| Author |
Herbal Wisdom:  wildcrafting?  |
|
|
ByHzGrace
True Blue Farmgirl
348 Posts
348 Posts |
 Posted - Nov 18 2005 : 02:52:09 AM
|
Be pondering the pay off? foraging for bulk? be there medicinal herb not for us noviceso to play safe when in big dose?
|
|
|
junebug
True Blue Farmgirl
2421 Posts
Sue
West Plains,
Mo.
USA
2421 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2005 : 04:50:05 AM
|
Rest asure, wildcrafting can be safe as long you know where to go and that the road hasn't been sprayed for weeds. I never harvest along side of any major road, unless there are some flowers I just can't live without, and sometimes that is the case. I forage the back country roads, old trials and some parks, but you have to be careful with the rules of any state parks. Some don't mind you taking plant life but no roots, you just have to check to make sure. I"m lucky to live near a harvest park is what I call it, a dear old lady left all her land to the conservation dept. for herb walks and such and we can harvest in moderation, bless her heart, she loved plants enough to devote her place to others who loved them too. Another rule of thumb, is never to take more than you need and leave enough for the plant to keep producing. I get most of my herbs this way with no problems yet.
" Age is mind over matter, if you don't mind, it dont' matter"
www.countrypleasures.motime.com |
 |
|
|
greyghost
True Blue Farmgirl
650 Posts
Lynn
Summerville
Georgia
USA
650 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2005 : 09:55:45 AM
|
| I haven't done much wildcrafting yet. However, I found the funniest thing while out walking by a lake - in the woods - peppermint! How on earth it got there I will never know, but I took one up and carried it home with me, and now it sits on my kitchen windowsill for the winter. |
|
|
|
MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2005 : 11:18:54 AM
|
I used to do a lot of foraging for plants, wild flowers and herbs...now they have been wiped out by toxic weed spraying by the county. We had Mullens close by that grew along the railroad tracks, beautiful! I have a lovely fern like plant that I foraged years ago that flourished in my garden...almost like a tansy...the fronds are delicate and smell heavenly. Love the golden rod but can make one get the sniffles. Have some Russian Sage by my mailbox that will survive with no water. There is even pastures around here that look like they have the "loco weed"...we all know what that is...but it gets taken care of by the law I hope. It is so fascinating the uses of these plants. Junebug, I bought a little heart wreath in Branson 20 years ago made with a plant called "Sweet Annie". Little berries when crushed smelled wonderful! The lady said it was a wild plant in Missouri...Do you use it?
If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come. |
|
|
|
BlueEggBabe
True Blue Farmgirl
417 Posts
Susan
PA
417 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2005 : 12:22:31 PM
|
a plant called "Sweet Annie". Little berries when crushed smelled wonderful! The lady said it was a wild plant in Missouri...Do you use it?
I LOVE Sweet Annie (it is an artimisia)same family as mugwort and wormwood (source of absinth...remember Vincent Van Gogh? )
My favorite, well, one of my favorite plant smells.
uh oh...
I do believe I feel a new topic coming on...
BEB
www.feedsackfarmgirls.blogspot.com
www.farmatcoventry.com
"If more of us valued good food, cheer and song above hoarded gold,the world would be a merrier place."
J.J.R.Tolkien |
|
|
|
MeadowLark
True Blue Farmgirl
2206 Posts
USA
2206 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2005 : 12:37:20 PM
|
Oh Oh...me too! Wormwood...absinthe...van Gogh, hemmingway, the art crowd of late 19th century Paris....BANNNED!!!!
If I keep a green bough in my heart, the singing bird will come. |
|
|
|
Fabulous Farm Femmes
True Blue Farmgirl
792 Posts
Diane
Lakebay, Tacoma
WA
792 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2005 : 2:16:19 PM
|
| Sweet Annie is such a wonderful smell!! Great in linen water, or tie up a bunch and place in your linens...hmmm . Does anyone know of a good mail order source for it? Hard to find here.My supplier moved to Kansas... |
|
|
|
Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2005 : 6:38:36 PM
|
My friend here in Quilcene grows it every summer on her organic farm and includes the bloomings in her boquets. I will ask her where she gets it or see if I can get some seed from her.
