I wonder if the good lord of Ely had the same situation I did. Within the past week or so, I finally finished a project I've long been wanting to complete - the digging of a 10'x10' vegetable and herb garden! Pictures will be forthcoming ;-) So what does that have to do with this week's column?
I had to clear 100 square feet of Wild Strawberries. Many gardeners know my plight, once a yard is overcome by Wild Strawberries in the Spring - and rest assured mine is! - there's almost no turning back until the weather turns hotter. Yet I say, don't turn back! Start gathering!! Those Wild Strawberries contain a world of wonders. And besides (...get ready to watch all those finicky types cringe...) the bright yellow flowers and tiny red fruit look so lovely among the wild violets that are soon to come creeping in!
Anyway, if you find yourself with a surplus of Wild Strawberries as I did, read on!
Wild Strawberry Fragaria vesca
PARTS USED: Leaves, berries or root, depending upon usage
Caution: Be aware of possible allergic reactions
HISTORICAL REFERENCES: Evidence that Wild Strawberry was a part of the basic diet of Neolithic Europeans has been found in excavations of the lake villages throughout Western England and Switzerland. Historic records show an Alpine variety being cultivated in French gardens as early as the 13th century. In England, the earliest known reference to Strawberry is its inclusion in a 10th century Saxon plant listing. By 1265, a listing for 'Straberie' can be found in the household records of the Countess of Leicester. However, it wasn't until the 18th century that Strawberry was recorded for use as a medicinal in the treatment of gout by the botanist Linnaeus.
In some works of the Middle Ages, we find the amusing term "strawberry preacher", in reference to members of the clergy who traveled the countryside, returning to their own parish only a few times a year. Their actions being similar to the spreading of Strawberry plants which strew themselves about and set down roots in every direction.
We can find references in Virgil of gathering Fragra, the Latin name for strawberries and the basis of Fragaria.
Medieval artists portrayed the Virgin Mary with strawberries, some say to symbolize perfection and righteousness. Strawberries were often carved into altars of the period in churches and cathedrals. Another perspective is the concept of the "Fruitful Virgin", as Strawberry is one of the plants that flowers and bears fruit simultaneously.
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