Wild Flowers or Weeds

Herb Robert is a geranium - Geranium Robertianum, it grows as a weed or wild flower all over the allotments its on every plot except those that are kept weed or wild flower free,  although tasteless it can be used as a salad leaf or tea with honey and lemon and contains the powerful antioxidant vitamins A and C, as well as vitamin B. It is full of minerals such as iron, sodium, potassium, phosphorus, manganese, calcium and even the wonder trace mineral germanium. Germanium itself functions as a powerful free-radical scavenger (so it is a powerful anti-oxidant in its own right), as well as activating and catalyzing the use of oxygen within the body creating an oxygen rich super nourishing environment that is anti-viral and anti-biotic for the pathogenic (disease producing) organisms. Germanium improves electrical conductivity at a cellular level and is an important part of the DNA chain itself - therefore it is a very regenerating element to receive in our diet. Herb Robert also contains the powerful phyto-nutrient 'ellagic acid' which has powerful anti-tumor qualities being an anti-oxidant and anti-proliferative, helping to neutralise the effects of all of those harmful carcinogens that we take in on a daily basis just through ordinary living. Herb Robert is an adaptogen, meaning that it has a wonderful way of modulating the immune system by boosting it again when overly stressed.

Wild garlic

This is a picture of true wild garlic Allium ursinum also known as Ramsons there is none growing wild round the allotments but some has been planted by plot holders on their plots, all this plant is edible leaves flowers and bulbs.

Jack by the hedge

Alliaria petiolata, Garlic Mustard, Jack-by-the-hedge, this wild flower is growing as a weed all over the allotments this year and every where else, its a biennial  smelling of garlic the leaves are edible with a mild garlic taste it can be used in salads its rich in vitamins A and C.it is also the food plant of the Orange tip Butterfly.

Ponds and puddles

There are plenty of ponds on the Allotments large and small but all will attract wildlife,I have two ponds on my plot made from the bottoms of plastic barrels about 12ins deep. I am doing some work round this one at the moment it will have new plants around and the soil will be level with the top of the pond, the plants will be non invasive and low growing maybe a taller one at the back,In the pond i have oxygenators with Duckweed floating on top for shade this stops the water going green.

There are four Newts in this pond two male and two female they are hard to spot and even harder to get a photo with the reflection off the surface,This pic shows a male and female together. 

I filmed this in the rain you can see the rain drops rippling on the surface of the pond, its a male Newt hunting midge larvae.