Eileen
Songbird; singing joy to the earth |
|
|
|
Fabulous Farm Femmes
True Blue Farmgirl
792 Posts
Diane
Lakebay, Tacoma
WA
792 Posts |
Posted - Nov 18 2005 : 11:12:45 PM
|
Thanks Eileen. That would be wonderful, I have missed growing it.
We were just up your way fishing for silver's (salmon) not 3 weeks ago, at the mouth of the Quilcene river. I actually spent more time walking the spit looking at all the beautiful wild asters and watching the people fish and working on my handwork (I may look like a nut but I am having fun in my own way). Thias is hubby's new favorite spot,and when those salmon come swimmming up the channel, it is quite exciting. |
|
|
|
BlueEggBabe
True Blue Farmgirl
417 Posts
Susan
PA
417 Posts |
|
|
Eileen
True Blue Farmgirl
1199 Posts
Eileen
USA
1199 Posts |
Posted - Nov 19 2005 : 09:32:40 AM
|
Hey Diane, You will have to stop up for tea or something next time you come this way. Love to meet you!
Eileen
Songbird; singing joy to the earth |
|
|
|
ByHzGrace
True Blue Farmgirl
348 Posts
348 Posts |
Posted - Nov 20 2005 : 10:44:04 AM
|
What is best way to store for preserving potency?
How do I learn optimal harvest times re:potency?
okay give me art lesson what is it with vangogh is artemis a flower he painted or what he smoked to slice his ear?
can y'll ID mushrooms?
Lori do you make your own file'?
|
|
|
|
junebug
True Blue Farmgirl
2421 Posts
Sue
West Plains,
Mo.
USA
2421 Posts |
Posted - Nov 20 2005 : 12:18:27 PM
|
I love sweet annie too, havent' found it in the wild yet, but have grown it in my garden, I got the seeds from www.gardenweb.com
Just request them and I"m sure you will get a reply or two!
P.S. off topic, but can't we subscribe anymore?
" Age is mind over matter, if you don't mind, it dont' matter"
www.countrypleasures.motime.com |
|
|
|
BlueEggBabe
True Blue Farmgirl
417 Posts
Susan
PA
417 Posts |
Posted - Nov 20 2005 : 2:26:23 PM
|
Sue,
As far as I know, Sweet Annie, doesn't grow wild.
Ive only seen it cultivated.Mugwort does grow wild.
Ellen,
To answer your Van Gogh qustions, go back to the links provided in the Amazing Artemisia thread.They will fill you in on the popular drink absinthe and the connection to VanGogh and other artists of the time.
Thinks I'll start a whole new topic for these very important questions of yours :
What is best way to store for preserving potency?
How do I learn optimal harvest times re:potency?
See ya there....
BEB
www.feedsackfarmgirls.blogspot.com
www.farmatcoventry.com
"If more of us valued good food, cheer and song above hoarded gold,the world would be a merrier place."
J.J.R.Tolkien |
|
|
|
mcbride
Farmgirl in Training
19 Posts
Claudia
Claremore
OK
USA
19 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2005 : 2:14:55 PM
|
As a point of interest, Pinetree Garden Seeds (www.superseeds.com) offers seeds for quite a few medicinal herbs eg. blessed thistle, mugwort, boneset, etc.
Claudia |
|
|
|
CabinCreek-Kentucky
True Blue Farmgirl
8529 Posts
Frannie
Green County
Kentucky
USA
8529 Posts |
Posted - Nov 21 2005 : 7:29:22 PM
|
oh my, sweet annie does,indeed grow wild .. spring before last, it popped up with hundreds of plants in an area where it had NOT been the year before (go figger??:?) and in the grass where i least expected it. sometimes it will self-seed itself .. and sometimes .. you will not see it in the same spot twice. this summer .. that HUGE field of it did not return .. not a bit of it .. but i had patches of it here and there .. that i simply transplanted. some herbal nurseries sell the plants .. i got a bunch from a friend who has a flower, herb, blueberry farm. she said it popped up all over her vegetable gardens .. and she did not sow the seeds. here's a little info from a garden website about sweet annie:
Sweet Annie
Artemisia annua
Sweet Annie (annual) is a very fragrant, feathery green to light brown dried flower foliage. We also grow a new perennial 'scent-less' variety (shown) which looks very similar to the annual but finer in texture.
