Do you recall sitting in the grass as a child making a Slabhra Sí (Fairy Chain) from these beautiful little flowers? Maybe you pulled each petal off and recited “he loves me…he loves me not” to foretell your future romance. And today you might be familiar with its aromatic cousin Chamomile which many take as a tea to calm and relax. Whatever your association with our best known native plant Daisy, its always a pleasure to see this happy little one emerge from the earth from March to October.
It’s been known as the “Gardeners Friend” and as an ointment has been known to help the joint aches and pains that you might find in someone who has been bending down all day. You can use daisy as a replacement for arnica (arnica is actually a type of daisy that grows in the Alps). It can also be made into a lotion for eye ailments and as an ointment for burns.
In recent times, studies into the properties of this plant reveal that it contains nearly as much vitamin C as a lemon! So, by all means, add them to your diet – they are edible. Pick the young leaves and flowers and add to a salad or as an edible garnish. Daisy tea is an easy one to make, just add 2 teaspoons to 1 cup of boiled water and let sit for 10 minutes. Strain away and drink the liquid.
Or like many, just sit out in the garden and admire the hundreds of humble daisies. It’s Latin name is “bellis perenis” and if you translate that it means “beautiful & lives forever”.
