Eat weeds -wild herbs in our garden

Ground Ivy

Ground Ivy
 Uses

stir fry, soups,salads
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 Flavouring cheeses and candy
in France added to cheese to promote mould and characteristic flavour
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Fermented drinks
 used by Saxons and French to flavoure and ferment beer


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Medicinal use
herbal tea/ infusion
Diuretic, astringent, tonic and gently stimulant. Useful in kidney diseases and for indigestion.
one of the most popular remedies for coughs and nervous headaches.

 excellent cooling beverage, known in the country as Gill Tea, is made from this plant, 1 OZ. of the herb being infused with a pint of boiling water, sweetened with honey, sugar or liquorice, and drunk when cool in wineglassful doses, three or four times a day. This used to be a favourite remedy with the poor for coughs of long standing, being much used in consumption. Ground Ivy was at one time one of the cries of London for making a tea to purify the blood. It is a wholesome drink and is still considered serviceable in pectoral complaints and in cases of weakness of the digestive organs, being stimulating and tonic, though it has long been discarded from the Materia Medica as an official plant, in favour of others of greater certainty of action. As a medicine useful in pulmonary complaints, where a tonic for the kidneys is required, it would appear to possess peculiar suitability, and is well adapted to all kidney complaints.

A fluid extract is also prepared, the dose being from 1/2 to 1 drachm. It has a bitter and acrid taste and a strong and aromatic odour.
The expressed juice of the fresh herb is diaphoretic, diuretic and somewhat astringent; snuffed up the nose, it has been considered curative of headache when all other remedies have failed. A snuff made from the dried leaves of Ground Ivy will render marked relief against a dull, congestive headache of the passive kind.
The expressed juice may also be advantageously used for bruises and 'black eyes.' It is also employed as an antiscorbutic, for which it has a long-standing reputation. Combined with Yarrow or Chamomile Flowers it is said to make an excellent poultice for abscesses, gatherings and tumours.
In America, painters used the Ground Ivy as a preventive of, and remedy for lead colic, a wineglassful of the freshly-made infusion being taken frequently.
The infusion is also used with advantage as a wash for sore and weak eyes.

source

Foraging while weeding :)
all good

wedged between lilac and roses
cleavers, nettles and ground ivy- all good :)

 Nettle leaf
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 uses
Hearty soup

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Spring Greens 

stir fry with tamari, garlic and sesame oil
fried with butter eggs

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 Nettle tea
reviving, blood cleansing, rich in iron
helps several ailments including eczema, asthma, hay fever and muscle aches and pains
  steep a few fresh tips in boiling water. It's advisable to remove the nettles when the water goes slightly green, otherwise the tea can become too bitter. 

Enhance the natural flavours of the tea with freshly sliced lemon
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Nettle Brew

  nettles, sugar, water, ginger, an orange and a lemon and cream of tartar.
See www.rivercottage.net for more information.

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Hair Conditionner
collect nettle roots and stalks
wash well and chop up
 Boil in minimum water for 20 min
drain and safe the liquid
( store in air tight jar in fridge)
 use 1/2 cup once/week rubbing well into scalp
or adding to rinsing water

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Natural Dye
for wool, cotton etc

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Liquid plant feed

Mix nettles with water to make a nitrogen-rich feed plants will love.

Cut or crush the nettles into small pieces and stuff as many as you can into a large container.

Weigh the nettles down with large bricks or rocks. This will stop them floating about when you add water.

Add water to the container until the nettles are fully submerged and leave for three to four weeks. It will get smelly so it is best not to leave it too close to the house.

Dilute the solution to make a liquid plant food suitable for direct application. Use roughly one part of concentrate to 10 parts of water.

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Aphid trap

The fresh growth of spring attracts aphids in their thousands. Although they suck the life from plants, stunting their growth, they are also a vital source of food for many beneficial insects and birds. Luckily, aphids love new nettle shoots, which has several benefits for the garden – it means you can use them as sacrificial plants, saving valuable ornamentals, and it may even stunt the nettle growth. The birds and insects will get their treat, too.
Source

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Ladybirds and butterflies heaven

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Rich soil indicator
 nettles need a soil rich in phosphates and nitrogen to really thrive.
Use a patch of healthy nettles as a sign of good soil and grow plants alongside them that thrive in similar conditions. Should you try to cultivate a clump of nettles, and they don't do well, your soil is likely to be at the heart of the problem. 

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Compost booster

Chopped nettles make a useful addition to the compost heap because they act as a natural activator and speed up the decomposition process. For best results, make sure the nettles are thoroughly mixed with lots of different materials – dry, wet, soft and woody – because they can become a bit slimy on their own. Unless your heap is very hot don't add nettle roots, just leaves – otherwise you run the risk of them forming new plants in your heap.
source

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Ground Ivy and Sweet Williams

Medlar tree

good weeds :) -raspberry leave, comfrey and cleavers

Comfrey

more Comfrey

Comfrey and Roses