Lady’s Mantle, Alchemilla mollis, is said to have derived its name from the fact that alchemists used to collect the dew drops that formed in the large palmate shaped leaves overnight to use in making medicines.
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This cheeky little plant loves to surprise you by popping up all over the garden
This herbaceous perennial is a member of the rose family with attractive pale green or grey green leaves and star shaped chartreuse flowers.
It grows best in an open position in moist soil as it doesn’t like dry conditions.
A very popular planting in cottage gardens and shady borders.
Viola tricolor
Viola tricolor, sometimes affectionately known as Johnny Jump Ups, heartsease or wild pansies, are the forerunners of the modern pansies and violas.
This came about when Viola tricolor was crossed with Viola lutea.
This cheeky little plant with a spreading habit self seeds freely and loves to surprise you by popping up all over the garden.
Ideal positions are borders, rockeries, alpine gardens and containers. Seeds can be sown but seedlings are also available in punnets from nurseries.
This plant has a history of medicinal uses and dyes were made from the yellow, green and blue-green flowers but today they brighten up our gardens by appearing in the most unexpected places.
The tiny pansy flower faces come in shades of purple, yellow, blue, and white and retain their colour remarkably well and are ideal subjects for those who like to make pressed flower pictures and cards.
For best results pick the flowers early in the morning as soon as the dew has dried.
Capeweed
Capeweed has a daisy-like flower and is a common pest in lawns because it spreads and smothers the grass. This annual has yellow flowers in early spring.
The petals are bright yellow gradually fading to a deep cream as they age.
They have brown marking on the base of the petals and the centres are dark.
Capeweed has a long tap root which makes it hard to eradicate.
It relies on seeds for propagation and these small hard seeds are covered with woolly hairs.
To control dig out plants and immediately place in a sealed bag then throw in the bin.
Don’t compost. It may take several years to completely get rid of capeweed as it has a high germination rate so you need to continually monitor the area and dig out small plants as soon as they are noticed.
It has taken me twenty years to rid my garden of this persistent weed.
