Spring took its own sweet time in arriving this year. Winter simply did not want to loosen its grip. Finally, the spring peepers are singing their chorus, red-winged blackbirds have appeared and plants are starting to awaken.
Here is Stinging Nettles, Urtica dioica. Notice the purple/red runners that nettles sends out to spread from place to place. Yes, indeed, this plant will sting you! When it reaches about a foot high, I will harvest the aerial parts. I use garden gloves, salad tongs and scissors to harvest. Come back in a few weeks and I will share some delicious recipes for nettles. It is nutritious and really good.
This is Motherwort, Leonurus cardiaca. Motherwort will grow to 3-4 feet tall. It is really a great herb for some types of anxiety, especially when someone needs to be "lion-hearted", as the Latin name suggests. I usually use it in tincture form, as it is quite bitter.
Lady's Mantle, Alchemilla mollis, is just beginning to unfurl her cloak. When I lived in England, it seemed EVERY English garden had Lady's mantle. It is a really pretty mounding plant that will casually spill over a walkway. The Latin name tells of its one-time use by alchemists. There is said to be magic in the dew that collects in the folds of the leaves. I like to dip my finger in the dew and anoint my face with it. Can't hurt! And it's rather fun.
