Green lawns became popular with aristocracy in Northern Europe in 17th century, but they were not nearly as impractical as they are today. There were no machines for mowing, and the lawns were mainly used for grazing animals. They needed no maintenance, for the abundance of rain, sheep, cows and horses. Smaller lawns for decoration and social functions became the status symbol around the castles of the aristocracy. Yet they were not all green grass - they were mostly made up of chamomile, clover and other short meadow flowers. The short green lawns came into being at the end of the 19th century, as a result of the invention of the lawn mowers and sprinklers. Now they have practically taken over the suburbia, which appears to me a total waste. They require a lot of watering, the grass dies and browns quickly when cut short, and lack of flowers leaves bees and butterflies hungry.
The nature endowed the fields and meadows with hundreds of nutritious and medicinal plants, which are also quite beautiful, and I find it very foolish not to appreciate the nature's gifts. It makes me furious to see the beautiful flowers being shaved off all around the neighborhood. The short patchy stubble left in place of clover and daisies reminds me of military and prison crew cuts. To me it is an abuse of nature.
How weeds are used medicinally
Most weeds are used medicinally as tea or infusion, or a decoction. Everyone knows how to make tea, also called an infusion, by boiling the water, pouring it over the herb, and steeping it for at least 10 minutes. A decoction is different - it is made by boiling the herb in water. This method is necessary when you use the stalks, bark, or the roots - the tougher parts of a plant. Use a pot or a saucepan. Drop the shredded or chopped herb, roots or bark in the pan of boiling water, reduce heat so it is just barely boiling, cover with a lid, leaving perhaps a tiny crack for a vent, and let it boil for about 20-30 minutes, until there is only a half of the liquid you started with remaining. Strain and let cool, add honey if needed.Broadleaf Plantain
Clover
Red Clover has also been used traditionally to treat: cancer, whooping cough, respiratory problems, and skin inflammations, such as psoriasis and eczema, to improve circulation, and to help cleanse the liver. Modern scientific tests have shown that red clover contains isoflavones, plant based chemicals that produce estrogen like effects in the body. Isoflavones have shown potential in the treatment of a number of conditions associated with menopause, such as hot flashes, cardiovascular health, and osteoporosis. Red clover is a source of many nutrients including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C.Read the complete article on University of Maryland Medical Center site.
Crabgrass
Dandelion
You can put the leaves in salads, and you can boil them or steam them. The flowers can be made into delicious wine, or stir-fried, or steamed, or boiled. Dandelion leaves have large amounts of numerous vitamins, including A, C, D, and B-complexes, as well as minerals like iron, magnesium, zinc potassium, manganese, copper, choline, calcium, so why would you go to the store and pay money for something like lettuce, which has hardly any nutritional value!
Dig up the plants for the roots, wash the roots and dry them. Dandelion root tea is good for a huge list of things: to purify liver and gallbladder, to treat pneumonia, bronchitis, and other respiratory disorders. Dandelion can improve general health, and is beneficial to the kidneys, pancreas, spleen, stomach, and other organs. Dandelion is also recommended for the treatment of tinnitus, tonsillitis, osteoporosis, abscesses, anemia, boils, mammary tumors, cirrhosis, water retention, hepatitis, jaundice, rheumatism, and warts. Dandelion may also be effective in eliminating or averting age spots. Take a pinch of dried root and boil in about 8oz of clean filtered water, reduce the heat and let slow boil until water is brown. Drink twice a day hot or cold.
