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If the section is exposed, prise it out of the soil with the spade. Do not pull it out by the leaves, as these tear off easily. In summary then, it seems fair to say that the pioneers of the 18th and 19th centuries opened up the horticultural world to generations of women, whether as a fulfilling career or a rewarding past-time. Lady’s mantle is an herbaceous perennial that grows anywhere from 5 to 50 cm high, depending on the species. Alchemilla plants have round, scalloped, leaves that are hairy on the underside. Lady’s mantle owes its unique name to its leaves that should resemble the Virgin Mary’s coat, which is often depicted as pleated.

No species of lady’s mantle is poisonous. This is true for both humans and animals. However, if you eat too much, it can cause nausea due to the high tannin content. And now there’s a new wave of female gardeners helping make gardening ‘cool’ via blog posts, podcasts and social media. Often linking the subject to wellbeing, these influencers are bringing a passion for gardening to a new generation. Ellen Mary, pictured right, featured in ‘Grow your own’ magazine’s article ‘ 5 Influential Women in The World of Horticulture,’ having co-hosted the podcast ‘The Plant Based Podcast’ and developed and presented the first completely live horticultural show, broadcast on YouTube and Facebook.It was very encouraging to see two female finalists in the RHS Young Designer Awards at the 2021 RHS Tatton Park Flower Show. Both Ellie Edkis and Emilie Bausager were successful, with Emilie’s design winning a Silver award and Ellie’s a Bronze. We are following their careers with interest and look forward to supporting their future show gardens. Lady’s mantle is a light and frost germinator. So, sow the seeds between October and January to stimulate germination with the cold temperatures.

There are many lady’s mantle varieties with a diverse array of characteristics and needs. Needless to say, there is an Alchemilla plant to suit every garden. Here are some of the most popular lady’s mantle varieties: Suttons strives to ensure that all its plants are delivered to you in the perfect condition for planting. While the majority of our nursery plants cope well with slight delays in intransit, sadly, the time it takes to deliver to certain locations in the UK means that we can't guarantee this for some of our smaller plug products and tender bedding and vegetable lines, which do not respond well to the extra journey time. So regretfully while we offer the majority of our live plant offering nationwide, we are unable to ship plugs, begging plants and tender vegetable plants to the following areas: HS, IV41-IV49, IV51, IV55-56, KW15-KW17, PA34, PA41-48, PA60-PA78, PA80, PH40-PH44, TR21-TR24, ZE1-ZE3. Outside, place the tray in a sheltered, sunny spot. With sufficient moisture, the seeds will germinate after exposure to the winter cold as soon as it gets warmer again. There is still some work to be done to achieve the gender equality that the International Women’s Day calls for with its #EachforEqual campaign.

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First cut all around the piece to be replanted with a spade. Since lady’s mantle spreads through its roots, you will have to cut some of the plant’s roots. Lady’s mantle flowers from May to August. The small Alchemilla flowers cluster in dense blooms, called umbels. From September onwards, its seeds will ripen and form small, inconspicuous nut fruits, which serve to propagate and spread the plant. Lady’s mantle is a very slug-resistant plant. This robust, drought- tolerant flower plant will bloom year after year without any work on your part! The Geum Plant - Lady Stratheden will produce panicles of the attractive flowers all through the spring and summer. The foliage is also pretty amazing, the evergreen or semi- evergreen leaves are great for providing ground cover all through the winter. The Geum Plant - Lady Stratheden grows to a height of 50cm (20"); spread 60cm (24"). Growing Information Growing Information Now cut the perennial piece into root balls about the size of a fist, with the spade or an old knife.

Alchemilla faeroensis ssp. Pumila: Another dwarf lady’s mantle which stems from the Faroe islands. Alchemilla faeroensis ssp. Pumila grows to only about 2 to 5 cm tall. This variety will please miniature plant enthusiasts and pot gardeners. This Alchemilla variety feels most at home in sunny, stony locations. Growing lady’s mantle: location, plant spacing and more For instance, of the 700 National Trust gardening staff and apprentices, there are “almost as many women gardeners as men” according to their training specialist, Kate Nicoll.

Lady’s mantle can be propagated both from seed and by division, although dividing plants is usually easier. If you want to divide the plants, it is best to do this in autumn or spring. Dividing lady’s mantle Plant lady’s mantle either in spring or autumn. Spring planting is best suited for Alchemilla, as the weather is usually not too dry at this time and it ensures enough time for the plant to get well established before the winter. The plant spacing depends on the species and ranges from 25 cm for dwarf lady’s mantle to 40 cm for Alchemilla vulgaris and Alchemilla mollis. Lady’s mantle looks best when planted in groups.

Tip: Lady’s mantle owes its Latin name to another phenomenon, the dewdrops that form on its leaves. Druids and alchemists collected the water from the plant’s leaves to synthesise magical remedies, gold or the philosopher’s stone, thus the genus name Alchemilla. However, the water on the foliage is often not dew at all, but rather secreted by the plants themselves at the leaf edge: in boatanical terms, this is called gutation. The formation of dewdrops is a special phenomenon that characterises lady’s mantle Lady’s mantle has many benefits: it has a digestive, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and analgesic effect. Since the Middle Ages, lady’s mantle plants have been used in gynaecology, for example to treat menstrual cramps or during menopause. A lady’s mantle tea brewed from the leaves or flowers of the plant may also help with colds or mild gastrointestinal complaints. The medicinal properties of lady’s mantle come from the tannins, flavonoids and bitter substances contained within it. During pregnancy, however, the use of lady’s mantle should be avoided, as complications with the uterus may occur due to the herb’s antispasmodic effect. Is lady’s mantle poisonous?

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To do this, scatter the lady’s mantle seeds on soil in a shallow dish and press them down, covering them only lightly with soil. Plant the divided root balls in the desired location. It is important to water the plants well until they are well established and have developed a strong root system.