Capsella bursa-pastoris

 

The shepherd's purse I've been encouraging in my yard for years is going to seed. In January! Sometimes climate change greets us in small ways. Day to day, year to year, lifetime to lifetime. How will our plants adapt? How will we meet and greet these changes? How do we, as herbalists, encounter climate change? I've been exploring these questions lately. 

I was inspired to post this beautiful old botanical sketch. Someone somewhere a long time ago watched this plant grow and captured its flowering in this drawing. I feel lucky to watch the relative of this plant continue to grow and adapt. What changes do we notice over time? Over the years? Can we see the evidence of climate change in our plant communities? What does it look like? I look forward to exploring these and many other questions. 

Upcoming Class: Tending Herbs in the Hill Country

 

Our relationship with plants is evident in our gardens, landscapes and watersheds. I am looking forward to exploring this theme (and many others) in this class I will teach in partnership with Ginger Webb and Sacred Journey School of Herbalism. Check it out and sign up at this link:

Growing Herbs in the Hill Country

Most of this class will be taught in private gardens in the Wimberley, Texas area including Ginger's own garden. Check out Ginger sharing her experience growing yerba mansa on her Hill Country land!

Wild Oats

 I'm offering plant walks again! Contact me at EatWild@gmail.com to inquire about availability and pricing. Oh, and for those of you wondering what I've been up to for the past several years: working to protect and preserve more Hill Country lands and rivers with the Hill Country Alliance! I am proud of the work I did with them to accelerate conservation efforts and secure more funding to protect the land, water, and plant communities in our area. As a lifelong forager and plant person watching more and more of our natural landscapes disappear, I knew I had to do more to protect our wildlands. Thanks to all of you working to protect and preserve our precious Hill Country for future generations. 

This. is. me + wild oats harvested in 2021. It was one of the best oat years I've ever seen! (Thanks to the snowpacalyse)

Oats - Avena sativa

Harvest the immature "milky oat" seed pods for a powerful calming herbal medicine. The entire above ground parts make a sweet & nourishing tea.