Forest Farm and Glamorganshire Canal are Great Places for Nature

Forest Farm Reserve and the Glamorganshire Canal

Photo: Steve Andrews

Just on the outskirts of Cardiff lies a wonderful area for nature that I have been visiting since I was a boy. I am talking about Glamorganshire Canal and the Forest Farm Nature Reserve, which offer long stretches of freshwater, pools and wetland habitats, forests and fields.

Photo: Steve Andrews

There are several ways to get there but I usually walk up through Hailey Park in Llandaff North and continue along Ty-Mawr Road that goes past the old Melingriffith Tin and Iron Works and the old water wheel which is still there as a relic of the South Wales industrial past. The Melingriffith Works that were founded sometime before 1750, closed in 1957.  At the end of the road you reach the end of Velindre Road, which is part of the suburb of Whitchurch.

Here you can either go into the Forest Farm reserve or wander along the banks of the canal, which ends below Tongwynlais and in the area of the Coryton Interchange. It is also possible to get there by crossing the River Taff from Radyr.

Herons and Kingfishers

Photo: Steve Andrews

Birdwatchers can easily spot herons in this area and if lucky you can get a glimpse of the kingfisher too as it hunts for prey in the waters of the canal. I remember seeing one there many years back and it inspired me to write a song, aptly entitled "Kingfisher."

Mallard ducks are very common here and can be seen on the Glamorgan Canal and on the feeder which runs alongside it, as are moorhens. Water rail, snipe, dippers and reed warblers are also reported from Forest Farm Reserve. Even the elusive bittern have been seen here.

Photo: Steve Andrews

Beech and Oak

Beech and oak are the main trees that grow alongside the Glamorganshire Canal and in the Long Wood. Some of the trees are said to be 200 years old. In autumn the dead leaves in their brown and golden autumnal shades can be seen coating the ground and floating on the canal’s surface.

Common Toads

Common toads gather to spawn in the canal in springtime, and I remember when some ponds many miles away on the banks of Llandaff Weir were destroyed many years ago. I remember seeing toad tadpoles in the canal that year and wondered if it was possible that some of the displaced toads had somehow found the canal even though it was miles away. I often wonder what amphibians do when they return to spawning grounds to find them gone.

Grass Snakes

I have seen grass snakes swimming in the Glamorgan Canal too. It is good to know these once much more common reptiles, have found a home here.

Waterlilies

In summer the surface of a lot of the Glamorgan Canal is covered by the large rounded leaves of the yellow water lily. However, when I recently visited in late autumn they had all died back. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed my recent walk along this canal that is an interesting place to visit all year around.

Photo: Steve Andrews

Kickstarter campaign for Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets at Kew Gardens

Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets is a herbal with a difference!

Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets is a herbal with a difference because it looks at why ancient herbalists, like Nicholas Culpeper, decided to group various culinary and medicinal herbs under the astrological dominion of the Sun, Moon and the planets Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn. Of course, the title otherwise would make you wonder what it is about because this is the only planet in this Solar System with vegetation growing on it, as far as we know.

Culpeper: Public Domain

The ancient herbalists assigned plants to planetary rulers according to their characteristics. For example, herbs ruled by Mars the god of war, had something aggressive about them, such as spines or sword-shaped leaves. Herbs ruled by Venus the goddess of love had some connection with sensuality and passion. 

Dragon Tree: Public Domain

The weird dragon tree from the Canary Islands is a herb of Mars. It has lance-shaped leaves and bleeds a red resinous sap called dragon’s blood. The rose is a symbol of romantic love, and not surprisingly is a herb of Venus. Herbs of the Sun could have golden-yellow flowers, like the sunflower, or perhaps they have petals that radiate out from a central disk. The sunflower has this characteristic too. Herbs of the Moon have something rounded about them, such as rounded leaves, or white or silvery colour. The white water lily is a good example of a herb of the Moon. water is also associated with the Moon because the Moon has an effect on the tides.

