The Plants of the Spiral

What was wanted from the Spiral is a real mixture of a spell for good health and happiness bearing in mind that I did not take it from the original design I had sketched out but just picked up a spade one day after hearing that a very good friend had cancer.
When planting up the spiral I wanted to use plants that would be good for the senses and for the wildlife. I combined herbs with flowers that could be used in crafts, tinctures, teas and soaps. I added edible plants and plants that I just liked.
Looking back at the bare patch of earth we started with it is quite amazing what the first year has produced.
I´ve started the pictures with one of my mums favourite flowers, which the butterflies love and that is Sweet William. I remember on the allotments in Derby, old George who had an allotment opposite had a whole bed of these plants and told us to help ourselves to some cut flowers.


One of my absolute faourites and one of my earliest memories of flowers is the French Marigold. When living near Chester-lee-street as a kid the small border along the driveway would produce this incredible cheerful display every year without any attention at all and in the poorest of soils where nothing was added. I now use it in soaps, teas and baking and it does cheer you up.





It´s hard to make out in this picture exactly what we have but in the background are raised beds with strawberries and a bed with willow cuttings which will be planted into position in winter to provide early spring nectar for the bees and fuel for the stove. Infront of this are onion and garlic beds planted between new apple and plum trees. Next comes a row of blackcurrant bushes in their first year followed by a mulch of cardboard and ferns, an overgrown pathway and more mulch interspersed with more fruit bushes and some courgette plants. Out of view is a Japanese Wineberry which has really taken off.

In this picture you can see Phacealia which the bees have loved. You are supposed to dig it in as a green manure before it flowers but the flowers are beautiful and the bees have enjoyed it. In front of this are Californian Poppys which again the wildlife are attracted to.

Below we can see cabbages, tomatoes and lettuces and of course another of my favourites the nasturtiams.

In the front we have Lemon Balm - the tea is delicious but unfortunately I´ve read that it looses this lemon taste when dried so will have to make the most of it before winter. Behind it is Salad Burnet - this is a great salad plant which never dies back even in winter so you can get your greens all year round! It also has a lovely flower on it.

Here we have Swiss Chard - really useful and again available for most of the year. I invented a good dinner the other week when friends came round with a mixture of chard and red orach leaves baked in it. Will add the recipe next time. Infront are pansies which are edible.

Below are the French Beans getting going and behind them some carrots, lettuce and tomatoes.

Aren´t they great - Californian Poppies again - once they got going they took care of themselves - no water, no pampering. You can see them below with Phacealia and the small grey in the bottom corner is Cotton Lavender.

Not sure what these are - one of the mystery missing labels but it just flowers and flowers and flowers!

Carnations - love them for their smell and they can be used in herb crafts. The bush has been covered in flowers!



Below are the onions with Marigolds in between. It proved a little tricky weeding them so perhaps the Marigolds were a little too close but they are healthy. In the background is Kale and lots of it for the hens and rabbit as well as us.

Here we have celeriac with another unknown in the background and a mulch of ferns.







Below is the Comfrey which we use to feed the tomatoes by cutting the leaves and soaking them in water and we also use the leaves as a mulch. It is the bumble bees absolute favourite!

Feverfew loves it here and it flowers non stop and propogates itself with little plants springing up around it. Insects love it and it can help migraines.








Below is Red Orach - a great plant with spinach like leaves that can also be added to salads. Next to it is Red Fennel.

Here we have the nasturtiams around the lettuce and tomato bed. I did make the mistake of planting the nasturtiams between the cabbages. Big mistake as they attract the cabbage butterfly.

Below is the amazing Clary Sage which just flowers and flowers and again the bees love.