It is a busy time at home, redecorating, getting ready for Christmas, and the cold snap in UK makes it harder to do things outside except chop logs up for the wood burner. Still, Holt Wood has been looking stunning as the autumn progresses into winter. We have been able to collect lots of Spindle (Euonymous europaeus) seeds to pass on at a local Seed Swop event in Crediton run by the Food and Farming Group of Sustainable Crediton (you can see more about them at http://www.sustainablecrediton.org.uk/). The seeds are a wonderful pink and orange colour, the plant itself makes a small tree or shrub to about 20 feet ideal for growing in dappled shade. Traditional uses for the root, and possibly stem, bark include stimulating the digestion and liver disorders, although Spindle is not something used by herbalists nowadays.
