Editorial

The rising sap

Ella Leith

Spring is in the air, and with warmer days and lighter evenings come renewed vim, vigour, and an appetite for activity. Herbology News certainly feels reinvigorated. Our editorial team has welcomed a new member, and we’re taking a fresh look at how we do things to see what we can improve behind the scenes. This appetite is reflected in our pages: Callum Halstead is getting his garden in order, offering Sage Advice on how to give your plants a spring boost, and Patrick Dunne (The Climate Column) is looking to the Nettle (Urtica dioica) as a spur to activism.

Nettle is Marianne Hughes’ Herb of the Month, and we are exploring its uses— medicinal, material, and magical. I’ve been learning that the potency of Nettles is enhanced when they are left ‘unspoken’ (Foraging through Folklore), and, in Amanda Edmiston’s story, it takes more than words to change the future— and to lift enchantments (Botanica Fabula). Marianne Hughes focuses in on the women (and men) executed as witches in Scotland (In Focus); meanwhile, Kyra Pollitt (Our Editor in the Field) finds liberation in WanderWomen’s programme of outdoor activities, and Claire Gormley explains the link between endorphins and time spent in the natural world (The Chemistry Column).

Dora Wagner (Anthroposophical Views) explores the centrality of muscles to the whole body system, and Sheila Masson’s photographs (Artist of the Month) capture dynamic movement and moments of sporting focus. The repercussions of these activities are echoed in our featured poem by Lewis Buxton (Nine Arches Press presents...).

So, despite the rising sap, take care not to overexert yourself this spring. If you do find yourself stiff and sore, head over to Notes from the Brew Room for Ann King’s soothing Nettle brews, or look to Rose Morley’s account of Nettle’s capacity to take the stiffness out of muscles and the sting out of strife (Flower Power).

While your aches and pains are easing, curl up with our Book Club, where Stuart Milligan reviews a new title on Irish indigenous medicine and Kyra Pollitt dreams of escaping to a storm-tossed island off the Finnish coast. Turn your face towards the sun and grasp the coming season with both hands.

Erratum:

In February's Book Club we erroneously described Duncan Ross' new work as a 'pamphlet'. Our sincerest apologies to Duncan. The Passionate Grower's Guide to Herb Gardening is in fact an illustrated, 328 page book, covering 263 species. It is available from poyntzfieldherbs.co.uk