When I was at school we used to sing a song (to the tune of Men of Harlech) which went “Tramp up Snowdon, with our woad on. Never mind if we get rained or snowed on!” It was a sort of homage to our hardy ancestors running around painted with blue woad body paint terrorising Romans. The plant from which this comes is Isatis tinctoria and, oddly, it is not even faintly blue, but very yellow.
I was reminded of this by a quick preview visit to Jekka McVicar‘s stand at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show. Jekka is the most fabulous nurserywoman and her displays almost always win gold medals (13 at Chelsea and 61 in total). This year looks as if it going to be another corker: particularly as she says that this will be her last self-funded effort.
The woad plant is tall and slightly ungainly (like a new-born giraffe) with acid yellow flowers on tall (almost leafless) stems. Jekka has used them in conjunction with Angelica archangelica (a fabulous biennial that reaches over 2m in height and looks great in all stages of its life from bud to corpse) and with flashes of red field poppy.
Isatis is easily propagated from seed sown in the autumn and can make an interesting and unusual addition to a border. However, should you decide that you want to enter further into the spirit of this historic plant and go for either the full Mel Gibson/Braveheart look, or perhaps just a few balls of wool for a cardigan, then it is my duty to warn of certain things. To get blue dye from the plant is quite hard work: 1kg of Isatis leaves will produce about 2 grams of dye so in order to colour more that a small handkerchief you need to grow a fair few plants. It is a gorgeous colour though.
Jekka also told me that, traditionally, there was a fair bit of urine involved, although I chose not to ask too many questions. There are some things about which a chap doesn’t need too much detail.
I am in the Chelsea Gardening Matters Pavilion on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, introducing all manner of horticultural luminaries. Please drop by and say ‘hello’ if you find yourself at a loose end. Warning: I have no privileged access to any Pimms. Sorry.
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Talking about plants with great history behind them, I saw a play last night called “The Herbal Bed” which takes place in almost every scene in Shakespeare’s son-in-law’s garden. The cast of the excellent production had grown the herbs themselves and they were beautiful – i would say at their zenith. They deserved a Chelsea gold medal for such a stage set, and all the keen gardeners in the audience were entranced.
i thought about coming to see you in the Garden Matters thing but then your lack of Pimms put me off.
Ps you were amazing on the telly though
What can I do to make my heavy clay soil
more gardeningable? I have tried peat,
sand, more peat and manure and still I
don`t seem to have made any difference,
and could you please give me some advice as to what to do about the incessant and heavy east wind I always seem to have, please?!
I’m relieved that the delicate flowers of woad would be difficult to create from plasticine!
FabMonkeyJellyCherry: (interesting nom de web, by the way). Keep on mulching and add some grit for drainage but above all be not downhearted and only plant stuff that likes clay.
FabMonkeyJellyCherry
It’s taken me fifteen years to get the clay in my garden into something reasonably workable, so don’t be discouraged. Even now I sometimes come across a patch I could make bricks from. Just keep throwing any organic matter you can get your hands on at it: I actually find my own compost is the most effective thing.
At the moment I have many wonderful woad plants in my garden flowering profusely after planting 2 years ago really as an experiment. I bought the seeds in Somerset at an Anglo Saxon peat village which in itself was very interesting and well worth a visit. What do I do with them now apart from take seed as I don’t think I’ll be dying wool etc.!!!
Wot no Pimms?
That Men of Harlech song in full:
Romans came across the channel
All dressed up in tin and flannel
Half a pint of woad per man’ll
Dress us more than these.
Saxons you can waste your stitches
Building beds for bugs in britches
We have woad to clothe us which is
Not a nest for fleas
Romans keep your armours.
Saxons your pyjamas.
Hairy coats were made for goats,
Gorillas, yaks, retriever dogs and llamas
Tramp up Snowdon with your woad on,
Never mind if you get rained or blowed on
Never want a button sewed on.
Go it Ancient B’s !!
to deal with the dreaded clay, just ask everyone for bags of soil and grit for birthdays and Christmas, it’s the best presant that anyone could give you,the other best thing is a days help in the garden for a birthday or Christmas presant.