The Aussie VOICE

Jeff St John and the 100 top Aussie singers:

Flicking TV channels one day last week I happened on a group discussing a soon to be released list of 100 greatest Australian singers (or voices) .... of all time (as if anyone can remember every Aussie singer ever).  But I was interested in some of the comments (though I wondered if singers not born in Australia should be included or singers who lived permanently overseas, usually because of work availability, like Kylie, Tina Arena and Keith Urban).  What really caught my eye er ear was Ken Sutcliffe (he's cute) who said he hoped his favourite singer of all time was on the list.

And who would that be, Ken?  Ken Sutcliffe claims that the greatest Aussie voice ever would be .................. Jeff St John, of The Id and Copperwine fame.

That took me right back ... to the early 1960's when I was an Art student (of the drawing, painting kind) in Sydney and a folk club groupie - with my two BFFs Libby and Jane.  We met Jeff Newton around 1963 in a folk club and hung out with him for a while. I didn't even know he sang at first. He was just a guy we met who walked with elbow crutches and was a bit wobbly. My grandmother had the same crutches.  

I remember one night, in an upstairs room of some music club or maybe it was at a party, in Mosman (the wrong side of the harbour for us normally), chatting quietly in the almost dark room - I remember blue lights, listing to distant music and Jeff telling us about the day he was casually sitting on his motorbike when a woman reversed her car around the corner and knocked him over - and so the crutches.  It was years and years before I worked out that story was not true but wasn't sure what was.  Even Ken Sutcliff wasn't sure when he referred to Jeff having polio as a child. 

But some years ago I saw Jeff on TV in a rerun of the documentary, "Rock 'n' Roll Man.  He was entertaining the children at The Northcott School For Crippled Children in Sydney Australia and while talking to the kids he tells them he was born with spina bifida. You can see some of that docu here  - 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hb-PaRwieh0  

Not only does he have an amazing singing voice but a lovely speaking voice too.  I was so pleased to see Jeff on TV that day as I had heard he'd died, but my research now shows it was guitarist, Mark St John (Mark Leslie Norton) of KISS who died so it's easy to see what happened there - and Jeff lives on.

Jeff Newton became Jeff St John and began his singing career in 1965 as a member of the Sydney band The Syndicate, which became The Wild Oats and then Jeff St John and the iD. Early in 1967 the Id had a three-month gig at a Sydney Disco, as support to the Roy Orbison/Walker Brothers/ Yardbirds Australian tour, then later that year Jeff went into hospital for four months of treatment on his legs which was not successful and he has been in a wheelchair ever since.


Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, Jeff St John was Australia's finest rock vocalist. The rock writer Glenn A. Baker was full of praise for the roaring, finely controlled voice of Jeff St John and David `Dr Pepper' Pepperell praised his voice for '... its limitless power, its precise and meaningful phrasing and its sweetness like honey dripping from the hive'.

My friend Libby and I went to see Jeff live in Paddington, sometime in the late 60's and he was then with Copperwine.  We also saw him at the first Aussie rock festival - Ourimbah, Pilgrimage for Pop in January 1970.  Jeff St John and the Copperwine were placed third behind Fraternity and Sherbet in the 1971 Hoadley's National Battle of the Sounds competition.  They toured and appeared in live shows alongside groups like Tully and Tamam Shud, and recorded  the 'Joint Effort' album in the early 1970's.

Copperwine changed direction, with the brief addition of Wendy Saddington, so Jeff left and formed the Jeff St John Band, taking out second place (behind Sherbet) at the 1972 Battle of the Sounds.  During 1973 the Jeff St John Band scored support slots to international visitors Bo Diddley, Chuck Berry and Gary Glitter and the year ended with Jeff receiving the Most Outstanding Vocalist of the Year award.  In December he played a farewell concert at the Sydney Opera House and flew to the UK - came back two years later to continue touring with a backing band, Red Cloud, supported another Bo Diddley Australian tour and in 1977, Jeff became the first Australian artist to sign a record deal with Warners' US Asylum label. 

Singing in the 70's

Jeff St John made the decision to retire from live performances in 1983 at the age of 37 and towards the end of the 1990's he relocated to Perth where he still lives with this wife. He would now be 66 and I hope he still sings.

Jeff was philosophical in 2000 when he told Who Weekly:  "The madness, the speed at which we lived ... it's amazing any of us survived. All I can put my survival down to is God had reasons for me to hang around. Drug dependency - it was an accepted part of what we did - isn't a place I'd suggest anyone go to. I lost a bunch of friends because they got it wrong."