White Water Lilies : Public Domain

Mercury was the messenger of the gods, so herbs ruled by Mercury have something that really communicates about them. Fennel is an example of a herb of Mercury. It communicates visually with its graceful appearance and feathery leaves, and to our tastes and sense of smell with its flavour like aniseed and aroma like aniseed too.  Herbs of Jupiter have something expansive about them and this is why many trees, such as the lime tree and the oak, are considered as under the dominion of Jupiter. Herbs of Saturn could be poisonous ones, like the hemlock, the monkshood and the henbane. This is because Saturn is associated with death and the “Grim Reaper.”

Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets is being published by Moon Books at the end of May, 2016. It has seven sections for each of the seven heavenly bodies, and seven herbs are described in each section. The book follows on from Herbs of the Northern Shaman which was published by the same publisher. It is already listed on Amazon.

An online course about Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets

With the help of my partner Melissa Houghton I am putting together an online course of video presentations featuring the many herbs covered in my book.  The course will give additional information to what is in the book and will include footage of the actual plants which will be useful for identification. We want this educational project to be an artistic one and so it will contain Melissa’s poetry in places too. It will be a collaboration and a work of inspiration, as well as a work of education.

Birth of Venus :Public Domain

In addition to looking at why the ancient herbalists decided that specific herbs were governed by particular planets and their deities, and the associated folklore and superstitions about the plants, I will be looking at the practical uses for the herbs, in herbal medicine and in the kitchen, in the perfume industry, to make cosmetics, or to make clothes dyes even. Herbs are all around us and have so many uses. The painkiller we all know as Aspirin has its origins in the willow tree. Herbs are a part of the natural world and help us connect with it, the more we know about them.  This is why this project is educational in a bigger way than just learning about herbs and how they were once viewed by the herbalists of the past.

Kickstarter Campaign

Melissa and I have started a Kickstarter Campaign to help us raise the money for a trip to London where we can visit Kew Gardens and capture video footage for the course, as well as to consult the fantastic library in this world famous botanical gardens. Kew is a place where we can get up close to the plants I have written about, and where I can research about them in the library. The Herbarium at Kew Gardens has over seven million specimens in its vast collection. The Kew Library, which is part of the Herbarium, has one of the largest collections relating to botany in the world. Where better could a researcher go?

To find out more about our campaign please see Film featuring Herbology with the Bard of Ely at Kew Gardens. Please support the campaign by backing it and sharing it! With your help we can make this work! Backers will receive an artfully rendered film of Kew Gardens with me showing you the plants we found there, and Melissa waxing poetically.

Endorsements for Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets

Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets has received some excellent endorsements. Celebrated poet and author Peter Finch had this to say about it: “The spirit here might at first seem to be Sun Ra via Captain Beefheart or Dr William Price channelling Iolo Morganwg but read and you’ll find a work of accessible erudition, a herbalist ground breaker of considerable scope. Steve Andrews, poet, mystic, and author of distinction rides again.”

And Archdruid of Avebury and Keeper of the Stones, Terry Dobney, endorsed it with these words: “As the Keeper of the Stones here at Avebury, the knowledge of the herbs, plants and trees is a daily wonder, and this knowledge is there in this intriguing book, for all to unlock the secrets of their magic and uses. A beneficial "right" arm to those full of questions! Seek the knowledge and you will understand - highly recommended!”

Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets was published by Moon Books

Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets

My book Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets was published on 27 May, 2016.  It was published by Moon Books in their Pagan Portals series. The cover features some dragon trees, which are described in the section about Herbs of Mars. I became fascinated by these weird plants when I first came upon them in Tenerife where I used to live. They look as if they could have come from another planet! 

Ancient Herbalists

You are probably wondering how there can be herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets, and of course, as far as we know, the Earth is the only planet that supports life as we know it in this Solar System, so what does the subject of my book and the title mean?  Well, the answer is that ancient herbalists, such as Nicholas Culpeper, had a system of listing herbs under different planetary rulers, according to their characteristics. 

