DOWN TO EARTH in The City

 Wayside Flowers are not WEEDS  White Dead Nettle (Lamium album)   Wayside Flowers are essential nectar-rich supplies for many invertebrates in the urban environment. If we allow them to flourish they will also provide untold pleasures for the wayside walker and long-lasting memories for youngsters on their daily walkabout. For some reason, local authorities spend many thousands of pounds in an attempt to destroy our naturally growing wild plants and growers spend many thousands of pounds suppressing wild plants in gardens and allotments.  Every wild plant has a name and a valuable connection to other plants and animals, giving a hint of its true value. The very term, 'weedy', is a misnomer, often used to suggest weakness and something to be rid of, yet on the contrary, these plants are hardy, resilient and strong, often growing in inhospitable places and pioneering the way for a succession of other plants.  Danish Scurvy Grass has rapidly colonised roadside verges and edges ov