In 2000 he sang the National Anthem in the opening ceremony of the Paralympics, wearing a satin Aussie flag shirt.   Later, when speaking of this triumphant appearance he said:  "I love my country. It's allowed me to be crazy for more years than I can remember. To get up in front of 110,000 people live, with a TV audience of four billion, was a big honour."

In 2001 a CD was released, titled 'Will the Real Jeff St John Please Stand Up' - Jeffrey St John and the Embers.  I've not heard that CD, yet, but I did read a review that said -  'Not only has St. John delivered an album that stimulates and sends shivers-down-spine in equal measures, he has also proven what a singular voice he possesses – it’s still intact and full of soul, power and feeling'.   

So, that's where my research ended, until today when I found a facebook page for Jeff St John that includes links to YouTube clips and it's been great catching up again - even though it's just in my head. I doubt that Jeff Newton, or Jeff St John would remember me from a few months in  1963.

                        http://www.milesago.com/artists/jeffstjohn.htm

                                   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgWGQTcDFLk 

                                                               

Today - still singing and with the trike Jeff calls The Dinosaur

AND - THE LIST .......... I don't know everyone on this list, I've copied a few interesting comments. When I tried to highlight my favourite voices the blog went silly so had to remove that.  I thought it was... or should be ... about the voice ... Australia's greatest singer of all time but I don't see any name on the list outside living memory. I copied this from the web so spelling errors in names are not mine.

1. John Farnham - voted Australia's greatest singer of all time.  Confirming farnsey's status as 'the singer's singer," at age 63,  Jimmy Barnes says - "John Farnham could sing the phone book and it would sound great."    Ross Wilson, who wrote Farnham’s 'A Touch of Paradise', said he was freaked out by the way Farnham sings so effortlessly. "Yes, he is The Voice and that TV show full of wannabes ought to find a new name and restore his title."

2. Bon Scott - ACDC - a total legend," says Lee Kernaghan. 

3. Tina Arena - now 45, has been sharing her voice with Australia since she started on Young Talent Time as a seven year old. She remains one of our most successful female singers internationally. 

4. Michael Hutchence

5. Jimmy Barnes -  Cold Chisel -  Barnsey, praised for his passion and his trademark power. 6. Guy Sebastian - The youngest singer in the Top 10 - won the inaugural Australian Idol ten years ago. 7. Renee Geyer

8. Sia Furler

9. Chrissie Amphlett
10. Neil and Tim Finn  - brothers from NZ but claimed as Australian.
11. Daniel Johns - angsty teenager fronting Silverchair.
12. The Bee Gees -  Maurice , Barry and Robin Gibb , born in UK, lived in Australia for a few years.

13. Stevie Wright - heart and soul of the Easybeats in the '60s,  the first Australian rock band to capture the attention of the world at large. Paul McCartney famously heard Friday On My Mind on his car radio and he immediately pulled over and phoned the BBC demanding that they play it again - which they did.

14. Paul Kelly - a slightly honky, charmingly nasal delivery" which creates "an utterly believable, warm and wise tone - born to tell stories. He is talking to you, while he's singing."

15. Vanessa Amorosi - she can do the Janice Joplin thing and then she sings soft with a vulnerable quality in there.....

16. Jessica Mauboy - discovered on Australian Idol in 2006.

17. Nick Cave - Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds

18. Connie Mitchell - from the group 'Sneaky Sound System'.

19. Katie Noonan

20. Gurrumul - Geoffrey Gurrumul Yunipingu. "Gurrumul definitely has one of the most natural and unique voices I’ve ever heard," Damien Leith notes. "Warm and soulful, it touches right to the core."

