Every plant you see represented on the table in the photo was harvested by me, just days before my free workshop at The Farmacy, in Manchester, TN in August 2020. About half of these organics have grown wild on my lawn for 30+ years and the other half were grown by me, organically, in containers. And not only are they beautiful (in my opinion) and fascinating and often smell or taste lovely, they also represent some of the most genuinely natural, traditional remedies in the Southeast United States.
Had you attended this workshop, you would have learned that these green friends can grow wild on any bit of earth in the southeast USA, without any real effort on your part (unless you want to contain them to specific areas and call those your “garden”). These nutritious, healing friends are often found on the “Plant Pests” lists of herbicide salesmen!
The Wild Weeds Display
The Cultivated Organics Display
Grown in old, broken-down wheelbarrows; Rosemary, Greek Oregano, Lemon Balm, Dill, grown in terra cotta pots, Purple Sweet Basil, Garden Sage, variegated Sweet Marjoram, Creeping Thyme, Peppermint, and collected from a gift of organic corn by a local gardening friend, cornsilk. The Comfrey is a very old friend of mine, a gift from the mother of a mountain wildcrafter and dear person, Anthony Tate, of Altamont, TN.
Thousands of books have been written about the virtues and properties of these plants, but I’m here to tell you…there is nothing read from a book that can compare to having your own personal experiences using the plants, and the only thing that can enhance those experiences is the shared and experiences of fellow herbalists. Community is key.
You see, there comes a point in experience when it becomes knowledge, and in the company of Gatherers, such as myself, you will learn to “gather” what meets the need at hand and leave the rest for those who have different needs, whether you’re gathering experience or the plants themselves.
No matter how “famous” an herbalist may be, regardless the number of books they’ve written or blog posts or web sites they may be featured on, the real test comes down to answering this question; when you were in need and you called on that person, did they have the experience to call on and the ability to share that effectively with you so that you regained balance once more? And often, it’s the little-known, back-woods “grannies” who have the answer.
Your Village Herbalist