In five days time, I’ll have been charting the edible and medicinal herbs of this little corner of Amsterdam, for one year. It has been eye opening to me and has brought me lots of unexpected gifts.

One of these is my apprenticeship programme. Today the first group meet for the seventh time. We took cuttings of the medicine chest Elder shrub (Sambucus nigra),

Cleavers (Gallium aparine)

Beautiful and useful Fumitory (Fumaria officinalis)

Found Wild garlic (Allium ursinum) yet again.

Comfrey (Symphytum uplanicum x)

Looked at Hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna),

Munched on samples of Common Horehound (Marrubium vulgaris),

Sniffed the unmistakable scent of Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfare)

and ever so bitter Motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca).

We looked at simple to make Ivy (Hedera helix) shapes.

Ideas for balcony Moon Gardens.

And after our session I found Garlic Mustard.