21. Suze De Marchi - Baby Animals

22. Daryl Braithwaite -  Sherbet
23. Sarah Blasko
24. Iva Davies - Icehouse.
25. Ian Moss - Cold Chisel.
26. Doug Parkinson
27. Glenn Shorrock - Little River Band.
28. Darren Hayes - Savage Garden - topping the US charts - twice.
29. Colin Hay - Men at Work. 
30. Gotye
31. Dan Sultan
32. Kate Ceberano - impressed with her diversity.
33. Russell Morris - more than just The Real Thing.
34. Gerry Humphries - The Loved Ones.
35. Johnny O'Keefe - launched Australian rock and roll.
36. Olivia Newton-John - tells stories through song.
37. Slim Dusty - he sang and Australia listened!"
38. Stephen Cummings
39. Ross Wilson - From Daddy Cool to Mondo Rock to a solo career.
40. Bernard Fanning - once the voice of Powderfinger.
41. Adalita - Magic Dirt, and now solo.
42. Judith Durham - the Seekers.
43. Marc Hunter - Dragon, another from NZ.
44. Kasey Chambers - country singer.
45. Joe Camilleri - Jo Jo Zep among other bands.
46. Steve Kilbey - Longtime frontman of The Church. 
47. Keith Urban - Country Music singer.
48. Daniel Merriweather
49. Billy Thorpe - and the Aztecs, and as a solo act.
50. Jon Stevens - another Kiwi adopted by Australians..

 51. Tex Perkins

52. Kylie Minogue

53. Peter Allen

54. Dale Ryder - Boom Crash Opera.

55. Jack Jones

56. Tim Rogers

57. Peter Garrett

58. Jimmy Little

59. Luke Steele - Empire of the Sun.

60. Dame Joan Sutherland

61. Archie Roach

62. Dougie Mandagi - the Temper Trap.

63. Shirley Strachan - Skyhooks.

64. David McComb - The Triffids.

65. Smokey Dawson

66. Chris Cheney - The Living End.

67. Nic Cester - Jet.

68. Gareth Liddiard - the Drones.

69. Kav Temperly - Eskimo Joe.

70. Diesel

71. Lior

72. Glenn Richards - Augie March.

73. Rowland S Howard

74. Rick Price

75. Spencer P Jones

76. Phil Jamieson - Grinspoon.

77. Ian Rilen

78. Mark Seymour

79 Lisa Gerrard

80. Robert Forster - Go-Betweens.

81. Missy Higgins

82. James Reyne

83. John Toogood - Shihad.

84. Anthony Callea

85. Grant McLennan - Go Betweens.

86. Wendy Stapleton

87. Dave Faulkner - Hoodoo Gurus.

88. Matt Walker

89. Max Merritt

90. Ed Kuepper

91. Quan Yeomans - Regurgitator.

92. Abby Dobson

93. Sally Seltmann

94. Anthony Warlow

95. Ian Kenny - Birds of Tokyo.

96. Bertie Blackman

97. Ella Hooper

98. Wendy Saddington

99. Jeremy Oxley - Sunnyboys.

100. Christine Anu 

  

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 (smiley face)

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NOTES on Australia

......... just so we don't forget who we are.

Australia is the sixth largest nation after Russia, Canada, China, the USA and Brazil.

Australia is the only nation to occupy an entire continent.

Australia is estimated to be 7682300.0 square Kilometres in land area.

Australia is the only nation to govern an entire continent and its outlying islands.

The Australian mainland is the largest island and the smallest, flattest continent on Earth.

Australia's capital city is Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).

The Australian mainland is three times the size of Greenland, the next largest island .

Australia is an independent Western democracy with a population of more than 22 million.

The Australian island state, Tasmania, is the 26th largest island in the world.

Australia lies between 10° and 39° South latitude, about one third lies in the tropics.

Australia has a coastline of 36,735km.

Australia has one flag to fly over the whole continent.

Australia's highest point is Mount Kosciuszko, which is only 2,228 metres.

Australia’s average elevation is only 330 metres, the lowest of all the continents.

Australia’s best-known animals are the kangaroo, koala, platypus and spiny anteater.

The Australian federation consists of six States and two Territories.

Australian inland (state) borders mostly follow lines of longitude and latitude.

The largest Australian State, Western Australia is about the same size as Western Europe.

Australia is the driest inhabited continent on earth.  (Only Antarctica is dryer).

Australia's State Capitals  - Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Perth, Darwin.

The Australian National Flag was first flown on 3 September 1901, in Melbourne.

Australia has accepted over six million people as new settlers, from 200 countries, since 1945.

Australian migrants or the first-generation children of migrants = 4 in 10 in the population.

Of all Australian migrants half are from non-English speaking backgrounds.

Australia's 3 time zones - Western: GMT +8 hrs, Central: GMT +9.5 hrs, Eastern: GMT +10hrs.

Australia is highly urbanised with about 70 % of the population living in the 10 largest cities.

Australians of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent numbered 410,003 in 2010.

 Australia has extremes of climate and topography from rainforests to snowfields to desert.

