Tabithad's Garden
Lady's Mantle
Genus: Alchemilla.
Species: Alchemilla mollis.
Position: full sun or partial shade
Soil: moist, humus-rich soil
Rate of Growth: fast-growing
Flowering period: June to September
Hardiness: fully hardy
No garden should be without this beautiful and useful perennial. It has scalloped, bright green leaves which catch droplets of water that look like quicksilver and from June to September, it produces a frothy haze of tiny, chartreuse yellow flowers. Its ideal planted en masse for groundcover or edging paths, it tolerates a range of adverse conditions including heavy clay and, once established, is drought tolerant. Alchemilla mollis takes its name comes from the Arabic, meaning little magical one, due both to its reputation for having healing properties and because its leaves catch the morning dew. In the Middle Ages, the water collected from alchemilla leaves was believed to have magical properties.
Garden care: Cut back the faded flower heads and foliage in August and the plant will often produce a second flush of flowers. Alchemilla has a tendency to self-seed freely, so to minimise the spread of the plant remove the seedheads carefully after flowering.
