My mantra for the garden and life

“Nature provides what you need” …in a weed.

I have an abundance of dandelion, which is a highly nutritious medicinal plant, growing as a weed in my garden. Many would have picked the flowers (the seeded head) to make a wish and blow the seeds into the air, yet don’t realise they’ve left the best part of the plant behind.

You can use every part of the dandelion plant – the leaves and flowers are great in salads or dried to make tea, and the roots can be dried and brewed as a coffee substitute. I pick and eat a couple of leaves before meals as a digestive and it’s an excellent liver tonic.

Food Fact from Dr Mercola:

Dandelions contain one of the richest sources of beta carotene of all herbs, numerous flavonoids (including FOUR times the beta carotene of broccoli), lutein, cryptoxanthin, zeaxanthin, vitamins (including folic acid, riboflavin, pyroxidine, niacin, and vitamins E and C), a high source of vitamin K1, and minerals (including magnesium, calcium, potassium, manganese, and iron). Every part of the dandelion is edible and full of nutrition and its leaves are rich in dietary fibre. 

So there you have it … feed from a weed.

That is, as long as you don’t spray it! (like they do on the current ‘Roundup Weedkiller’ TV ad).

Gaby Bonello – Ki Life Kinesiology, Northern Beaches Sydney.