Australia has 20,000 species of plants, including some living fossils.

Australia’s official language is English, by common usage rather than law.

The Australian interior has one of the lowest rainfalls in the world.

Australia's country telephone code is 61.

Australia's area codes by state are  NSW&ACT:02, VIC&TAS:03, SA,WA &NT:08, QLD:07

Australia is home to 700 listed bird species, 400 of these species are found nowhere else.

Australia’s anthem, Advance Australia Fair, was declared the national anthem in April 1984.

Advance Australia Fair is a revised version of a late 19th-century patriotic song.

Australia's currency is the Australian dollar. (AU$)

Australia is a Member of the British Commonwealth.

Australia's Official name is the Commonwealth of Australia.

The Australian Flag:  The small Union Jack represents the historical link with Britain, the large seven-pointed star represents the six States and the Territories, and the small stars form the Southern Cross – a prominent feature of the southern hemisphere night sky.

Australia’s coat of arms: The official emblem of the Australian Government the coat of arms was granted by King George V in 1912.  The arms displays a shield holding the badges of the six States. The shield supporters are native Australian fauna – a kangaroo and an emu, and fauna -  yellow wattle.

Australia's popular tourist destinations

The world is round and the place which may seem like the end 

may also be only the beginning. - Ivy Baker Priest

OIL PULLING for your TEETH

Isn't it interesting how something will suddenly come into fashion and then, just as suddenly, fade away and you wonder what that was all about? Then something else, that is tried and true, gets bumped out of your life by a new gadget.

Oil pulling is having a revival this year. Either you've never heard of it or you do it.  I've been practicing oil pulling for about two years - not every day now but at least once a week as it fits into my routine. I mentioned it to my dentist once but he'd never heard of it. 'I can't see that it would hurt you,' he said, a little doubtfully.  So, oil pulling has to do with teeth - with cleaning the teeth, and the mouth and it works. 

Oil pulling is a traditional Indian folk remedy - thousands of years old, older than toothbrushes and toothpaste - and it involves swishing oil around the mouth, pulling and pushing it over and between the teeth gently, to remove the bad bacteria, to reduce plaque, to prevent inflamed gums (gingivitis) and reduce bad breath (halitosis). All this is good news for our mouths.

The best oils to use are light in flavour, sesame and sunflower are good. One day I was out of sesame oil (my favourite) and took a gulp of the delicious organic olive oil I cook with everyday and erk... too strong, too thick, gave me a sore throat and I coughed it all out.

Sesame oil

Coconut oil is gaining popularity for many uses - to soften skin and hair, to relieve itches and insect bites, to prevent dementia, to cook very tasty eggs and to cook lots of other yummy food. In fact it tastes so good you wonder how it can possibly be good for you. 

Cold pressed coconut oil

So, I tried coconut oil to clean my teeth. I found that it is not quite as effective as olive oil. Coconut oil is lighter in texture and does not foam the same way as olive oil and there is a temptation to swallow it. In fact I swallowed most of what I had in my mouth before I realised. As the idea is to spit out the used oil this is not good.  When I had finished my mouth did not feel as clean so I brushed with a tooth brush and water. My teeth felt good but the coconut oil had not cleaned the rest of my mouth as well as olive oil. This is possibly because the coconut oil becomes watery and does form an oily foam.  I'm sure this might suit some people so try it, but also try another oil so you can compare. 
If the coconut oil is in solid form you just hold it in your mouth, gently chewing, until it liquefies.

The procedure:

First thing in the morning, before rinsing your mouth or drinking or eating anything - take one or two teaspoons of light oil, hold it in your mouth and slowly begin swishing it around your teeth, pulling it between your teeth, over the tongue, inside the lips and cheeks. It's just a gentle motion to keep the oil moving in and out of every nook and cranny, like a mouth wash. The oil will pick up and hold any impurities.

Swish for 15 - 20 minutes - have a shower or choose your clothes for the day, make the bed or go for a short walk. The action of the mouth will be exercising your jaw and cheek muscles too. The idea is to swish until the oil has mixed with saliva to become a white frothy mixture with a yellow stain.

Spit it all out. Do not swallow. I was advised by a wise old Indian to not spit it onto the ground where it will soak get into the soil, or an animal could find it, because it is contaminated - so spit into a wad of toilet paper and flush away.

Rinse your mouth with water, swish and spit again. You can brush with a toothbrush, but no tooth paste, water alone is enough. 

