Doronicum or Leopard's Bane gives a really good show at this time of the year. I love daisy shapes and on a cold Easter Monday the colour and splendour of the display cheers me up.
As with everything in the garden I wonder whether it has a use apart from looking great and Leopards bane is also known as Arnica Montana an ingredient used in Arnica cream we often use to help soothe bruising. You can make you own lotion but only for external use and not to be put on broken skin.
So if after digging the garden, a long walk, a sprained ankle you want to have some natural relief from the garden the following might suit
For a compress :pick up a handful of flower heads, soak in 1 litre of boiling water. Saturate handtowel in mixture and apply.
The second item you can make with this plant is an ointment to apply on parts of the body.
Take 2 oz flowers and 1 oz leaves ( shredded or powdered) in 16oz lard. Moisten with half its weight of distilled water. Heat together with the lard for 3 to 4 hours and strain. Good for wounds and varicose veins.
Its a prolific plant, to keep it looking great watch out for slugs and deadhead the flowers on a regular basis.
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