comfrey

This is a wonder plant. I first bought it because it was labelled as an 'heirloom' plant. I liked the sound of heirloom - a plant that has stood the test of time. Little did I know how much I would come to rely on comfrey for all manner of things.

Comfrey is great as a compost activator - it encourages nitrogen growth and decomposition. You can pull off a few leaves and just throw them into the compost bin. I do this all the time in summer when I struggle to keep up with growth. Click here to read about composting comfrey.

As it is a good source of nitrogen, I have been planting beans or peas (legumes) in the same bed. The crops seem to do very well indeed - as does the parsley, a permanant friend of comfrey in my patch.

In winter, it looks like the plant dies, but it goes into hibernation. Usually, I cover it lightly with mulch to protect it from frost and it bounces back next season. As it rots, it releases nitrogen into the ground. Click here to learn about growing comfrey

Historically, comfrey has been used for many reasons. Click here to find out how comfrey has withstood the test of time.