The lockdown because of COVID19 has been a stressful time for the great many of us. I can recommend a relaxing cup of Linden (lime) flower tea and now is the time to pick them. I’d intended to collect those overhanging the Egg at the Lakeside Centre in Thamesmead and provide tea in the Egg for the enjoyment of local people. It was not to be.
However, I am fortunate to have a lime overhanging my house in Yorkshire in full, if discreet, bloom and I was able to pick sufficient for a few good brews. I separated flowers from the green leaf bracts they are attached to (and which later act as whirly wings to carry the fertilised seed away) and rinsed and dried them all. I found quite a few insects had made a home there, including many tiny exotic looking ladybirds in their larval stage.
I hope any readers in Thamesmead will be encouraged to go out and visit the local Linden trees, pick a handful of flowers, make a brew and unwind too. Best wishes from Yorkshire.