Bird's-eye Speedwell

These tiny little flowers could be easily overlooked, they really are tiny. The genus is Veronica but more commonly they are known as Speedwell.

When you do take a look they are beautiful, a striking blue with lovely striped petals.

And they're not just pretty to look at, they also have several uses. First off they are edible and taste rather like watercress. They can be used to make a "tea" for things like bronchial conditions and asthma or for the treatment of disorders of the nervous system, respiratory tract, cardiovascular system and metabolism.

Birdseye Speedwell

This beautiful little herbaceous plant is called the Bird's-eye Speedwell or germander speedwell. According to Wikipedia it is a common turf weed but this specimen was growing in a grassy border in the shade of some Rhododendron. Weed or not I think it is really lovely. The flowers wilt very quickly once they are picked and this characteristic has earned it the ironic name "Mannertreu" in German which translates as "Men's Faithfulness", Hmmm!