2 new blessings

Eating fresh greens that have not been imported is always a challenge. But only recently have I actually noticed where my food was coming from. 
This might be why I am becoming more passionate about weeds- or a medicinal garden.
I have found two new ones. 
Creeping Charlie

 is native to Europe and Southwest Asia. For thousands of years, Creeping Charlie was used in traditional medicines, and used as a food crop. As a medicine, it was used to treat everything from indigestion, to congestion, kidney disease, and as an anti-inflammatory agent. As a food, it was sometimes steeped as a tea rich in Vitamin C, as a cooked green, or as a salad green. It was commonly used to flavor beer before the advent of using hops. Despite its history, modern chemistry has isolated several compounds within creeping Charlie that are toxic to the liver, gastrointestinal tract and kidneys. So dishing up a big bowl of it to your family and friends is not a great idea.

The long history of using creeping Charlie in medicinal and culinary applications is the main reason European settlers brought it with them when settling around the world. They also appreciated the plant as an ornamental ground cover and potted plant. If you can set your dislike of the plant aside for a moment, it really does have attractive fan shaped leaves with toothed edges and pretty blue-violet flowers in the spring. (from http://web.extension.illinois.edu/dmp/palette/110410.html)

And sow thistle

 This plant has powerful medicinal properties, with some toxicity, but at the same time it is also highly nutritious. It contains, per 100g, around 30mg of vitamin C, 1500 mg of Calcium and 45 mg of Iron. The dried leaves contain up to 28g of protein per 100g - a great nutritional supplement. Use only young leaves as edibles, raw, in salads or cooked, as spinach. Its applications in traditional folk medicine around the world are numerous: blood purifier, hepatic, sedative, febrifuge, tonic, pectoral, and there are even mentions of its use to treat cancer and to help people to quit opium addiction. Its white “milk” can be used to get rid of warts (like other milky plants).  ( from http://healingweeds.blogspot.ca/2013/03/sow-thistle.html)