Anyone who’s ever been out picking blackberries will know how addictive it can get: first you only see a few, but then suddenly there’s hundreds of ripe berries. Of course, each time you decide to stop picking you find another, even better looking branch with even bigger and sweeter berries. Earlier this evening I went out for a beautiful walk along the river, and brought a bag with me to pick lots of blackberries.
And then you get stung. Now I sting myself often on the prickly thorns – and although I don’t enjoy this, I don’t mind it as much as I do the burning sting of a nettle. Unfortunately, when getting greedy, you forget to look properly at the strategically placed nettles that are ready to harm you!
Nature luckily has a solution at hand (usually). There’s an amazing plant called Plantago Major, and all you need to do is pick its leaves and rub it over the place where the nettle has stung you. The sap from the leaves soothes the skin, and within no time your sting will be gone. These very useful plants just happen to grow in close proximity of nettles. Happy coincidence, right?
I’m off to make some preserve now, that I will be using in the cake I’ll be making tomorrow!
