Signs of Green

Greetings~

This winter in Appalachia was a hard one, so of course I am overjoyed to see the first signs of the Spring to come. Walking around the yard, I was amazed to see how many daffodils are poking up, with some even gathering the strength to flower soon. I also found chickweed, pipsissewa, usnea, crossvine, patridgeberry, cinquefoil and watercress.

Pipsissewa

I am also eagerly awaiting the return of one of my favorite springtime plants, the dandelion. Everything about it is a joy: the delicious and nutritious greens, the bright blossoms and the incredible medicine it gives. I realize that some do spend quite a bit of money trying to destroy this ‘weed’ from their yards, but in truth, it is actually one of the most potent medicines in the plant kingdom and in my opinion, one that every single person could benefit from. Most don’t realize that our ancestors actually imported this plant from Europe because of its medicinal properties. I could go on and on about dandelion, but for now I’m going to wait because I’ll have much to share when it does start coming up.

Reflecting on the past winter months, they were spent enjoying infusions of dried nettles, milky oats, hawthorn, astragalus, dandelion and other herbal tea blends from my private Taproot Tea colletion.   More to come on the green healing kingdom as they pop up from winter’s slumber!

Turning the Corner

It is amazing how quickly the time goes.  One minute I’m standing in the midst of a cornucopia of green beings, the next I am watching as they begin to relax, to let go.  Many are way past bloom, some have already gone to seed, the bright green is duller now with slight hints of the color awaiting around the corner.  We are close to the beginning of Autumn.  Though it may be, after spending a long day wandering in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, I am relieved to see some plants are in their prime!  Yesterday was filled with incredible amounts of fungi, wildflowers and both medicinal and edible plants.  So what is ready to harvest? The Spicebush berries are just now beginning to turn red, giving themselves away in a sea of green.  This is also the time to harvest them to replace Allspice in recipes.  Elderberry, Pokeberry, Vitex, Passionflower, Dandelion root, Jewelweed, Nettle root, Amaranth, Lambs Quarters and Sweet Annie are some.  I will also shortly be harvesting Crossvine to have a nice stock for the upcoming winter season.  Our summer has been a strange one with a lot of rain, cooler days and a good portion of the season with low humidity.  In fact, there were many days we were referring to the odd weather as a “Colorado summer”.  The cooler streak continues with perfect night-time temperatures….it is said that we will be having some temperatures in the upper 40′s by the end of the week!   The old-timers in the area are saying that this is going to be a harsh winter with lots of snow.  The squirrels are even acting a bit more hectic than usual, zig-zagging through the streets and flying from limb to limb.  Even the bears seem to be more active.  I wonder if they know something we don’t? 

Solstice!

We hardly notice the onset of the shortening of days.  Abundance surrounds us all as we struggle to keep up with the fast-pace of the green world.  Nettles, Comfrey, Nasturtiums….just a few that are thrilled with the rain-soaked season we’ve been having.   The Elder is in full bloom with its cluster of white blossoms, unveiling its hiding place among the camoflauge of various shades of green.  I have noticed that a beautiful Elder has shown itself from a cluster of trees near the pond!   I am also pleased to see the Sassafras has made itself at home in numerous areas of the forest surrounding the house.  Tomorrow I take my first hike in the National Park in over a week and am excited to see what awaits!

Return of the Green

The green world returns!  And it has been a very wet beginning, with so much welcoming rain that everything is growing quickly and abundantly.   Our days are alternating between hot and sticky summer-like days, to cool early-spring days and evenings, low in humidity.  I have been wandering on the property and have found Chickweed, Cleavers, Pipsissewa, Violets, Sweet Cicely, Jewelweed, Cinquefoil, Plantain, Dandelion, Wood Sorrell, Crossvine, Honeysuckle, Wild Lettuce, Poke and Greenbrier all growing wildly around me.   I look forward to every walk to see what’s next to come up.   Frequent backpacking trips in the backcountry have put me into places of herbal heaven, with “medicine patches” as far as the eye can see.  Trailsides are bursting with Nettles, Black Cohosh, Blue Cohosh, Bloodroot and hundreds of the native wildflowers found in the area.  I have only located one small area of our local Ginseng (see photo above), which is something so valuable and overharvested, that its hiding place is a secret between only us.  Plants are not the only thing to start showing up, as I found out when a copperhead slithered past me recently.  We respect our own space, the snake and I, and have thus far found our own places of harmony on this property. 

The Joys of Spring

Ahhh….Spring!  So joyous!  Here in the South, March is a renaissance for the green world; the rebirth.  The daffodils and crocuses are in full bloom; the trees are beginning to show the bright green tips of leaf buds; the native wildflowers and medicinal herbs are just beginning another cycle; the birds are chirping away.  As I am in a new space this Spring, I know not what to expect to find growing native and I walk the property everyday, eagerly awaiting the next green friend that makes an appearance through the brown layer of crunching leaves.   I am happy to report the abundance of Chickweed and Pipsissewa here.  I have beautiful native Hemlock trees (Tsuga canadensis), a pristine brook with a healthy water flow, I have been told that the native member of the onion family, the Ramp, resides in this area as well, though it is still a bit early to spot them.  The Ramp is known to have a pungency like none other, so much so that the old timers in the area say that’s what they ate before they went to school if they wanted to be sent home.  The odor is so strong that the teachers would send them away!   We’ve had a warm snap in the past few days, with temperatures in the mid-70′s.  This of course has convinced many a plant and tree that Spring is indeed here.  They have been coersed out of the protective womb of the earth, out into the elements to brave another harsh beginning.  The daffodils, just a week ago, shivered off a few inches of snow.