The meadow round the house I'm living in is a wild garden, and a great pharmacy as well. Beside the cultivated garden the grass grows green and tall, and along with it grow a million herbs and flowers. I just use the scythe every once and again so it doesn't turn into a thicket. Wild plants are naturally strong and healthy ... you don't need to worry about slugs and bugs, you don't need to dig the soil or buy seeds let alone buy extra greens. So many wild growing plants are eatable ... did you ever try daisies, dandelions, thistle root, nettle ? You also can eat young leaves of blackberry, beech, birch, hazelnut, apple and pear and whatever bush that has eatable fruit or berries. Herbs that grow close to your living space have the greatest healing potential for you. There is an abundance that I start to see only now. Maybe part of gardening is to change one's view on what's already growing right in front of you, beyond the short cut lawn. :daisy: edited : it's nice to see there are more posts about wild plants
So I want to learn ... and whenever I make a walk round the garden, instead of educating it I need to learn to let it educate me instead. I still can feel the impulse to mow, and make those parts the nice short lawn again which it has been until my old lawn mower gave up with a last hick-up. So, instead of giving way to the impulse to mow it short all over, I ask the plants what they want. I need to listen. And they want to help ... And there is such an abundance right now, and this alone is a wonderful lesson - to see it, feel it, to say thanks ... to let it help you grow ...
So, since I started to use wild plants for nutrition I haven't bought any greens, herbs or fruit (and don't feel drawn to). Having the same kind of meal every day, nettles, herbs and berries (for the green part) - yup it changes slowly with the seasons (not with the local market sales offer) - and now fruit season is starting and this brings new wonders. There's still a million slugs running free in the once cultivated part of the garden, but I leave them alone by now. Now, instead of razing delicate young lettuce row after row, those happy slugs climb up the high grown lettuce stalks which are strong and bitter (and delicious) to clean them from old mushy leaves and wilted blossoms. How nice ! Have not yet found wild growing spelt, millet, corn (and bretzels) ... well who says we're ever done ... :auto:
Yeah man, I hear that... you may want to look at some of my posts and replies on wild edibles... also, go check out Wildmanstevebrill.com for more knowledge on yummy edibles. Make sure you're 100 percent familiar with any plant before you eat it, and get to know any poisonous look a likes as well. Peace, Spirit Wynd