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Sambucus nigra NL: Vlier / F: Sureau Noir Elder is a great pioneer shrub or small tree that can come to help when replanting woodlands or in a forest garden project. It grows very quick, it is resistant and helps to shelter and support larger, slow-growing trees, protecting them from harsh weather. It is a great garden-guardian, protecting the neighboring plants against undesirable insects.  Elder leaves can be prepared in a decoction to be used as  insect repellent  spray as well as to treat plants from fungal infection, leaf rot and powdery mildew. It improves fermentation of compost piles when growing near it. In fact, the plant can activate composting processes when added to compost heaps. The only edible parts of the plant are the flowers and the very ripe berries, like in when they are really dark purple-black. Even then, the berries are safer to be consumed when cooked, as the possible traces of cyanogenic substances are then destroyed by cooking. Red-brownish berr...

Geum urbanum NL: Geel nagelkruid / F: Benoîte Other popular names: herb Bennet, colewort and St. Benedict's herb. Wood avens, as its name suggests, is found in woodlands and other shady places. The young leaves can be eaten, cooked as potherb. Older leaves can be dried and powdered to be added to herbal salt. The roots can be harvested either in spring, when they can be more aromatic, or from september until late in the winter, as long as the soil is not so hard frosted. The root is the most popular part of this plant to be used in culinary creations. It adds an aromatic hint of cinnamon and cloves to dishes, soups or drinks, such as lemonades or chai. Wood avens has a long list of medicinal properties. It is a good astringent herb that can help treat diarrhea, hemorrhoids, vaginal discharges, mouth ulcers, throat inflammation. It relieves irritable bowel syndrome and various other gastro-intestinal disorders. In old folk medicine it was believed to be a remedy against poison and ...

Trifolium repens NL: Witte klaver / F: Trèfle blanc White clover is found growing abundantly in various types of environments and soils. In urban areas it can be spotted all over grass fields as it is widely used to improve lawn quality. It is one of the most popular, easy-to-use green manure plants, helping to fix nitrogen into the soil, strengthening the health of the surrounding plants. It is particularly great to be sown together with crops from the grass family, such as rye, barley, rice... Permaculture master Masanobu Fukuoka used it widely in his highly productive rice fields.  White clover is also an amazing “living mulch”. It makes a great soil cover, keeping it moist, helping to restore soil fertility and preventing erosion. It is thus handy to have it grown for instance on the sides of raised garden beds or as cover for pathways. It also attracts bees and other pollinators. It is a highly nutritious edible, particularly the young leaves, which can be eaten raw or prepa...

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Aegopodium podagaria NL: Zevenblad / F:  L'égopode podagraire Also known as goutweed, ground elder is one of the first abundant edible greens that appear in spring time, together with cow parsley and nettles. It has a long history of being used as medicine-food. It was cultivated as food crop in the middle ages (probably before that too), and that seems to me a very smart thing since it is such a strong plant that does not need much care, growing strongly in harsh conditions, at a time when not many other plant foods are available.  The young tender leaves are preferred, before the plant is in flower. The flowering point can be postponed however by harvesting the top of the plants regularly. When the leaves are a bit more mature they can get a less appealing taste and they may act as laxative. Choosing only younger leaves before the flowers come out seems to be the way to go! They can be prepared as spinach, in stews, soups, sandwich, pies, you name it. In old folk medicine gr...

Tropaeoulum majus NL: Oost-Indische Kers / F: Capucine This cute climbing plant comes originally from the Andean region, but it seem to do pretty well in most climates. It is praised as much for its ornamental aspect as it is for its culinary and medicinal uses. Its hot-pungent taste, a little stronger than watercress at times,  makes it a delicious - and cute! - salad ingredient. Leaves, flowers and seeds are all edible, very rich in vitamin C. I like using the larger leaves (when they grow in shadowy places the leaves can get as large as 15cm of diameter!) in my green smoothies, leaving the sweet flowers to salads. The young seeds are even hotter than the flowers and leaves and they can be ground, added as spice to salad dressings or stews, or they can be prepared as capers. The mature seeds contain more than 25% of protein and they can be dried and ground to be used as a healthier pepper substitute. In medicinal herbalism is nasturtium mostly known as an expectorant and disinfec...

Geranium robertianum NL: Robertskruid F: Géranium Herbe à Robert Geranium robertianum grows spontaneous and abundantly in many gardens. Some people keep wondering about its edibility, since there is not much to be found about it in books on edible wild plants. Its less than appealing taste seems to be at least partly responsible for its absence in culinary creations. In survival situations, where one would need to live on what’s available, this plant could be a real asset, since it is rich in essential nutrients such as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamins A, C, etc. It is also rich in the element germanium, which has antioxidant activity, helps to strengthen the immune system and is essential to providing energy and oxygen to the cells. Even though this little plant does is no longer so popular among modern herbalists, it used to be highly praised in old times. Nicholas Culpeper used it for kidney stones and skin irritations.  Its leaves, stems and roots can be used as a...

Valeriana officinalis NL: Valeriaan / F: Valériane Valerian is one of the most widely recognized medicinal herb of our times. Its sedating powers have been documented since around 460 B.C. As a powerful and versatile nervine, valerian has been used to relieve anxiety, stress, irritability, hysteria, panic attacks, delusions, attention deficit disorders, hyperactivity and the wide range of symptoms that are related to tension and nervousness. It has also great antispasmodic effects, being employed to relieve (nervousness-induced) migraines, muscle pain, uterine cramps, intestinal colic and even rheumatic pain, sciatica, multiple sclerosis and epilepsy.  Due to its stress-reducing properties, it seems to have a positive effect on heart problems and it helps to stabilize blood pressure.  Valerian is also used to aid in digestive ailments, relieving gas, diarrhea, cramps and it may even help to treat irritable bowel syndrome. Native Americans used chewed valerian, applying it dire...