I can't imagine (except maybe smelling alergies) why anyone would not want the scent .. it is my most favorite 'plant aroma')
Annual Herb
Common Name: Wormwood
Height 36 - 60 inches.
Cultivar
Propagation By seed at 70°F, requires light to germinate. Will self-sow if you let it go to seed
Cultivation Full sun in average soil.
Disease: Aphids love this plant. (I never found aphids on any of mine)
Harvest: Cut Sweet Annie before flowers open.
Drying: Hang Sweet Annie upside down in dry, dark, open, airy place.
Uses: Sweet Annie is a excellent dried flower filler. Used extensively as a dried flower wreath and swag base.
Comments: Sweet Annie (annual) is an excellent deer deterrent.
|
|
|
|
ByHzGrace
True Blue Farmgirl
348 Posts
348 Posts |
Posted - Nov 22 2005 : 04:37:55 AM
|
Ok I gots to go read on vangogh? and on potency on another thread? okiedokie i dos what i be told. can I ask too bout do you go back year after year to cut from same spots or do you come back for seed and put in yor garden? and what bout potency ifn this is poor soil where ya found it? does better soil at home make it stronger? and for field guides what be yours? i just got me an FLedible plant one.do ya chew on stuff on yor hikes? what do ya packin
ya can take this to another thread too I got to get out in grove daylight calls. I be bac tonite to read all the aboves! |
|
|
|
Lavender Cottage
True Blue Farmgirl
273 Posts
Ellen
USA
273 Posts |
Posted - Nov 22 2005 : 05:19:17 AM
|
What a fun topic-I've gone plant hunting many times and used to even carry an army shovel in the back of my car. Mostly, I only take from areas of plenty-ditchlines and or neighbor's who always seem to welcome my interest. The cow man (next door neighbor) was most gracious in letting me dig some starts from his vintage roses-a beautiful dusty purple. It is always fun to add wild plants to my gardens-trilliams, blue bells, dutchman's breeches-these I transplanted from my own woods. I could go on, but must get to work.
I don't use any wild plants for medicinal-just for adding beauty to my gardens. |
Edited by - Lavender Cottage on Nov 22 2005 05:47:02 AM |
|
|
|
BlueEggBabe
True Blue Farmgirl
417 Posts
Susan
PA
417 Posts |
Posted - Nov 22 2005 : 10:58:54 AM
|
Did some diggin' and indeed Sweet Annie does appear to be a cultivar that has escaped into the wild.
I am wondering if there are different strains of artemisias found in different areas. I knew a woman that lived three hours west of me who identified a compltetely different wild mugwort than what I have here.
Once a month she came for classes and brought me what she identified as mugwort.We spread out all the ID books we could gather.
They were similiar but also different and we agreed that they were both mugworts.
www.feedsackfarmgirls.blogspot.com
www.farmatcoventry.com
"If more of us valued good food, cheer and song above hoarded gold,the world would be a merrier place."
J.J.R.Tolkien |
|
|
|
sqrl
True Blue Farmgirl
605 Posts
Melissa
Northern California
USA
605 Posts |
Posted - Nov 30 2005 : 1:24:20 PM
|
Some of Van Goughs problem could have come the fact that there was a whole lot of lead in oil paint back then. And lead made a lot of people go crazy back then. Last I read he cut off his ear because he got in a huge arguement with his brother, whom he loved and he went crazy. After that it was all down hill until he killed himself which is where the famous painting of the crows over the corn field is from. We have to remember also, he's famous now but no one like his paintings then. Can ya tell I love his work? Anyway, I've got to get me some of this Sweet Annie in my garden, it sounds lovely.
