Nice illustration of the exceptional crop of cow parsley we have this year. I used to deride it as a weed but am now strangely drawn to it. Must be my age.
Hello Rog. Yes, I think I'm beginning to get the hang of it again. My Norfolk grandfather used to refer to cow parsley as 'headache flower' and warned us not to play among the stuff, as he firmly believed it could give us a headache. Does anyone else know of this belief ?
I do believe I'm getting a headache, just from the memory of its smell!
Shepherd's purse was one of my favourite 'weeds'and Speedwell another. I also admired the variety of seed-heads of the many grasses and fescues that flourished at Lakesend.
Cow parsley is edible, steam the stems and they have an aniseed/liquorice type of taste. You can also pickle them. However make sure that it is cow parsley you pick and not hemlock which is deadly poisonous.
You can also rub the plant on insect bites but be careful not to confuse it with giant hogweed as that will burn the skin!
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Pictures are there!
Nice illustration of the exceptional crop of cow parsley we have this year. I used to deride it as a weed but am now strangely drawn to it. Must be my age.
Hello Rog. Yes, I think I'm beginning to get the hang of it again.
My Norfolk grandfather used to refer to cow parsley as 'headache flower' and warned us not to play among the stuff, as he firmly believed it could give us a headache. Does anyone else know of this belief ?
P.s. Rog -it's not so much getting the hang of it again, as sorting my way round the problems the system has been giving me.
I do believe I'm getting a headache, just from the memory of its smell!
Shepherd's purse was one of my favourite 'weeds'and Speedwell another. I also admired the variety of seed-heads of the many grasses and fescues that flourished at Lakesend.
Cow parsley is edible, steam the stems and they have an aniseed/liquorice type of taste. You can also pickle them. However make sure that it is cow parsley you pick and not hemlock which is deadly poisonous.
You can also rub the plant on insect bites but be careful not to confuse it with giant hogweed as that will burn the skin!
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