For example, according to these herbalist schools of thought, herbs ruled by Mars, the god of war, have something aggressive about their form, such as spines. Red is the colour of blood, associated with war and violence, and the dragon tree (Dracaena draco) has a red resinous sap known as dragon's blood. It also has spiky leaves that are lance-shaped. This made the tree an ideal candidate for being included in the herbs of Mars.

The Dragon Tree

Seven Sections

Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets has seven sections in which I list seven herbs and discuss their uses, and why they are listed under the dominion of a particular planet.  There are sections for the Sun, Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn.  In the section for Herbs of the Sun, the sunflower (Helianthus),  chamomile (Anthemis nobilis) and St John's wort (Hypericum perforatum) are included. 

Chamomile (Photo - Public Domain)

The first two of these herbs have petals that radiate out from a central disk and that makes them similar visually to the Sun. The sunflower and St John's wort have bright golden yellow petals too, which also got them listed as herbs ruled by the Sun.  St John's wort is a well-known remedy for depression, a herbal antidepressant, so it brings a ray of sunshine into the emotional state of someone who is suffering from melancholy.

Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) is another herb of the Sun. It has markings like sun rays on its flowers and is a herbal treatment for the eyes. It also likes growing in sunny locations. 

Herbs of the Moon have something to do with the night about them or something rounded or white or silvery. The white water lily (Nymphaea alba) is a herb of the Moon and it has white flowers and rounded lily pads.  Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) is another herb ruled by the Moon, and this shrub has white flowers and emits a perfume after dark. 

Herbs of Mercury must communicate and have something to say. Mercury was regarded as the messenger of the gods. Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) is a herb ruled by Mercury. With its feathery foliage, graceful appearance and aroma and flavour of anise, it certainly communicates to our senses. 

Herbs of Venus should have some association with love. The rose is, not surprisingly, listed in the herbs governed by the goddess and planet Venus.

Kindred Spirit magazine

Look out for me in this summer issue of Kindred Spirit magazine, a popular publication about Mind, Body and Spirit subjects. There is a feature about Herbs of the Sun, Moon and Planets in it too.

Of course, I am looking for further publicity for my book, so please get in touch if you want to interview me about it or can review my work! 

Ginkgo biloba and herbs to treat migraine

Ginkgo biloba as a treatment for migraine 

Ginkgo biloba (Photo: Public Domain)

Ginkgo biloba is a tree dating back to prehistoric times that is used today in herbal medicine with one of its uses being as a herb to prevent migraines. I use it for this purpose and can vouch for its effectiveness because I take it as a daily supplement and on occasions when I have run out of a supply for some weeks I have ended up getting migraine attacks again.

Ginkgo has been the subject of clinical studies to show whether or not it is of any use in treating migraine and the results are promising.

It is a very popular herbal remedy and is widely available from health stores and counters, as well as from suppliers of herbal supplements via the Internet. It is available as tablets, capsules and tinctures, sometimes combined with other herbs. 

Ginkgo biloba is used to help the circulation by thinning the blood but this means that it can also cause excess bleeding and caution should be observed if you are taking anticoagulant drugs such as warfarin. 

Ginkgo is thought to help preserve a good memory and cognitive function, although clinical studies do not support this. Nevertheless, it is thought to help to guard against Alzheimer's Disease and dementia. 

Ginkgo biloba is sometimes referred to as the Maidenhair Tree because its fan-shaped leaves are similar in shape but a lot bigger than the fronds of the Maidenhair Fern (Adiantum spp.). The Ginkgo is native to China but grown around the world today in parks and gardens. The Ginkgo can grow into a very large tree, attaining heights of 20-35 metres. 

Ginkgo leaves (Photo: Public Domain)

The Ginkgo is deciduous and its leaves turn a glorious golden yellow in autumn.

Hiroshima survivor

As a matter of interest, he Ginkgo biloba tree stands up well to all sorts of conditions including atomic warfare. Six trees in Hiroshima in Japan survived the 1945 bomb explosion. Although nearly everything else in the area these trees were in was killed, the Ginkgo trees, although badly charred, soon regenerated and are still growing today. 

