What Grows Around You

This past Saturday my friend and aspiring Clinical Herbalist, Brandi, led a plant walk at Millstone Farm. The purpose of this workshop was to teach us that many of the plants growing wild in our grass or along the edge of our woods actually have medicinal and culinary benefits. Some of the plants Brandi identified for us were plantain, which can be used to help with bee stings, mullein, which can help the lungs, and dandelion, which you can harvest the flower, leaves and root for multiple purposes. It was definitely an eye-opening morning and it has taught me to have a completely new appreciation for what is naturally growing around me. Brandi shared with us that in the world of Herbalism, it is believed that since we have such a symbiotic relationship with nature, then whatever is growing around you is what you need. So before you start pulling out those pesky weeds, maybe take a moment to first identify it and see if it has any value to you. You might just be surprised...