Stinging Nettle – A Wild and Unruly Plant

A sure sign of spring is the new nettle shoots that are growing on the perennial nettle Urtica dioica (below left) . Urtica urens (left) is the other common variety which is annual stinging nettle or dwarf nettle which I have been eating all winter.  It doesn’t mind cooler weather. Annual nettle is common in gardens, under trees […] Read more

Oxalis or Wood Sorrel

I hear some groans with the mention of this plant because it is so hard to get rid of in the garden. Up until now I’ve not valued Oxalis at all as an edible weed. I’ve viewed it as containing too much oxalic acid for eating (the same substance in silver beet and spinach which […] Read more

Mallow – mellow and soothing

The mallow family contains over twenty edible species of herbaceous plants that can be annual, biennial or perennial.  A number are considered weeds while others like hollyhocks and hibiscus are treasured garden plants and marsh mallow is a well known healing plant.   All contain large amounts of mucilage which makes them uniquely special as food […] Read more

Nipplewort

Nipplewort – Lapsana communis You have to agree this plant has a weird name.  If it could it would probably change it. There are two reasons for the name. One is that the seed capsules resemble a nipple in shape and secondly being an astringent plant it probably helped heal chapped nipples or breast ulcers. […] Read more

Borage

Borage – Borago officinalis Loved by bees this plant is both a weed and one we want.  If you don’t have it, direct sowing of the seeds in spring and summer is best in its final position, as it doesn’t like having its long tap root disturbed. Or sow the seeds in individual pots and transplant […] Read more

Healing with Herb Robert

  Young plants of Herb Robert (Geranium robertianum) are flourishing all over our garden and bush edge as I write in May. A few mature plants are still flowering.  This is an old medicinal plant common in Europe. The name Geranium is Greek for ‘cranesbill’ which is another name for this pretty annual or biennial […] Read more

An Interview with Sharon who also loves ‘weeds’

Hello Everyone,  I had this idea to interview someone who has taken my Edible Weed course and ask how their journey has been since the course.  I invited my friend Sharon Watt to answer the following questions and found out how her views of weeds have changed, what her favourite ‘weed’ is, and what she […] Read more

Heal Thyself With Self Heal

Self Heal – Prunella vulgaris This is a gorgeous little plant flowering profusely now in January, in full sun or shade. I love it and want to share more about it along with a delicious pesto recipe I whipped up. Prunella comes from either the Latin meaning purple as in the flower colour or from […] Read more

Christmas Cheer With Amaranth

Amaranthus viridis – Green Amaranth or Amaranthus lividus -Purple Amaranth cultivated in Mexico since 4000BC – making it the oldest known food crop summer growing annuals found in disturbed, impoverished places the flowers are densely clustered small and green grow at the terminal or tip of the stem or in the axils of the leaves […] Read more

Onion Weed

Description other names three-cornered leek light green, grass like leaves and flower stalks are triangular in a cross section (photo below) it is a perennial that grows from small bulbs 1cm in diameter a garden escape being brought here by settlers from Europe even I considered it a terrible weed because it is impossible to […] Read more