Helping a friend paint her narrow boat recently, and between coats, we decided to take time out to stroll along the towpath in the sunshine. Watching the dragonflies and butterflies busy going about their business.
A Wild Pharmacy
We stopped on a small footbridge halfway up the breathtaking Foxton flight of locks and without moving our heads too far in either direction. It was impressive just how much of a wild pharmacy we could see in front of us.
There was Meadowsweet and Purple Loosestrife, Yarrow, Broom, and Red clover. Bullrushes, Hawthorn, Watermint, and giant Rosebay Willowherb towering spires of purple in the breeze. So many remedies from such a small patch of land.
All had something to offer, and I don’t just mean medicinally. These plants and the surrounding wildlife immediately called our senses to attention…
The Magic of Towpath Flora and Fauna
Meadosweet flowers wafting strong scents of marzipan, replaced a few yards later by the fresh cooling scent of watermint. The thick furry leaves of Mullein just begging to be stroked. Contrasting with the painful prickles of bright green thistles, helping me resist the urge to go barefoot.
Our eyes were often drawn to the high-speed flash of damselfly blue rushing past, or the deep chestnut colour of the huge bullrush heads swaying in the sunshine, top-heavy and swinging like pendulums in and then out of the shade. And as for sound, well, being high summer, it was pretty quiet on the birdsong front.
But the regular splashes of fish breaking the water’s surface and the sound of swan beaks rapidly opening and closing whilst feeding had us giggling for a while too. Blackberries were tasted, Bright shining Elderberries hung glistening on the trees. Half already gobbled by birds, and the Hawthorn berries were a vivid red, soon to be turning to that deep crimson of autumn when they would be ripe for picking and packed with antioxidants.
The soaring temperature forced us off the path and back to the shade of the boat, but what a magical break from a mundane task.
If you are interested in herbology or want to learn more about how plants can be used medicinally, why not get yourself a copy of my energetic herbalism book today and find out what your natural local pharmacy contains.
