Plant Lady

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Lady’s mantle can be propagated both from seed and by division, although dividing plants is usually easier. If you want to divide the plants, it is best to do this in autumn or spring. Dividing lady’s mantle Lady’s mantle is a light and frost germinator. So, sow the seeds between October and January to stimulate germination with the cold temperatures. Suttons strives to ensure that all its plants are delivered to you in the perfect condition for planting. While the majority of our nursery plants cope well with slight delays in intransit, sadly, the time it takes to deliver to certain locations in the UK means that we can't guarantee this for some of our smaller plug products and tender bedding and vegetable lines, which do not respond well to the extra journey time. So regretfully while we offer the majority of our live plant offering nationwide, we are unable to ship plugs, begging plants and tender vegetable plants to the following areas: HS, IV41-IV49, IV51, IV55-56, KW15-KW17, PA34, PA41-48, PA60-PA78, PA80, PH40-PH44, TR21-TR24, ZE1-ZE3.

Lady’s mantle has many benefits: it has a digestive, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and analgesic effect. Since the Middle Ages, lady’s mantle plants have been used in gynaecology, for example to treat menstrual cramps or during menopause. A lady’s mantle tea brewed from the leaves or flowers of the plant may also help with colds or mild gastrointestinal complaints. The medicinal properties of lady’s mantle come from the tannins, flavonoids and bitter substances contained within it. During pregnancy, however, the use of lady’s mantle should be avoided, as complications with the uterus may occur due to the herb’s antispasmodic effect. Is lady’s mantle poisonous? Ellen Mary, pictured right, featured in ‘Grow your own’ magazine’s article ‘ 5 Influential Women in The World of Horticulture,’ having co-hosted the podcast ‘The Plant Based Podcast’ and developed and presented the first completely live horticultural show, broadcast on YouTube and Facebook. Alchemilla faeroensis ssp. Pumila: Another dwarf lady’s mantle which stems from the Faroe islands. Alchemilla faeroensis ssp. Pumila grows to only about 2 to 5 cm tall. This variety will please miniature plant enthusiasts and pot gardeners. This Alchemilla variety feels most at home in sunny, stony locations. Growing lady’s mantle: location, plant spacing and more Now cut the perennial piece into root balls about the size of a fist, with the spade or an old knife.Lady’s mantle is an herbaceous perennial that grows anywhere from 5 to 50 cm high, depending on the species. Alchemilla plants have round, scalloped, leaves that are hairy on the underside. Lady’s mantle owes its unique name to its leaves that should resemble the Virgin Mary’s coat, which is often depicted as pleated. Tip: Lady’s mantle owes its Latin name to another phenomenon, the dewdrops that form on its leaves. Druids and alchemists collected the water from the plant’s leaves to synthesise magical remedies, gold or the philosopher’s stone, thus the genus name Alchemilla. However, the water on the foliage is often not dew at all, but rather secreted by the plants themselves at the leaf edge: in boatanical terms, this is called gutation. The formation of dewdrops is a special phenomenon that characterises lady’s mantle

Plant lady’s mantle either in spring or autumn. Spring planting is best suited for Alchemilla, as the weather is usually not too dry at this time and it ensures enough time for the plant to get well established before the winter. The plant spacing depends on the species and ranges from 25 cm for dwarf lady’s mantle to 40 cm for Alchemilla vulgaris and Alchemilla mollis. Lady’s mantle looks best when planted in groups. For instance, of the 700 National Trust gardening staff and apprentices, there are “almost as many women gardeners as men” according to their training specialist, Kate Nicoll.If the section is exposed, prise it out of the soil with the spade. Do not pull it out by the leaves, as these tear off easily. Lady’s mantle flowers from May to August. The small Alchemilla flowers cluster in dense blooms, called umbels. From September onwards, its seeds will ripen and form small, inconspicuous nut fruits, which serve to propagate and spread the plant. Lady’s mantle is a very slug-resistant plant. Outside, place the tray in a sheltered, sunny spot. With sufficient moisture, the seeds will germinate after exposure to the winter cold as soon as it gets warmer again. First cut all around the piece to be replanted with a spade. Since lady’s mantle spreads through its roots, you will have to cut some of the plant’s roots. No species of lady’s mantle is poisonous. This is true for both humans and animals. However, if you eat too much, it can cause nausea due to the high tannin content.