Hope, healing, wholeness. This is my journey.
This past weekend, we went a-foraging. It's been super dry here, and unseasonably warm, so no mushrooms or other wild edibles to be found, unfortunately. (I did manage to find some still-green gumballs for medicine making, but that will have to be a separate post.) In an effort to find something, we went off the beaten path,… Continue reading Nature Fights Back
Ground Ivy (Glechoma hederacea) is one of those plants that has a whole slew of names depending on where you are from and how back you look. Some other names are alehoof, gill-go-over-the-ground, haymaids, tun-hoof, hedgemaids, catsfoot, creeping Charlie, field balm, runaway robin....the list goes on. When I first discovered this plant growing at the edge of… Continue reading Forage Friday/Weed Walking: Ground Ivy
Continuing with our weed walk, this week is plantain...the plant, not the banana-like thing that shares the same name. There are actually over 200 species in the genus Plantago, but there are two I'd like to cover that are most common in the areas that I've seen, Plantago major and Plantago lanceolata. Plantago major Broadleaf plantain, common plantain,… Continue reading Forage Friday/Weed Walking: Plantain
weed (noun): a plant that is not valued where it is growing and is usually of vigorous growth a wild plant growing where it is not wanted and in competition with cultivated plants any wild plant that grows in an unwanted place, especially in a garden or field where it prevents the cultivated plants from growing… Continue reading Forage Friday/Weed Walking: Dandelion
Yay! Spring has sprung! Let the bountiful foraging days begin! Each spring I get super excited when I start to see the all the green life poke up around me, and I just can't wait to get out there and pick. My daughter is particularly fond of the flowers and any given afternoon, she may… Continue reading Forage Friday: Wild violets and onion/garlic
Frosty and cold, but there are still food-stuffs out there! It's the middle of winter here in my neck of the woods, and while the weather has been kind here and there, I've been fairly reluctant to go out and do any real foraging in the cold rain and snow. Admittedly, there isn't a whole… Continue reading Forage Friday: Why, What, and How
As we settle into the new year, it may seem that there is nothing left to forage out in our bleak, brown, wintery landscapes. But there is a wonderful little plant out there who will remain vigilant to see you through the cold months. You may need to peek under fallen leaves or even push back… Continue reading Forage Friday: Chickweed
These little beauties are my sweetheart's very favorite. We go out specifically for this one species of mushroom, and, luckily, we've found a few places that it seems to love, so we gather them regularly this time of year. These brown puffballs, Lycoperdon pyriforme, also known as pear-shaped puffballs, can be found very late summer through fall, growing on… Continue reading Forage Friday: Puffball Mushrooms
One of our favorite local places to get outside is a park about 30 minutes away. It has several short (1-2 miles) trails through the woods, a horse trail, and a boat ram with a fishing pier on the water. Whether fishing or hiking or "hunting," this is our local go-to spot. And when I… Continue reading Forage Friday: Hunting for Lions
One of the wonderful things about the cooler weather of fall is that it brings back all the lovely spring "weeds" to the garden. That first green that comes in early spring is full of nutrients and minerals, and in olden times was valued as a "spring tonic" to clear out all that heavy food… Continue reading Foraging Friday: Lamb’s quarters
No Magic Pill 