You'll find you not only have squeaky clean teeth, but also a clean tongue and mouth.  And that is oil pulling.

Now you may start your day.

I wonder if my dentist went home and tried it. 

Count the garden by the flowers, never by the leaves that fall. 

Count your life by smiles and not the tears that roll.

-------------------------------------------

There is a comments facility below for your comments or encouragement - but it's not like facebook, there is a process to keep the spammers and hackers out.  

Click comment, 

type in the box and then 

select from the drop down menu for your identity (anonymous is fine if you aren't on google) and then click publish - but that's not the end .....

you will be asked to 
retype some numbers and letters into another little box, it's not the easiest thing to do, but if you get it wrong you get a second turn.... like a game.  

Once you've done it you'll find it easier the next time, 
and I will reply to your message so it's worth it....   (big toothy smiley face)

                                                     --------------------------------------------

using the herb COMFREY

I've been in love with the herb comfrey for about 40 years but have not had it growing for half of that time.  We moved around at bit over the years and I haven't had a suitable place to plant it - but now, at last there is a garden and plenty of space to grow this incredible herb.  Comfrey likes to settle in for a long stay, in fact there is an understanding among herb growers that  - you plant comfrey knowing it will still be growing there long after you have gone.

Hairy comfrey leaf, freshly washed

Comfrey sends tap roots 3 metres down into the subsoil (about 10 feet) to find the yummy nutrients that make it the wonderful herb it is,  so a mature plant would be almost impossible to move, or remove. Comfrey is grown from root cuttings and any broken piece of root is a potential plant - you can cut away part of the root without destroying the rest. The author Jackie French tells of accidently ploughing over some comfrey plants, cutting them into small pieces, and she ended up with a paddock full of comfrey. A lucky accident I'd say.

Some leaves are eaten before I can pick them

The comfrey leaf is surprisingly hairy, thick, and sometimes bitter to taste. Flowers can be purple, pink or white and I'm delighted to discover this week that mine are purple.  The harvesting advice I've read is to harvest while in flower but others suggest waiting until the plant is over 60cms high (2 ft) but I pull leaves off whenever I want them.  I often have to race the insects though - they know it's an amazing plant.

So, what is it good for?

Comfrey plant a few months oldSo, what is it good for?  

Comfrey has been used as a healing herb forever - recorded use goes back to 400BC.  Originally from Europe comfrey was used by the ancient Greeks and then European settlers discovered the Native Americans also made good use of the herb. There is a wealth of information available in books and on the net. I've been reading about comfrey for many years, but these days I read and re-read Isabel Shipards book  - How can I use HERBS in my daily life?  One reason is she lives locally, so what grows at her place should grow at mine - the other reason is she provides so much information you feel full. But I do also look into YouTube to watch people making salve, ointments, fertilizer and doing other interesting things with comfrey.

TO USE ON THE OUTSIDE: The leaf and the root can be used as a poultice, a tincture, ointment or just the raw leaf (chopped with a little oil or hand cream to hold in place) as an external application for the healing of;  boils, bruises, burns, coughs and colds, cramps, eczema, inflammation, insect bites, fractures, gout, joint pain, rheumatism, skin ailments, sprains, strains, swelling and more.

Comfrey is also a softener for skin and hair. Make fresh comfrey 'tea' from a few chopped leaves, (bring to the boil in water, stew until water is green, cool, strain) and pour it over your head as a final rinse for soft and shiny hair. Make this fresh each time. You can also add a stronger comfrey 'tea', from fresh leaf or powdered root, to your bath water.  You'll find different ideas about making comfrey 'tea' on the internet.

With such wonderful healing properties comfrey is good for the skin and a comfrey oil can be used as body lotion and as massage oil for tired, sore feet. Rub it on your legs after your shower to deal with all those little cuts and scratches you get and to help with varicose veins and aching joints. Many different recipes for making the oil and ointments, are to be found on the internet.

A WARNING: Do not apply comfrey to deep open wounds or if infection is present as it's healing powers can work so well that surface healing may begin before the underlying wound has healed properly and skin healing over an infected wound is not good. It's better for a deep wound to heal slowly from the inside out.

Comfrey salve or ointment - comfrey infused olive oil
added to melted beeswax.

