that particular month. Enjoy anyway, and I hope it encourages you to get out and play in your space; whatever that space might actually consist of.
Fruit and Vegetables
Runner beans failing to set is due to lack of moisture at the roots. In dry weather, water well, at a rate of 5-10lt /sq m into the soil, twice a week. Contrary to popular belief, spraying flowers with water does not increase flower set. Plants grown over a winter compost trench will be especially happy with their roots embedded in a rich and moist environment. It is normal for runner beans to produce more flowers than can possibly set as beans; expect a 50% loss. Pinch out the tips of the runner bean plants once they reach the top of their support. This encourages side shoots and more beans at a manageable height for picking.
Spring sown carrots and beetroot will be ready for harvesting now. Though, they can be left in a bit longer without harm. Start harvesting your main crop potatoes as the leaves yellow and die back. Store them in hessian sacks as they block light but allow ventilation. Sweetcorn is ready to harvest when you can pop a kernel with your thumbnail and the juices are milky.
Summer pruning is mainly for apples and pears trained as cordons, espaliers, fans, pyramids and stepovers. It allows sunlight to ripen the fruit and ensures good cropping next year.
Lift and pot up strawberry runners and remove any old straw from the base of the plants to improve ventilation and reduce pests and diseases. Prune your black currents after harvesting. If you have plants fruiting in containers, make sure you give them a high potash liquid feed to keep them healthy and productive. Remember to feed any citrus fruit trees with a citrus fertiliser throughout the summer.

22/08/2025

Gardening Post - With the usual disclaimer as follows:
I am in no way a professional gardener and the list below isn't exhaustive, it just covers a few things that can be done to various parts of the garden within that particular month. Enjoy anyway, and I hope it encourages you to get out and play in your space; whatever that space might actually consist of.
Herbs and Flowers
Rambling roses can be pruned now if they have finished flowering. Cutting back the foliage and stems of herbaceous plants which have already died back (i.e Dicentra) should be a priority. Don’t neglect hanging baskets; deadheading, watering and feeding will help them last through to autumn. Deadhead plants such as Dhalia, Roses and Penstemon as well as bedding to prolong the colour into autumn. Hardy geraniums can be cut back a little to remove tired leaves and encourage new growth.
Sow biennials such as honesty, forget-me-nots, foxgloves and wallflowers for blooms next year. Dead head coleus plants to maintain the colourful foliage.
Cut back chives if they begin to show signs of rust, (orang patches up the stems) new, clean shoots will quickly re-grow. Prune out curled and folded leaves on bay trees to remove bay sucker eggs and nymphs. Rake up leaf litter under and around the base of trees/shrubs to further remove affected leaves harbouring the insects. Basil, parsley and coriander can still be sown this month. Earwigs are both 'good' and 'bad'. They damage flower petals on dahlias and petunias, but they are excellent predators of many fruit tree pests. So use the usual trap (an upside flower pot stuffed with straw), but instead of killing any earwigs found, take them to nearby fruit trees and release them to do their good work. No fruit trees? Just take them somewhere else away from the dahlias.
Leafcutter bees will cut out large circular chunks of rose leaves, this will not harm them.

21/08/2025

Now this is interesting...

Scientists have discovered that natural lithium in the brain plays a key protective role against Alzheimer disease (AD), and its depletion may be one of the earliest triggers of the condition.

What is the earliest spark that ignites the memory-robbing march of Alzheimer disease? Why do some people with Alzheimer-like changes in the brain never go on to develop dementia? These questions have perplexed researchers for decades. Now, a team of researchers at Harvard Medical School may have found at least one part of an answer, and that is lithium in the brain.

In a study published in the eminent journal Nature, they proposed that lithium exists naturally in the brain at biologically meaningful levels, shielding neurons from degeneration and supporting all major brain cell types. In early changes in AD, amyloid-beta plaque binds to lithium, depleting it and impairing brain function, even before major damage occurs.

Their findings, 10 years in the making, are based on a series of experiments in mice and analyses of human brain tissue and blood samples from individuals at various stages of cognitive health.

Studies in human brain tissue, blood samples and mice showed that lithium loss occurs at the earliest stages of cognitive decline. Low lithium was consistently found in mild cognitive impairment and AD brains, but not in healthy controls.

In the mouse model, restoring lithium, especially with lithium orotate which evades amyloid capture, reversed damage and restored memory, even in late-stage disease. The lithium orotate worked at doses 1,000 times lower than clinical lithium carbonate (used for bipolar disorder), avoiding any toxicity.

“The idea that lithium deficiency could be a cause of Alzheimer’s disease is new and suggests a different therapeutic approach,” said senior author Bruce Yankner, professor of genetics and neurology in the Blavatnik Institute at Harvard Medical School. “What impresses me the most about lithium is the widespread effect it has on the various manifestations of Alzheimer’s. I really have not seen anything quite like it all my years of working on this disease,” said Yankner.

These results tie in with decades-long observational studies, providing a new theory of the disease and a new strategy for early diagnosis, prevention and treatment. Specifically, at least five observational studies have directly explored the link between trace lithium in drinking water and dementia outcomes. The majority suggest a protective association, though findings, and the size of the effect varied by region and study design.

About 15 years ago I was first made aware of the benefits of low-dose lithium for brain health by my friend and colleague Dr Jonathan Wright. I now take a product with 1 mg of lithium orotate every second day. Lithium should not be taken as a supplement by pregnant women as there are several observational studies linking environmental (non-medical) lithium exposure during pregnancy to unfavourable outcomes.

For more information see: http://bit.ly/3HwezKn
and
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39212809/

21/08/2025

Currently I am reading this, very interesting. I met the author in July, very lovely lady.

17/08/2025

🌸 15 Flowers You Shouldn’t Deadhead
Let them go to seed for wildlife, winter beauty, and natural reseeding.

• Coneflower – Seed heads feed goldfinches & look stunning with frost
• Black-Eyed Susan – Attracts finches & chickadees; reseeds naturally
• Big-Leaf Hydrangea – Protects next year’s buds & adds winter charm
• Milkweed – Seed pods support monarch butterflies
• Blazing Star – Fluffy seed heads loved by birds
• Foxglove – Biennial; seeds ensure blooms return
• Ironweed – Tall seed heads feed birds & add structure
• Globe Thistle – Bird-friendly architectural blooms
• Yarrow – Self-seeds for larger drifts each year
• Columbine – Shiny seeds scatter for whimsical growth
• Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ – Dried heads add beauty & structure
• Allium – Seed balls give sculptural interest
• Sweet Alyssum – Keeps blooming without deadheading
• Angelonia – Steady blooms without cutting back
• Bee Balm – Seed heads feed birds & reseed naturally

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08/08/2025

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Behold My bountiful harvest