Ground elder makes a lovely cut flower, too!

If it's welcome news that ground elder is good stewed or in a salad, how about this? It's terrific in flower arrangements when you want something light and ethereal for an informal summer arrangement. Queen Anne's Lace - that pompously renamed stalwart of the early-summer hedgerow - is first choice, until you actually use it, and discover that it lasts less than a day. An alternative is ammi majus, the Bishop's Flower, but you don't see that in many florists', and you'd have to get organised to grow it.

Ground elder, on the other hand, just grows. And grows. If you turn your back for a moment in late spring, it's everywhere. And if you leave it until mid-June - it flowers!

My great discovery is that it has a good vase life - four days after picking, there's no sign of drop or decay, despite being kept in a hot room which sends many flowers early to the bin. This vase is arranged with some of those invasive semi-wild geraniums that I pull out in favour of better colours - but here they are just the thing for the summer solstice.