Subject: (urth) Flowers redux

From: Alice Turner <akt at ibm.net>
Date: Wed, 21 Jul 1999 23:29:11 +0000

Oh, one thing more. Why, you may ask, am I trying to make something
Shakespearean out of what might be an ordinary kitchen herb garden. Well,
the clue is rue. Rue simply isn't grown as an herb any more. It's a very
bitter herb that I think may still be used to flavor a rather nasty Italian
aperitif (could that be Byrrh?). But it was used as a purgative and a plague
deterent in Shakespeare's time. And also in witchcraft, possibly as an
abortifacent, I think.

-alga

*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/

---

From: Matthew Malthouse <matthew.malthouse at guardian.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 22 Jul 1999 10:38:13 +0000

> deterent in Shakespeare's time. And also in witchcraft, possibly as an

Aha! You may not grow rue in your herb garden but some people still
do, myself included. I believe that it has a use in aromatherapy an
herbal medicine. About the only use I make of it is in pork sausages
where it cuts the sweet, fat flavours with its bitter taste.  

Oh, and it's pretty.  :)

Matthew