Wakefield Museums and Castles

Today the snow and ice are still lingering. Any uncovered soil is saturated. So, no gardening today!

David and James are helping the Site Manager, Joe, by clearing the fallen leaves by the Sally Port.

Carole is looking at the damage the weather has wrought on the plants. So far, we seem to have lost the French tarragon (no surprise there). Unfortunately the weight of snow and / or the high winds have severely battered the upright rosemary too. It’s looking a bit sorry for itself, with broken branches all around.

So, to relieve the gloom, our plant of the week is the common, lawn or English daisy. It can be seen at Pontefract Castle this week, hanging in there through the snow and ice!

A chain of daisies was thought to protect the wearer from evil spirits. This knowledge was passed down the generations, from older to younger children. This kept the tradition of daisy chain-making alive.

According to historical documents daisies have been used since at least 2000 B.C. 

In the medieval period, daisies were used for a number of medical complaints. These included inflammation, bruises, digestive complaints, pleurisy, coughs and other respiratory conditions, headaches, liver conditions, kidney and gallbladder issues.

*Needless to say, this isn't to be considered medical advice from us to you today! No herbs mentioned in these blogs should be used as medicine without advice from a doctor.