Walk On the Wild Side

Lisa Rose Starner

Lisa Rose is a backyard herbalist who is teaching classes at our CSA, Trillium Haven Farm.
She is doing 5 once-a-month walks thru the wild areas of the farm starting last week.
This class was fascinating!
I had no idea what went on beyond the farms pristine gardens!
Weeds and native plants everywhere....some good....
and some not so good.

Stinging Nettle

It's called Stinging Nettle for a reason...ouch.
But Lisa Rose showed us how to eat it without getting stung, so...
very carefully following her instructions...we all tried it.
Tasty! Kind of reminded me of a fresh green bean.
But there were warnings that came along with this plant, too....
DO NOT FORAGE FOR NETTLES ALONG THE DITCH.
Hmm....why?

Kill-ya-dead plant
AKA: Poison Hemlock

THIS is why we were never, ever to forage for nettles along the ditch....cause THIS was lurking.
And tho nettles and hemlock don't look anything alike, you could easily reach down to pick some nettles and not see one of the smaller poison hemlocks growing right next to them.
And that would be a
VERY.BAD.THING. INDEED.

We were duly warned:
Do not touch, bruise, or otherwise go near this bad boy.
She didn't have to tell me twice!

Poison Ivy

Enough said....

Garlic Mustard

Tasty, bitter green...perfect pick-me-up after a winter of heavy stews and soups.
Pick the entire plant...pull it out root and all.
The stuff is invasive so no worries...there will be plenty for next year!

Honeysuckle

Remember sucking the "honey" out of the tiny flower?
That's just what we did!
Lisa Rose will harvest the flowers and put them in honey to flavor it.
Mmmmm...honeysuckle honey!

Chickweed

Finally....
Something I recognized!
This stuff is everywhere in my perennial beds in the spring.
Lisa Rose uses olive oil and chickweed as the base for a salve that she makes.

I am very excited to go back the end of June to see what else is growing wild at the farm.

Not certain I want to throw out my Neosporin quite yet, but I am very curious as to how these herbs and weeds fit into an organic lifestyle.

For now tho I am quite comfortable going to the farm and foraging stinging nettles (away from the ditch!) for a pot of tea, and garlic mustard for my wild(er) salad!

Are YOU a weed eater?
If so, what kinds?

In His grace,
Cindy