Most weeds are welcome and I always consider that "A weed is but an unloved flower" I try my best to convert others, usually unsuccessfully! The wildlife attracted to our native "weeds" growing amongst my cottage garden plants gives me so much pleasure and creates a relaxed feel to the garden I used to have Japanese Knotweed but did pull it up continually until it just disappeared - I wish I had tried to eat it! The one weed I am also now trying to reduce in some areas of the garden is ground elder as it is smothering everything else - does anyone have any tips on how to do this organically without digging up all the plants in the border ?
I have the same problems with ground elder - apparently it's quite tasty too though! I'm going try it this year, if you google there's some info about how to use it. With the amount in our garden, we could feed an army.
I'm growing the pink flowered dandelion, a much prettier thing. Red Admiral caterpillars feed on nettles, so a wee patch will attract the butterfly to your garden.
I live in Crete and now at this time of year you can see the old Cretan ladies scouring the fields for "horta" (edible weeds). I now am a dap hand at collecting the many varieties and once collected, cleaned and put into a pan and just covered with water. Once ready,drain and put into dish,add lashings of olive oil and lemon juice...delicious. In earlier days they added eggs (in the shell) during the cooking and then shelled them to eat with the horta.
I live in Crete and now at this time of year you can see the old Cretan ladies scouring the fields for "horta" (edible weeds). I am now a dab hand at this. Once collected, they are washed many times, placed in a pan, covered with water and cooked until tender. Then they are drained, covered with lashings of olive oil and lemon juice...delicious!
I didn't know you could eat Himalayan balsam either, but don't think I could face it, as that slightly sweet smell mades me gag. I blame overexposure: it's a major pest down at our allotments and runs riot throughout the summer on our neighbouring Yorkshire Water site.
My Rhubarb has gone mad very early this year, it's massive and it's only the first week of April. Not only that it has a huge shooting stem with branches and about 3/4 flower heads. This is the first time it has flowered. I wonder if I should let it flower if I want it to continue to produce the massive branches and leaves? I have so much I give it away to family and neighbours. It is loved by all!
Posts
"A weed is but an unloved flower"
I try my best to convert others, usually unsuccessfully!
The wildlife attracted to our native "weeds" growing amongst my cottage garden plants gives me so much pleasure and creates a relaxed feel to the garden
I used to have Japanese Knotweed but did pull it up continually until it just disappeared - I wish I had tried to eat it!
The one weed I am also now trying to reduce in some areas of the garden is ground elder as it is smothering everything else - does anyone have any tips on how to do this organically without digging up all the plants in the border ?
http://www.mandysutter.com/reluctant-gardener-day-1/