It was Apollo’s pursuit of Daphne, who escaped him by changing into a laurel tree, that spawned the laurel wreaths used as rewards for the military heroes, athletes and poets of ancient Greece. Hence laureate and baccalaureate and the herb Laurus nobilis, in French laurier, which we call bay. Unlike parsley and thyme, the other two components of the traditional bouquet garni, bay is not usually grown from seed but can be propagated from cuttings in late summer. A standard bay tree growing in a pot, about three feet in height, should not cost more than £40. We have had one by the front door for a few years which produces pale yellow flowers in spring and little berries in autumn. A regular feed of liquid seaweed extract throughout the summer is advised, especially if the leaves are turning a yellow shade of green and losing their gloss. Bay may...
I’m afraid this isn’t one of our four free articles available in full, which are set out in the first two rows of the ‘Magazine’ page.
Please click here to find them.
To buy a digital version of this issue for just £2.99, click here
