Weeds: annoying to remove and ugly? There are many types of weeds, but not all types are too ugly to have in the garden. Weeds are even sold in flower shops, because we like it so much that we want to plant it voluntarily in our garden. Weeding is a tough task and in some cases unnecessary. Especially when beautiful red poppies and white dead nettles brighten up your garden! In addition, some weeds, such as the forget-me-not, attract butterflies. Other weeds are also a source of life for beneficial insects, such as bees.
The graceful poppy
The poppy in general
The poppy (the genus Papaver) is a plant with beautiful flowers that mainly have a red color, but can also be orange, white, lilac or purple. The largest poppy species (the big poppy) can reach eighty centimeters in height and the flowers can reach a diameter of up to ten centimeters. The plant is known in some countries as the symbol of the First World War, because they bloomed profusely on the battlefields with trenches and mass graves in Flanders. In the Netherlands five different poppies are found in the wild: the hybrid poppy (Papaver hybridum), pale poppy (Papaver dubium), big poppy (Papaver rhoeas), rough poppy (Papaver argemone) and the sleeping bulb (Papaver somniferum). Most poppy varieties bloom from May to August.
Poppies grow in open, transformed places that are rich in nutrients. So you can find them in your garden, but also on nutrient-rich soils in fields or along railways. The seeds of the poppy can remain hidden under the soil for years before they sprout and come to the surface. If you don’t have poppies in your garden and you want them, buy a bag of seeds from the florist. The poppy may be weeds, but many find the plant too beautiful for that.
Opium and poppy seeds
Opium is the dried juice that is produced from the sleeping bulb. It was used in China for centuries as a medicine or stimulant. Today it is not so much the opium that is widely used, but a number of substances in the opium. The best known of these is morphine, which is used to make heroin, among other things. Morphine is mainly used as a pain reliever and has the side effect of making the affected patient sleepy. The name ?? sleeping bulb ?? is not called that for nothing. Heroin has the same properties as morphine, but because the substance is more addictive than morphine, it is used as little as possible in the Netherlands.
The seeds of the sleeping bulb are also called poppy seeds that can be found on bulbs from the bakery.
The blue forget-me-not
The forget-me-not in general
The forget-me-not (genus Myosotis) usually has light blue, and sometimes pink or white, flowers that bloom from May to July. The flowers grow to a few millimeters to one centimeter in diameter. Forget-me-nots often have multiple flowers on one flower stem. Many flower types have the flower at the top of the stem, such as poppies. With forget-me-nots, the flowers are also on the sides of the flower stem. The plant is usually about six inches high and the outliers can reach a height of two inches.
There are eight species in the Netherlands: the field forget-me-not (Myosotis arvensis), multi-colored forget-me-not (Myosotis discolor), you forget-me-not (Myosotis laxa subsp. Cespitosa), rough forget-me-not (Myosotis ramosissima), swamp forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides subsp. Scorpioides), meadow forget-me-not (Myosotis scorpioides subsp. Nemorosa), forest forget-me-not (Myosotis sylvatica) and the very rare stiff forget-me-not (Myosotis stricta). The plant grows in many different places (such as grasslands and near waters), often as long as there is shade. The only exception to that rule is the forest forget-me-not. If you have a nutrient-rich, sunny and moist garden, chances are that that plant will be around the corner.
Why the name ?? forget-me-not ???
The name of the plant has two different origins. The first is derived from a medieval story about a knight. He walked along a river with his lover and picked a bunch of flowers for her. When he picked the flowers, he fell forward and quickly threw the bunch at his lover. The last words he said when he drowned were “Don’t forget me”.
According to a Greek legend, the plant owes its name to God. God made up names for all plants, but almost forgot a little plant with blue flowers. The flower shouted, “Oh Lord, don’t forget me!”, After which God said he would call it that.
The non-stinging white dead nettle
The white dead nettle in general
The white dead nettle (Lamium album) has very distinctive white (sometimes yellowish) flowers in the shape of a lip. The flowers are about two to four inches in size. As with forget-me-nots, the flowers are not only on the top of the flower stem, but also on the sides of the stem. The flowers of the white dead nettle are not spread out, but rather symmetrical on the flower stalk. Another well-known example of this is the orchid. The white dead nettle can reach a height of five feet, but usually does not exceed forty centimeters. The serrated leaves are very similar to those of the nettle.
The white dead nettle grows in nutrient-rich, moist and shady places, often between trees and shrubs. The plant is an excellent ground cover and gives other weeds almost no chance to grow. Keep an eye on the plant, because it grows quickly. The flowering time of the white dead nettle is from April to October.
Tea and salad from the white dead nettle
The attribution ?? nettle ?? might suggest that the plant stings like the nettle, but that is not the case. In fact, the juice from the leaves will quench the nettle’s thorny (painful) sensation. For that reason the plant was given the name “dead nettle”. The leaves of young white dead nettles can be eaten raw in salads, for example. The flowers are also used to make tea, which purifies the blood, lowers cholesterol and has an anti-inflammatory effect on the mouth and throat.
The beautiful daisy
The daisy in general
The daisy (Bellis perennis) in Latin means “eternal beauty”. The flowers of the daisy are white or pinkish white and grow to about one to three centimeters. The white flowers are often depicted in scenes (such as in paintings) of the Virgin Mary. That’s where the Dutch name madeliefje (virgin-sweet) may come from. The plant can reach a height of up to fifteen centimeters, but is usually about ten centimeters high. The plant does not need a very specific habitat to grow. As long as the temperature does not fall below -17 ° C, the plant grows all year round. In the garden, the plant prefers lawns with a lot of grass.
The daisy is world famous
The plant is a symbol in several countries. As early as the sixth century BC, the flowers were richly depicted on the city gates of the ancient city of Babylon. In Mesopotamia (the area of roughly present-day Iraq and Syria), the daisy was regarded as a symbol of the fertility goddess Ishtar. In the Christian faith, the flower symbolizes virginity. In the Middle Ages, the flower was it medicine to heal wounds. The flowers were also eaten at the time, because it would reduce muscle pain, cleanse blood and counteract inflammation in the body. The flower is also hidden in the coat of arms of the French king Louis IX (1214-1270). Today, in the 21st century, daisies are used by homeopaths or put on salads for decoration.
The white real chamomile
Chamomile in general
The real chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) looks like a daisy at first glance, but it is a completely different species. The Chamomile has white flowers with a striking large yellow center that can occupy about half the diameter of the entire flower. The flowers grow to about one to two and a half centimeters in diameter and grow on a tall flower stem that can reach heights of up to forty centimeters. Chamomile grows in open, tilled areas with a lot of sunlight, such as lawns. Especially during the flowering months (May to August), a garden full of chamomile can look beautiful.
The varied uses of chamomile
In ancient Egypt, the flowers were already grown because they would help against all kinds of ailments. Chamomile pollen has even been found in the stomach of the mummy of Pharaoh Ramesses II (circa 1300-1213 BC). In the Middle Ages, the plant was believed to keep witches away when hung on the house. Today, chamomile is often used in oils and creams to prevent eczema and skin irritations. In addition, there is chamomile tea that helps with insomnia, headaches and flatulence, among other things. Products containing chamomile are often pricey because picking the flowers is very labor-intensive and the yield is quite low.