Blessed Be
www.sqrlbee.com www.sisterhood.sqrlbee.com
|
|
|
|
MustangSuzie
True Blue Farmgirl
634 Posts
Sarah
New London
Missouri
USA
634 Posts |
Posted - Jan 26 2007 : 08:05:04 AM
|
Are there any good books/websites that teach about wildcrafting?
Sarah |
|
|
|
GaiasRose
True Blue Farmgirl
2552 Posts
Tasha-Rose
St. Paul
Minnesota
2552 Posts |
Posted - Jan 26 2007 : 08:10:14 AM
|
We have so much growing around here, it is ridiculous. There are some roads, even back roads, that we wont go on though because the roads, dirt roads, are chemically treated to keep from icing inthe Winter. We have just all manner of things and there is a woman who lives near here who forages and sells at the farmers market in Bemidji. People just dont realize what is in their yards and woods, I guess. I just cannot wait to go wild leek hunting again. There are some around here, but you just have to keep your eyes open and go hunting!
I got two very valuable books last year given that we have so much around here. I owuld suggest the same if it is something that you are really interested in. Look for books on wild edibles in your region of the country. You'll really be surprised at the things that grow that aren't obvious unless you are looking.
~*~Brightest Blessings~*~
Tasha-Rose
Blogs: http://gaiarose.wordpress.com
http://frugalwitch.wordpress.com
http://tasharose365.wordpress.com/
Homepage: http://mysticwoodsfarm.com |
|
|
|
bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Jan 26 2007 : 08:37:26 AM
|
Tasha- I grew up calling wild leeks ramps, it's funny how things change names geographically. We have an abundance of things in the marsh perimeters and the woods, with mushrooms always a favorite.
There are some good books written a long time ago by Euell Gibbons about wild crafting and edible plants. This topic also made me remember the book "Where the Lilies Bloom" about a 'craftin' mountain family that survives from collecting ginseng. Think there was a movie too but the book still rings in my head all these years later. My son grew up with a girl whose family is Korean and I see the grandmother out sometimes collecting dandlions and greens much to her grand daughter's dismay I'm sure! It is sad how removed from growing things and the earth children have become.
with a happy heart |
|
|
|
gregs_lil_farmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
219 Posts
birdi
hartford
me
USA
219 Posts |
Posted - Jan 26 2007 : 1:40:36 PM
|
Bramble, I call them ramps also....I originated from West Va and really loved the stinky things. I will live happily in Maine for the rest of my life....but will miss the taste of ramps and a Sheetz hot dog. Seriously though, do you think in March/April we can get something set up so that you could send me some? The farmers stands sold them, even if pricy, I'd love to enjoy a taste of home and share them with new hubby. I will send my request for them to anyone that has them growing in their area...closer to time. Can you believe that they are now a gourmet delicacy? Unbelieveable. Schools used to post warnings to kids/ families...lol
Birdi
-Simple pleasures make my heart smile- |
|
|
|
bramble
True Blue Farmgirl
2044 Posts
2044 Posts |
Posted - Jan 26 2007 : 8:35:55 PM
|
Birdi- My Dad's family was from TN so "ramps" might be a southern term? What was the warning for? "Danger: Beware all stinky people who have eaten ramps"?!!! I haven't collected any in awhile, but maybe someone here can help you. I am chasing a 13 month old around these days and being Mom taxi to the VERY busy 13 year old! I'm lucky most days if I get my hair combed! Last year the only thing I made a big collecting effort for were the white violets. They get sugared and used for cakes and things that like edible sugared flowers. I have sold them to specialty cake bakers because they can never find enough.
Maine is a beautiful place I have always loved, but don't think I can get dh to move there as he is not a fan of 10 months of winter! (He said that, not me!)
with a happy heart |
|
|
| |
Herbal Wisdom: wildcrafting? |
|
wildcrafting?
