In Manks August is also called Toshiaght Fouyir, which means first month of autumn, (we think of it as summer).  The early Blackberries should be out soon, Bramble / Briar is Dress and the fruit is smeyr in Manks.  Bramble is a plant with many variations and micro species and it takes an expert to work out all their differences. The species was intensively studied in Victorian times and the many hundreds of miles of typical Manks sod hedge give the numerous varieties ample opportunity to prosper.  It is possible to date comparatively Manks sod hedges using the number of different species of Briars growing thereon.

Anyone that goes blackberrying will realise how the blackberries can be very different in size and shape from area to area and even bush to bush.  Some are small and hard while others are huge and succulent, they even squash in your fingers while you are picking them.  The old people said that you shouldn’t pick Blackberries after 12th  October as “the ‘Divil’ was in them” .  There is even a Manks word for a very late Blackberry – Scraaney.

It is now getting late in the season, a number of summer flowering plants will still be giving a good show but there are some plants that always flower later in the season. Hemp agrimony – Jeshal  should be in flower, it is a tall bushy flower with red  umbellifer like (Hogweed) flowers.  It grows down ‘Happy Valley’ near the old White City and also in the glen and on the brooghs at Glen Maye.  The tall elegant Field scabious  – Lus ny crammanyn gorrym,  the even taller Common valerian – Kere hallooin.  This umbellifer like flower that can be white or pink, is one that I think is spreading quickly along the hedgerows all over the Island. Common valerian will probably be finishing by August.  Another umbellifer like flower that may still be flowering, is the Wild carrot – Carradje feie, this plant is unusual, the central floret of the white flower head is often pink but can be very dark red and almost black!

A few of the climbers should be evident in the hedges at present, Wild hop – Lus lhionney,  Old man’s beard or Travellers joy – Moidjyn Vreeshey  and the Bindweeds, greater and lesser – Lus y lheaney.  The wild hop can be used in making beer, years ago many plants in the Island were used including Bog myrtle as a hop substitute.  The bindweeds have wonderful big trumpet like flowers, some are white but others are pink with white stripes. I always mention on my walks that you can imagine the little dog from the record label, ‘His Masters Voice’ sitting in front of them.

The Heather – Freoagh  will be out on the mountainsides, there are three main varieties, Heather which was often known as Ling in the island, Cross leaved heath – Freoagh Frangagh and Bell heather – Freoagh tessen.  Amongst it will be the yellow of the Manks gorse – Aittin or conney.  The Manks gorse is the smaller pillow like gorse as opposed to the tall leggy European gorse that flowers in spring time. The Manks name is part of place names, for instance, Marashen Crescent over South, Magher (pronounced maa is field) and Aittin – Gorse field. Cronk Ashen in Kirk Michael is Gorse hill. If you’re at the Sound on a nice day in August lie down and watch and listen to the bees that ply back and forth across the sound to the Calf for the Heather honey, you’ll be amazed – and the Government ‘across the water’ stated during the G.M. fiasco that bees didn’t travel far.

John Dog.