Feverfew

Feverfew (Photo: Public Domain)

Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium) is also known as the Midsummer Daisy, and as its name suggests it flowers around this time with plenty of white daisy-like flowers and aromatic ferny foliage. It is a pretty plant and often grown in gardens where it will self-seed and establish itself. 

Feverfew has gained a good reputation for being a herb that can be taken as a preventative against migraine attacks. One large leaf or three smaller ones taken per day is the dosage, although the leaves taste very bitter and you may wish to find some way of masking the flavour. 

The easier way of taking this herb is to buy it from a health store or herbal supplier.

Feverfew is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties, and whilst it has been used in treating migraines it will only work in preventing them and needs to be taken on a regular basis for several weeks before it can be expected to work.  Feverfew cannot halt a migraine once an attack is happening.

Butterbur

Butterbur (Photo: Public Domain)

The Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) is a perennial herb that produces creeping rhizomes and spikes of pinkish flowers that are formed in early spring before the large rounded leaves that appear after flowering.  The Butterbur grows on riverbanks and along the edges of streams and is a fairly common plant in the UK and Europe. There are also a number of related species in the genus.

Butterbur has been used in herbal medicine as a treatment for migraine and is thought to have an effect on blood flow to the brain, as well as having anti-inflammatory properties. 

White Willow Bark

White Willow catkins (Photo: Public Domain)

The bark of the White Willow (Salix alba) has also been used in the treatment of migraine and for conventional headaches. This tree produces salicin in its bark which is a chemical substance very close to aspirin.  Like aspirin it has the proven ability to decrease pain and reduce inflammation. Willow bark has analgesic properties. 

Willow Bark has been a traditional herbal remedy for many other conditions besides migraines and headaches.  Willow bark should not be used by anyone who is allergic to aspirin, for obvious reasons.

Magic Mushrooms and the magic of mushrooms in autumn

Why are mushrooms so magical? 

Mushrooms have something magical about them whether they are the hallucinogenic varieties or simply because of their weird forms. The way they appear so quickly after rains is just like magic. And mushrooms have always been associated with fairy tales.  Gnomes, pixies, elves and fairies are often depicted along with toadstools, with the red and white spotted fly agaric (Amanita muscaria) being one of the most popular mushrooms associated with the fairy folk.  How many times have you seen pictures of gnomes or fairies sat on these fungi or even living in them?

Alice in Wonderland in Public Domain

And the hookah smoking caterpillar in Lewis Carroll's Alice In Wonderland is depicted sitting on a mushroom!

Wild mushrooms in the Fall

Autumn is the time when all sorts of wild mushrooms appear, seemingly overnight in many instances. This is the time of year when it is easiest to discover fungi growing in the countryside, in parks and gardens.  Some species are, of course, edible and many people go out foraging for these edible species, species like the Edible Boletus or Cep (Boletus edulis).

Cep in Public Domain

There is something exciting about discovering wild mushrooms. It is like feeling we are in touch with our hunter-gatherer ancestors of long long ago. 

Every year the mushrooms and toadstools start to appear not long after the autumn rains have soaked the ground.  We find clumps of fungi popping up in grassland, in the forests and even in our flower-beds and garden plots. 

The Fly Agaric

Fly Agaric Photo: larsjuh) 

The fly agaric is one of the most colourful toadstools we can find in autumn. It mainly grows under birch trees and pines and is so easy to spot because of its brightly coloured caps. This fungus is hallucinogenic and has been thought to be connected with the origins of Santa Claus. This is because its effects when consumed can include feelings of floating, also because it is used as an entheogen by tribal people and shamans in Lapland and Siberia where there are reindeer, which are the animals that help pull Santa's sleigh at Christmas.

The Liberty Cap

Liberty Cap Magic Mushroom Photo: John Johnston

The liberty cap (Psilocybe semilanceata) is probably the most well-known "magic mushroom" because of the psilocybin and psilocin it contains, which substances cause intoxication and hallucinations when consumed. This has caused it to become considered as a drug and it is illegal to possess these mushrooms in the UK now. 

