Mallow

One of the presents I received from Ann on my birthday was a book of nature, Every Day Nature by Andy Beer.  The book describes an element of nature to look out for on every day of the year; today, 14th July, it has Mallow.  There is not a picture with each entry, just a description, I sometimes have to look up the entry on Google to see what it looks like.  I love this book, it is my favourite work of non-fiction at the moment, I make a point of reading the relevant day's entry each morning at breakfast.

I went out with Ann on my usual walk this afternoon to Shottery. As we were passing the entry to the allotments I noticed a bunch of Mallow growing in the car park.  

Apparently the plant is edible, leaves, stem, fruits and seeds. An interesting fact in the book's entry reads
"During the siege of Jerusalem in 1948, one species of mallow played an important role. Mallow soup, rich in iron, was one of the dishes cooked by the Jewish people in order to survive."