bambodoggy said:
Martin, cheers for the link buddy....but I can't make it work
what did it say? (hear you have a new knife by the way....lol...nice one Matey
).
Cheers,
Bam.
The correct link is here which Martin posted:
PFAF- Ulex europaeus - Gorse
Always a good starting point for plant uses, eating etc. Check out the
Good Flora & Fauna Links thread for more.
You can use Gorse flowers in a salad. I love the smell of Gorse which always smell strongly of coconut to me or more precisely 'Hawaiian Tropic' sun oil
They really add a great splash of yellow to a salad. Roger Phillips mentions 'Gorse Flower Wine' and also gives a recipe for:
Gorse Flower Tea
Put 2 tablespoons of freshly picked gorse flowers in a mug of boiling water. Bruise the flowers before adding the water and infuse for 7 to 10 minutes, then strain. The tea can be sweetened with honey if desired. If the flowers are dried, use only a tablespoon per mug of water.
source: 'Wild Food' . Roger Phillips. Pan Books.
The name Gorse comes from the Anglo-Saxon 'gorst' which means a 'waste, which refers to the open moorland on which it is found. Gorse was traditionally burnt to help provide nutrient for the soil, keep the gorse bushes from covering the grass for the cattle or sheep. In many ways 'controlled' burning is a useful management tool not just for farming but for wildlife too. I would not consider the fag end dropped out of a speeding car such a method
More info here from the classic 'A Modern Herbal'. Mrs Grieve. 1931. Online page:
Gorse, Golden
Apart from tea etc, bushcraft wise this is pretty useful info as a good source of tinder
Fuel: Cut Gorse is an excellent and hot fuel and in places where it grew in abundance it was a favourite source of firewood for bread baking. Usually the practice was to cut it down once every 3 years. Since Gorse is an evergreen plant, the best time to do this is after flowering. The plant will grow with renewed vigour.
Dead gorse branches have always been highly appreciated by travelers for the fact that they will often burn even when wet and thus offer a good chance to get a fire going in damp weather.
source:http://www.the-tree.org.uk/BritishTrees/TreeGallery/gorsec.htm
and for soap making:
Soap source: The ashes of burned Gorse are rich in alkali, and they were formerly sometimes used for washing, either in the form of a solution or lye, or mixed with clay and made into balls, as a substitute for soap. Another association with washing is that many people used to like to grow a few Gorse bushes near their homesteads, so they could lay their washing on the thorny branches without fear of it blowing away.
Hope that helps