The liberty cap grows in fields, on grassy hillsides and on large lawns in parks. It is very common in some areas and continues growing until the first real frosts. 

You can read more about the fly agaric and the liberty cap in my book Herbs of the Northern Shaman. 

Weird fungi like the Earthstar

Earthstar Photo: Orangeaurochs)

Earthstars are some of the weirdest fungi you can find in autumn, and they can persist right through the winter months. They look like some sort of strange alien life-form with arms like a starfish and an inflated sac in the centre that can puff out clouds of spores.  These fungi can actually move but this depends on weather conditions which enable the arms to move the body of the fungus up from the surrounding earth. Often they will break away completely but this does not matter because the fungus is still able to disperse its tiny spores that are blown away in the wind.

One of the most well-known earthstars is Geastrum triplex.  It is mainly found growing under beeches, although I had a colony of this weird fungus growing for many years under a large privet bush at the bottom of my garden.  It was like magic, how they arrived there, like a mini invasion of alien beings from the stars and looking like stars.

The Private Life of Plants: Earthstars

Forests in Portugal growing on sand

Sand bank in a forest showing the depth of the sand and what the trees are rooted in. Photo by Steve Andrews

In some parts of Portugal there are mixed evergreen forests that are growing on sand and very sandy soil. There are some of these woodlands around Quinta do Conde, a town in the municipality of Sesimbra between Lisbon and Setubal. 

For some reason there is very little information available on the Internet about these areas of forest and heath, although I would have thought they would be especially interesting to naturalists, as well as anyone who likes rambling in the countryside. Although you are miles from the sea you are walking on sand!

Not in sand dunes but inland. Photo by Steve Andrews

 The forests merge with sandy heathland and offer a very interesting habitat for many plants and animals. In many places the ground is nearly pure sand and, although this is inland, it looks far more like an area close to the sea.

Cork Oak Photo by Steve Andrews

 There are a mixture of evergreen trees that somehow manage to thrive despite the poor quality of their soil, evergreen conifers including the Stone or Umbrella Pine (Pinus pinea), as well as the Holm Oak (Quercus ilex) and Cork Oak (Q. suber), the Eucalyptus and other trees. The undergrowth consists of many shrubs and wild flowers and is very colourful in spring.

Silene species Photo by Steve Andrews

 Pink-flowered Catchfly species, (Silene), and the bright blue Scrambling Gromwell (Lithodora diffusa) provide floral eye candy, along with the white, pink and yellow Rockrose species (Cistus spp). The French Lavender (Lavandula stoechas) can be found on the outskirts of these woods and in clearings.

Shrubby Gromwell Photo by Steve Andrews

 Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) grows in aromatic anise-scented clumps and this herb provides a food-plant for Swallowtail Butterflies (Papilio machaon).   The Swallowtail is a very rare British butterfly but is quite common in Portugal.

Swallowtail Photo by Steve Andrews

 There are also plenty of Speckled Wood (Pararge aegeria ssp aegeria) butterflies. The Speckled Wood found here is a subspecies of those seen in the UK and have lighter coloured wings. 

Pine Processionary moth caterpillars In Public Domain

 The caterpillars of the Pine Processionary Moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) spin their overwintering nests in the branches of the pines and then descend in March to look for suitable places to pupate. This species of moth is named after the long head-to-tail processions its larvae make. These caterpillars should not be touched because they are covered in hairs that can cause extreme irritation. Look but don’t touch if you find any of these!

Coronella girondica in the Peneda-Gerês National Park, Portugal. Photo by Esv - Eduard Solà Vázquez

  I would think the dry sandy conditions would be good for reptiles so was not surprised to find a Southern Smooth Snake (Coronella girondica) hiding under a slab of stone in a grassy area near one of these forests. 

As its name suggests, this snake is very similar to the Smooth Snake (C. austriaca), which is a very rare species in Britain and confined to a few sandy heaths in England. These snakes are harmless and they feed on other small reptiles and mice.

The forests growing on sand in Portugal make a wonderful place to explore all year around.