A Year in the Valley

I always knew this was Water Mint, even before I knew there was such a thing.  It was one of the first plants we unearthed in the Water Meadow, when we were still getting to know it four years ago.  Its leaves have that unmistakable mint scent, not too strong unless you crush a leaf between your fingers.  It’s a safe plant and can be used in place of other mints in cooking, tea, Pimms etc.  It looks like a mint.  And then there are the flowers.  They’ve not been out long and are very photogenic.  I’ve struggled to decide which is my favourite picture.

Water Pepper is such an unassuming little plant that I nearly stepped over it until I noticed its tiny sorrel-type blooms.  As you can tell by its name it loves damp places.  I had to find out whether it was actually Water Pepper or Tasteless Water Pepper.  They both have white-pink flowers.  The flowers of the Water Pepper have little yellow dots.  The buds are green, as you can see, and the flower stems are nodding rather than upright.  The fruits are tiny nuts which are matt for the Water Pepper and shiny for the Tasteless Water Pepper.  So, I will have to check those out later.  The only other way is to taste the leaves – peppery vs flavourless.  But they have to be cooked first.