Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Keeping a Wild Plant Area in Your Yard.

We have a wild plant area in the space where the garden used to be. It started a couple of years ago when my interest in wild edible, medicinal & useful plants outgrew my interest in domestic horticulture. It's still fenced off, but I just let it go. I was more excited to see what undomesticated species would naturally spring up than I was to re-plant and maintain a garden. A few things have stuck around from garden days. Raspberries, a couple of peas, oregano, dill.

So, what wild plants have shown up?

Burdock, wild lettuce(s), wild carrot, daisy fleabane, chicory, curly dock, dandelions, spearmint, peppermint, ground ivy, peppergrass, violets, yellow sweet clover, red clover, wintercress, prunella, lady's thumb, plantain, bladder campion, goldenrod, bull thistle, some other stuff I don't know about yet...

All these plants are great for food, drink, maintaining good health, improving bad health, fiber/cordage, shelter & more.

What else does my wild patch do?

It provides habitat for birds, bees and other critters (such wonderful company). It lets me see how different plants develop and interact thoughout their life cycles. It makes it easy for me learn new wild plants and become more familiar with old ones right here at home. It gives me lots of good stuff with no investment on my part!

Try it. Pull up some of that grass and let the land go nuts, or let a portion of your garden go wild. Fence it off if you like. A makeshift fence like mine will do. Introduce plants from other wild areas by transplanting them directly, collecting seeds & cuttings or by adding a mess of soil from some other wild area which is bound to have some interesting seed in it. Get a wild plant guide, find some pages online to help you identify your plants or hire me.

You'll begin to look at landscapes in a whole different way as you become more familiar with the plants in your patch. Fun times.

Contact Jason at 313-258-1401 or newcultureearthskills (at) gmail (dot) com for more info or to make plans.

Sunday, July 12, 2009

Prunella Tea.

I cut it and hung it upside down to dry in the sun for two days. I cut the dried plants directly over my press pot, poured in boiling water, steeped for a few minutes, added honey and enjoyed!

Prunella is good for lots of things.

Contact Jason at 313-258-1401 or newcultureearthskills (at) gmail (dot) com for more info or to make plans.