Be careful of the nettle. It is fierce this year. The goats don't mind, but my ankles do.
Do the goats look like they are getting high from eating nettle? It seems that dried nettle can be smoked for an interesting adventure.
Some of my nettle has pink flowers and dark red stems. Pretty. Is it a variety or just reacting to the full sun that hits it all day?
Here is a great view of nettle flowers, showing why the species name is dioica, which means "in two houses." The male and female flowers are clearly separate and different, in two houses, in fact. The males do their thing and die, while the females go on to make nettle seed, which we harvest and add to our cooking pot when making rice or oatmeal.
Wild Abandon Salad Greens
Here are photos of just a few of the many greens we are putting in our wild salads these days. Come harvest with us and we will introduce you to lots of others including wild oregano, chickweed, wild madder, ground ivy, wild mint, bergamot, sorrel, lemon hearts, and garlic mustard.
Amaranth
Although we prefer to cook amaranth (and the whole stalk is edible, so no preparation is needed), we do add a little to summer salads
Lamb's Quarter
Sister to amaranth, lamb's quarter needs preparation, as the stalk is too tough to eat no matter how long you cook it. We also prefer the greens cooked, but do add some to our salads.
Five-finger Ivy
I keep hearing folks claim that five-finger ivy isn't edible, but we continue to eat it and enjoy it. Perhaps there are various varities about? Ours tastes wonderfully lemony.
Mallows
All of the mallows, including Rose of Sharon, are edible. So is every hibiscus. Time to add some soothing leaves to the salad.
Wild Mustard
Pepper grasses are setting seeds. They are part of the wild mustard family, which contains only edible species. Some are too bitter to eat, and some are too sharp for some folks, but they are all edible, so find some wild mustards around you and have a taste test. Who knows what amazing salad additions you will discover.