Looking at weeds
@GardenGerty (169477)
United States
April 16, 2016 9:09pm CST
I was looking around my yard that needs to be mowed. Also around the frisbie fields.
Having taken an herbal class I am beginning to appreciate some of the humble plants I have seen all of my life.
Today I saw yarrow in the field. It is a plant I would nibble as a child. It turns out it is very healthy and people make tea from it and salves. It helps control bleeding among other things. I learned this in my herbal class.
I have a lot of Shepherd's Purse in my back yard. It turns out that it is used all over the world as an edible plant. It is featured in a lot of Asian cooking. I remember seeing this as early as five years old. In my mind I called it Goose Foot plant.
One of the other community gardeners enjoys eating pepper grass. I sampled that when I was young as well.
There is a lot of nutrition growing in our yards and fields. I have included a free image of drawings of the parts of the plant called shepherd's purse.
5 people like this
4 responses
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
17 Apr 16
I think, until we've done a little research, we take for granted the health benefits growing in our yards. Dandelions, a pesky weed, can actually be used as a jam or tea, and has it's own health benefits. THough it's a very bitter weed.
I've been learning more about herbs and the such, going on etsy and researching some of the things I've found to see benefits, side effects, etc. I am actually using a salve now that has the yarrow plant in it.
It's helped me tremendously thus far.
2 people like this
@GardenGerty (169477)
• United States
17 Apr 16
The lady I do classes with makes a yarrow salve and she says that applying it across your cheeks actually helps prevent nosebleeds. I have always loved yarrow. I have had dandelion jelly but it mostly tasted of lemon.
1 person likes this
@ScribbledAdNauseum (104615)
• United States
17 Apr 16
@GardenGerty That's interesting. I think I have ever only had one nose bleed my entire life, and I was a young child when it happened. The weather will soon (before we know it) be turning humid and I believe that's when nosebleeds are more prevalent?
As for the dandelion jelly, I"ve never had the jelly but I have had the tea. I imagine lemon would do nicely to keep it from being bitter as well, but the stuff just made me feel sick so I stopped using it.
@GardenGerty (169477)
• United States
17 Apr 16
I should start doing the dandelions as part of salad or tea, I have an abundance and they are not sprayed. I have chickweed I think, and I know I have henbit which they tell me is a good salad herb as well. I included henbit in an image here.
1 person likes this
@LadyDuck (502481)
• Italy
17 Apr 16
@GardenGerty I have found the English name of something that tastes like spinach, it's purslane. I have plenty in summer in the garden.
@LadyDuck (502481)
• Italy
18 Apr 16
@richnonai I like spinach, I have planted some in the garden, I like to make spinach and ricotta ravioli.
@peavey (16936)
• United States
17 Apr 16
I remember shepherd's purse and pepper grass, too, but they don't grow in my yard. Yet. I am working toward allowing it to slowly return to a more natural state. I have dandelions (of course), lambsquarter, common mallow and wild salsify. I have dock seed and milkweed seed gathered from the wild, so we shall see. It's a good thing I have a privacy fence. 
@fishtiger58 (29819)
• Momence, Illinois
17 Apr 16
Interesting I wonder what goodies I have in my back yard.
