Purple Dead Nettle

This afternoon we went for what may have been the coldest bike ride we’ve ever been on. Our fault - we were underdressed, having sat in the sunny conservatory for lunch we thought it was a lot warmer than it was. To be honest all I could think about was cycling hard to get round and finish but surprisingly P’s Garmin said we were relatively slow.

I did stop briefly to photograph this purple field. At first glance as we turned the corner, I thought of heather, but it could never be that in Hertfordshire. Purple dead nettle is a common find, but I’ve never seen a whole field of it before. Quite spectacular.

Edit: Foraging notes - the flowering tops are edible and extremely nutritious. They can be chopped and added a to salads, soups, stews and stir fries. The plant contains antihistamine, anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, astringent, immuno-stimulating, and styptic properties.