Chickweed today (Stellaria media). Such a useful herb, for healing grazes, soothing eyes, reading itches and vanishing away aches and pains. It also aids the uptake of other herbs by the body.
And also today, Purple deadnettle (Lamium purpureum). Edible and useful.
This is Red Valerian (Centranthus ruber). It’s nothing like the “real” valerian but it is an edible and medicinal herb, growing right here in Amsterdam.
And here above is a mass of Chickweed (Stellaria media), growing beneath a rose bush and currently in flower, offering lots of taste and medicinal uses.
Here is a tasty, nutrient packed, flowering patch of Chickweed (Stellaria media), snuggling around the base of some planted Bamboo (young shoots are edible) in a plant pot on the Middenweg. At the foot of the pot is a very pretty little herb Geranium.
And here is Hairy bittercress, a very tasty little plant, closely related to Chickweed and very easy to identify and eat in salads or cooked food.
Today some chickweed growing in a geveltuin,
And some very unusual Ivy…
Today feels like spring has ready arrived. It’s been about 14°C, odd considering we’ve had -5°C and heaps of snow just a couple of days ago. How many plants will react to these yo-yo temperatures is anyone’s guess.
How tasty, vitamin and mineral rich Chickweed reacts is more predicable. Here is a little patch of Stellaria media in an otherwise barren looking tree pit. It looks pretty perky to me and quite unperturbed by the weather.
And here’s a miniature Dandelion plant in a crack between a building and pavement.
Today a perky frost tolerant Chickweed,
A Hedge mustard (Sisymbrium officinale) plant (I think, I haven’t smelled or tasted this one yet), in a crack beneath a house entrance,
And another plant I’m seeing lots of at present, Campanula. It has pretty blue flowers in the summer and winter hardy foliage which is seen as edible (if harvested from an appropriate location). It grows very well in tiny cracks, here in Amsterdam. I’ll be encouraging it’s use in the River of Herbs project.
In contast, this Winter Jasmine looks very washed out by the recent cold snap.
Not much chance for herb hunting today but I did see lots of Chickweed (Stellaria media) looking very tasty in various dog-free locations. Chickweed is a great wild winter food and a useful medicinal herb. It helps combat itches, skin heat conditions, winter nutrient deficiency and much more. Look up Susun Weed’s commentaries on this wonderful plant for further information.
Here’s one patch, a little too dark for seeing details but yummy none the less…
Today some frosty, tasty and nourishing, itch relieving and bone strengthening Chickweed (Stellaria media, NL: Vogelmuur) in the Frankendael area of Amsterdam.
Today Black nightshade (Solanum nigra) – Toxic. It’s nice to see the reason for the name of this plant, those beautiful black mini tomato-like fruit.
And next is a photo of Chickweed (Stellaria media) in Paris last week. My friends Elodie & Herman were visiting there and spotted this lovely specimen. Even the drains look beautiful in Paris!
These two photos are from the new seating area on Beethovenstraat. The raised beds are filled with edible (if clean of course) Michaelmas Daisies, Lady’s mantle, Catnip and several other plants. Here is a Chickweed plant…
And a Gallant Soldiers, which are inhibited guests to the raised beds.
Urban Herbology 