Urtica

I would like to thank the author Mechtilde Frintrup who wrote the valuable work "The Book of the Stinging Nettle" and sent me a copy from Stuttgart two years ago after I told her by email that I would like to give the nettles a place in my fig grove. After months of observation and positive experiences with dried nettle as an ingredient for fig bread, I started to appreciate the relevance of this wild plant, which can have such beneficial effects in organic farming (as well as for human health).

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This sacred (and demonised) plant also grows in the archaeological landscape of the Siguas Valley, where I have my farm. Compared to wheat or figs, it is considered a weed. Nevertheless, the old inhabitants of the valley (in the early 20th century) used the whole plant for urtification: If you felt an unbearable pain in your hip or lower back, you should definitely treat yourself with the stinging hairs of the nettle.

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This wild plant, rich in history, can easily thrive without extensive treatments. It also symbolises perseverance, resistance and spiritual growth. After figs, nettle is my favourite plant. With this series of photos, I present different specimens from my farm whose aesthetics evoke images of the struggle of wild nature against the standardisation of the landscape.