Good Weeds

Good Weeds

Garden Clippings for Feb 7, 2026

Most gardeners have done it. When they least expect it. Pulling out weeds and a sudden jab of pain on the hands or arms. Like a bee sting.

The offender is Stinging Nettle, a perennial weed that resembles no other weed and is not easily identified. The quick solution is a pair of gloves.

Stinging Nettle is a nasty green weed that can grow to over 1 metre. Leaves are rough around the edges, with a pointed tip. The stems and underside of leaves are covered in tiny needles that are almost invisible. If a needle gets under your skin, it injects acids and other chemicals, causing sharp pain. Fortunately, the pain is short lived.

Gardeners who confront Stinging Nettle will have the urge to rid their garden of every trace of the weed. But before grabbing a hoe, they should harvest a small bunch, bring it to the kitchen and make a pot of hot tea. Add a few mint leaves for flavour, and drink it up for numerous health benefits including treatment for inflammation, allergies and prostate issues.

A cup of Stinging Nettle Tea is not likely to give reason to cancel your next doctor’s appointment, but will certainly provide a valuable multi-vitamin boost.

If you can’t find Stinging Nettle in the backyard, try Dandelions, the bane of lawn lovers. All parts of Dandelions are edible, nutritious and beneficial for the environment.

Although Dandelions growing in our lawns are not native to Canada, we appreciate them as a food source for pollinators in early spring months. Dandelions’ long tap root improves soil by breaking up compacted soil and adding nutrients.

Purslane, the succulent-like plant that grows rampant in veggie gardens in mid-summer, is packed with nutrients. Eat Purslane raw or cooked. Purslane contains high levels of Omega-3, is a rich antioxidant, and aids in inflammatory ailments.

Clover is the plant that lawn lovers love to hate. On the plus side, Clover, a legume, fixes nitrogen, adding nutrients to grass and improving soil texture. Clover grows in poor soil, requires little attention and doesn’t need mowing. On the negative side, when grass turns yellowish because of drought, Clover remains green, giving the lawn an inconsistent patchy look that can be improved only with water.

Next week’s Garden Clippings will deal with the worst weeds that are of little benefit.