Seona Anderson 23/06/2024 Seona Anderson 23/06/2024

EGLANTINE

Shakespeare Species Eglantine: the leaf of eglantine, whom not to slander, out-sweetened not thy breath. The Eglantine or Sweet Briar was a popular and fragrant wild Rose.

Seona Anderson 20/06/2024 Seona Anderson 20/06/2024

FERN

Shakespeare Species FERN: We have the receipt of fern seed: we walk invisible. There is a tradition in many parts of Europe that finding the fern seed gave you treasure or powers such as invisibility. This was often linked to Midsummer. Happy Solstice!

Seona Anderson 18/06/2024 Seona Anderson 18/06/2024

GOOSEBERRY

Shakespeare Species Gooseberry: all the other gifts appurtentant to man… are not worth a gooseberry. Falstaff, the great giver and receiver of insults often uses nature based imagery.

Seona Anderson 17/06/2024 Seona Anderson 17/06/2024

ONION

Shakespeare Species Onion: Mine eyes smell onions. I shall weep anon. Onions were widely grown as vegetables and Shakespeare refers to Onions making your eyes water on several occasions.

Seona Anderson 14/06/2024 Seona Anderson 14/06/2024

CHERRY

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, CHERRY: O, how ripe in show thy lips, those kissing cherries, tempting grow. Cherries symbolising lips is a regular image in Shakespeare’s works.

Seona Anderson 14/06/2024 Seona Anderson 14/06/2024

Fleur-de-luce

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, IRIS: have I a soul on which I’ll toss the fleur-de-luce of France. The heraldic symbol of France is based on an Iris. Introduced garden species of Iris such as Iris germanica were popular in Shakespeare’s time.

Seona Anderson 12/06/2024 Seona Anderson 12/06/2024

WILD THYME

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, WILD THYME: I know a bank where the wild thyme blows. The flower filled bank is the favourite bed of Titania, Queen of the Fairies. There are several wild Thyme species in the UK.

Seona Anderson 10/06/2024 Seona Anderson 10/06/2024

STRAWBERRY

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, STRAWBERRY: the strawberry grows underneath the nettle. The Bishop of Ely compares Prince Hal with the Strawberry and Falstaff with the Nettle, a dubious guard under which to flourish.

Seona Anderson 07/06/2024 Seona Anderson 07/06/2024

FENNEL

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, FENNEL: even such delight among fresh fennel buds shall you inherit at my house tonight. Fennel was and is a popular herb & vegetable and is also used metaphorically in Shakespeare in several plays.

Seona Anderson 06/06/2024 Seona Anderson 06/06/2024

MUSKROSE

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, MUSKROSE: and stick muskroses in thy sleek smooth head. Muskroses have long been cultivated for their scent and spread around the world by humans.

Seona Anderson 05/06/2024 Seona Anderson 05/06/2024

PIGNUT

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, PIGNUT: And I with my long nails will dig thee pignuts. Caliban offers to show the shipwrecked sailors the wild foods of the island.

Seona Anderson 01/06/2024 Seona Anderson 01/06/2024

PEAS

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, PEAS: I had rather have a handful or two of dried peas. Peas were a fundamental foodstuff for humans and animals in Shakespeare’s world & were celebrated in art.

Seona Anderson 31/05/2024 Seona Anderson 31/05/2024

NETTLE

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, NETTLE: yield stinging nettles to mine enemies. Nettles can be painful but they are also food for humans and other animals and provide a strong fiber which was highly valued.

Seona Anderson 26/05/2024 Seona Anderson 26/05/2024

COLUMBINE

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, COLUMBINES: There’s fennel for you, and columbines. Columbines were found wild but also valued as garden plants in Shakespearean England.

Seona Anderson 24/05/2024 Seona Anderson 24/05/2024

CROWFLOWERS

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, CROW FLOWERS: fantastic garlands did she make of crowflowers. Crowflowers are probably Ragged Robin, once a familiar wild flower of wet meadows.

Seona Anderson 19/05/2024 Seona Anderson 19/05/2024

PLANTAIN

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, PLANTAIN: Your plantain leaf is excellent for that…Your broken shin. Plantain was and is an excellent herbal medicine for wounds and other ailments.

Seona Anderson 14/05/2024 Seona Anderson 14/05/2024

PARSLEY

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, PARSLEY: I knew a wench married in an afternoon as she went to the garden for parsley. Parsley was both a herb and a medicine.

Seona Anderson 13/05/2024 Seona Anderson 13/05/2024

CAPER

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, CAPER: Andrew: I can cut a caper. Toby: And I can cut the mutton to ‘t. Caper is both a dance and the edible flower bud of the Caper bush.

Seona Anderson 11/05/2024 Seona Anderson 11/05/2024

ROSEMARY

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, ROSEMARY: dry up your tears and stick your rosemary on this fair corse. Rosemary was used in funeral & marriage rites as well as in medicine and food.

Seona Anderson 02/04/2024 Seona Anderson 02/04/2024

(Fritillaria)

Shakespeare Species Quote of the Day, (Fritillaria); a purple flower sprung up, checkered with white. Shakespeare uses the new garden plant in an updated version of the Adonis myth of metamorphosis.