We at Prairie Star often write and speak about the magical plants that are part of our bioregion, which we fondly refer to as the Golden Prairie. Our posts share the traditional uses of these valuable plant allies, how to identify them, how to propagate them, and the many ways to prepare them. Even with our devotion to the natural world around us, we can sometimes take our native plants for granted. It is a necessary and useful ritual to stop and remind ourselves of the impact of our harvesting decisions. My friend, Rebecca Altman, shared her guidelines for wild harvesting in one of her Kings Road Apothecary newsletters. I paraphrase her guidelines, which include the following steps: Pick...
"I am a lover of uncontained and immortal beauty. In the wilderness, I find something more dear and connate than in streets or villages. In tranquil landscape, and especially in the distant line of the horizon, man beholds somewhat as beautiful as his own nature." -Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nature and Selected Essays I spend many hours walking in nature finding my solstice. I take my time, enjoying the song of an Oriole, the heady amorous call of a tree frog. or the wind blowing the tall prairie grass on the ridge. These moments are precious gifts or what I call grace. I received one such grace a few years ago. From a very small age, my mother or Grandmother would...
We celebrated the arrival of summer with the summer solstice on June 21, and we move south with the rhythm of nature to meet the season of fire. The prairie is wildly active now – native plants seem to want to reach their peak earlier than normal this year. The stately wild bergamot has become heavy with blooms, and seems a bit exhausted with the effort as it starts to rest on the ground. Wild grasses abound, elders are full of green berries, and pleurisy root is not shy with its bright orange flower sprays. Native corn is tall and stately, forming tassels, the vining beans scale their height and pop bright pink/purple blooms, with the yellow blossoms of squashes...
Lisa's garden is a bit crazy this year. Especially when it comes to lemon balm. While she loves the idea of a grid-based organized garden, and spends hours enforcing tidy boundaries, she's learned to give up forcing a sense of order, and to trust the vital forces of nature. Share the 3 lessons that lemon balm provides...
Pictured above are the cuttings from the farm. They have grown tall and lushes. One of the closest emotional connections to memory is through scent. Each Summer Solstice I take this journey while brushing my nose upon a cluster of elderflowers, and inhaling the sweet delicate scent. As a young child I spent hours exploring the forest of our rural home usually arriving back at the house with my feet covered in dirt, because in the summer, I did not wear shoes. My mother scolding me as I try to walk in the house. We were suppose to wash off our feet at the wellhouse hand pump. I would forget many times for I was in deep thought floating through...
