Spring tonics

I have just come back from a lovely holiday in the Dorset countryside, where the hedgerows were heaving with green tonics: cleavers, dandelions, nettles and the first hawthorn leaves. 

Cleavers make a delicious green drink, full of vitamin C; pick a huge bunch, wash and then leave to steep overnight in water. In the morning, drain and drink a glassful regularly. It has a delicate, pleasant taste and will keep in the fridge for three days. Cleavers are traditionally used as a cleansing herb, to stimulate the urinary and lymphatic systems and help alleviate swollen glands. 

The young nettle leaves can be cooked like spinach, or dried and make into a tea. They are rich in minerals and vitamins including iron and vitamin C. 

Hawthorn leaves used to go by the country name of 'bread and cheese', and have been shown to benefit the cardiovascular system when taken regularly as do hawthorn berries. They can be eaten, or dried and taken as a tea.

Dandelion leaves are rich in potassium, and are a diuretic. They used to be taken for dropsy: the swollen ankles that accompany heart failure. They can be added to a salad or taken as a tea.