Lady's Smock hotsell Charm

Lady's Smock (Cardamine pratensis) its name in Welsh - Blodyn y Gog, reflects the time the cuckoo arrives in the UK to breed and lay hotsell its eggs in other birds' nests. The name appears to be very old because the 16th century herbalist, John Gerard, explained that its name came from this link with the cuckoo, although another 16th century reason for the name is that the flower's foliage is often covered with cuckoo spit, which is the white foam produced to conceal the nymphs of the froghopper insect.

When Christianity came to these islands, the feminine association of Lady's Smock was transferred to the Virgin Mary, which led to a host of other names for the flower, such as my lady's smock, lady's glove and dozens more. A very old story tells that St Helena found the Virgin's smock in a cave near Bethlehem. It was later taken to St Sophia and then to Aix la Chapelle, where it was venerated for centuries. This little wild flower was named in several European countries in honour of the relic.

In herbal medicine, a brew of lady's smock leaves steeped in boiling water was thought to lessen the pain of arthritis and alleviate skin complaints. The plant was also believed to stimulate the liver and kidneys. The English botanist Nicholas Culpeper, in his ‘Complete Herbal' of 1653, advised that lady's smock was “…under the dominion of the Moon, and very little inferior to Water Cresses in all their operations; they are excellently good for the scurvy, they provoke urine, and break the stone, and excellently warm a cold and weak stomach, restoring lost appetite, and help digestion.”

Lady's smock even features in a song in Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost:
“When daisies pied and violets blue
And lady-smocks all silver-white,
And cuckoo-buds of yellow hue,
Do paint the meadows with delight…”

In Europe, a lot of superstition used to surround this flower. They were thought to bring sickness. It was thought that if anyone picked it, a thunderstorm would break out. They were also called thunder-flowers for this reason. It was also thought to create lightning and for this reason was never brought as a blossom into a house. In parts of England, it was believed to attract adders, Britain's only poisonous snake, and that anyone picking the flower would be bitten before the year was out. It was said to be sacred to the fairies, and so was not included in May Day garlands for the same reason. Worn it was said to give the wearer power over the storm and the ability to raise and lower water levels.

I gather most herbs and flowers locally and dry them on the farm. Care is taken to ensure that the herbs and flowers are at their strongest and most powerful when they are gathered. None are collected from areas close to a road. They are placed in this lovely miniature glass flask and added to a real silver chain so that you can carry them at all times.