TO USE ON THE INSIDE:  Comfrey has also been used as a tea to drink, nibbled straight from the plant or as a food with the leaf eaten raw in salads or cooked in stews and soup to;  relieve allergies, anemia, asthma, bladder problems, bronchitis, coughs and colds, digestive problems, fatigue, fever, gallbladder problems, hay fever, psoriasis, respiratory and lung ailments, sinusitis, and more.

BUT I MUST ADD THIS DISCLAIMER: Do not eat or drink tea from any plant you have not fully studied and identified properly. Please consult with your local alternative herbal care specialist before using herbs you are not familiar with. In some areas internal consumption of comfrey is not encouraged, for a variety of reasons.

IN THE GARDEN:  I must make it clear that I am not a gardener. I sometimes say I am an organic farmer, but in reality my husband is the organic farmer and while we chat about the work and make farm decisions together, for me it is theory.  I don't dig dirt or pull weeds. The actual work I do is paying accounts, keeping the books, labeling boxes and making phone calls.  My interest in herbs is for food, health and treating ailments.

In the kitchen garden comfrey is a wonderful fertilizer, especially for tomatoes. I have a bucket of, what is also called 'tea' waiting to be used as fertaliser - a half cup full added to five litres of water, sprayed around the veggies makes them very happy and healthy. I might experiment with some of our ginger plants one day.

Comfrey fertaliser ‘tea’ - I pick the leaves and let them dry out for a day or two
before putting into a tightly covered bucket, just covered with water. This is
two months old and almost ready. Add half a cup full to five litres of water and
water your vegetables.

The leaves also make a rich mulch. When I find dead leaves around a plant I leave them to mulch the parent plant and find they are quickly absorbed into the surrounding soil. Comfrey leaves and stems can be used to accelerate the action of your compost heap. Many websites offer advice on how to make the fertilizer tea and how to use it in compost.

I have heard that when fed to cows comfrey aids milk production and gives longer living, healthier cows, but I've not had any experience with that. I've also heard that horses will eat it but I imagine if it was used regularly you'd need a huge amount of leaves and you'd have to have a comfrey farm. I know chooks like it, but don't seem to seek it out like caterpillars do. A few days ago R spotted a wallaby in the comfrey garden, but I can't say it was comfrey that brought it so close to the house.

Our beloved dog, Rufous, is 12 years old and while he has survived cancer in the past, he now has several more tumours growing on his body and something wrong with his digestive system. The vet doesn't know any more about his stomach problem than we do. We have decided not to put him through the trauma of more surgery to remove misc growths at his age, as he has had more anesthetics than most humans.  I am giving him comfrey in his food and also rubbing it on, and if it does not fight the cancer I hope it will at least give him some quality of life for the time he has left.

Rufous under the frangipani

Last July I bought 5 comfrey roots to grow. I kept them in self watering pots until they had decent leaves, before planting in the garden under my frangipani trees.  I'm not sure if this is the best place for them as they do not get a huge amount of direct sunlight, but they will have the sun for the winter months. The insect damage is the worst problem, as they eat more of the herb than I pick. I do know what type of comfrey these plants are and where they came from.
Then in October I was given an exciting birthday present in the form of a plastic bag of woody bits and dirt, which I recognised as a comfrey root! What an amazing gift!  I had been speaking to an interesting lady at a school fete, and we got onto comfrey, which this lady had growing in her garden. I told her how I'd used a comfrey poultice when I cracked the bone in my elbow. (I made the poultice with leaves from my mother-in-law's comfrey plant, which is twenty years old and a lot stronger than my little babies). A week later that ladies daughter sprained her ankle, so she dug up her own comfrey root to make a poultice and also sent me a clump of twisted root as well. Some of this root I used to in oil and the rest, seven pieces, I planted in my home made pots. Two pieces failed to root, possibly it was the wrong section of wood. As our weather has been extremely wet I've been protecting them and they are not in the garden yet - I'm still looking for the right spot, but that is a job I'll be doing this week.  I plan to put them on the other side of the garden to my first five plants because I do not know their history and I'm not sure if it's the same type of comfrey.  I'll be taking my own advice above and waiting to have it properly identified.

Baby plants waiting for a permanent home

After an eight month wait I'm very excited to find that one of my original five comfrey plants has flowered. This little one, below, was left as a sort of control plant, mainly because it was hard for me to reach. I've already used leaves from the other four plants to make oil infusions, tinctures and ointment, and I'm looking forward to experimenting more with comfrey recipes as all my plants mature.

Purple flower on a full grown plant

The early bird might get the worm, but the second mouse always gets the cheese.