Learn how to turn edible weeds into delicious, nutritious food!
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
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
In this post Wilma and I begin a conversation about growing our own food. Wilma says “I never gave growing all our own food much thought until John and I started doing it and John asked me to make a list of what I wanted and how much. I love cauliflower so that was the […] Read more
Bittercress Cardamine hirsuta I love this little compact, rosette shaped annual with lobed leaves, small white flowers and upright seed pods that explode, flinging the seeds far and wide when ripe and you touch them, hence one of its names ‘shot weed or ‘flick weed’. Other names are ‘lambs cress’, ‘spring cress’, and ‘hairy bittercress’. […] Read more
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
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
What is all this new talk about earthing? Earthing or grounding is actually not new but newly revived. It is a reminder of how we were previously much more connected to the earth and of the calming, soothing effects of direct contact with the ground. The reason it is soothing is because the earth is […] Read more
Microgreens from your own saved seed It is a great idea to let your vegetable plants go to seed and then harvest the seed for the next crop. That way you are breeding your own vegetables that are adapted to your area, your soil and your growing conditions or climate. It also saves you money […] Read more
Amaranth, Green Amaranthus viridis or Purple Amaranthus lividus Description These are summer growing annuals found in disturbed, impoverished places and cultivated nutrient rich places like our vegetable gardens or animal pens. They have densely clustered small green flowers that grow at the terminal or tip of the stem or in the axils of the […] Read more
As well as harvesting wild edibles to enhance my nutrition, I love making my own products for use around the house – I know what ingredients I have put in and I save money. These two recipes come from Wendyl Nissen who has been collecting recipes for homemade cleaning products for years. www.wendylsgreengoddess.co.nz I’ve now […] Read more