Semester 3, Week 2, Day 3

Been a busy day already.  I got my son's diapers dried and put away, breakfast done and dishes washed. I have the "easy" assignments done for the week.  I have 2 essays and my herbs exam. It looks like there will be an herbs exam every week. It may be open book but the essay questions mean I need to find time to read. Good luck to me!  My son took his diaper off while I was cooking breakfast. It was quite the sight. I went to get him to put him in his chair and his diaper COVER was still on his leg but his diaper was nowhere to be found (I found it later). I got him put back together and in his chair.  I think it was because he has such big legs and even though it's elastic, it's a tight fit. If I can ever fix the toilet, I think he may also be interested in potty training but I need to get my daughter done.  I know there won't be money this paycheck but maybe the next one I can buy a new toilet. I can't just replace the guts because my daughter actually broke the lid to the tank so the whole thing needs replacing. Today I plan to get that exam done because the essays will take a lot of work this week.  I have actually read the herbs portion of the one text book, 4 herbs this week.  There was required reading in 3 books plus a web site. I'd say I have about half done so my chances on those essays today should be fairly good. The kids are playing chase in the living room. They are quite entertaining!  LOL Today, I leave you with my thoughts on wildcrafting. This post sparked a very interesting discussion and I'm glad I chose this topic! Have a great day!

Choosing a topic this week was like pulling my hair out because I liked all the options!  LOL I decided to discuss wild crafting (Option 3), though because I have strong feelings on it and after a lecture on it last week in Herb 503 and the lesson in this class, I feel more educated in the topic. I even purchased the type of loupe Dr. Stuart suggested though now I think I need one less powerful as well.  The one I have is 40x with a light and a UV light. It has a great case too, which is very important when your mini-mes want to help…  LOL

I had been FULLY against wildcrafting because it depletes the sources of natural plant in the wild but there are arguments for it as well. United Plant Savers is an EXCELLENT source to find plant that should NOT be harvested in the wild.  Let them grow, find a way to thrive. Maybe you can even nurture them to help them fight for a healthy life. For those not on the endangered or potentially endangered lists, only take what you NEED. I know the rule we keep hearing is 10% but if everyone takes 10%, it will quickly end up endangered unless it’s something like mint that laughs at getting cut back. Truth be told, my rosemary likes getting cut back as well.  The winter she almost died, I cut 80% off her and she’s amazing today! (and I have not had to buy rosemary to cook with in a long time)  One of my favorite things Dr. Stuart mentioned was bringing a “gift” for the plant you harvest from.  He liked to bring coffee grounds. The gift you provide to the plant should be some form of addition to the soil to help the plant flourish. If you harvest a root, do something to help the partner plants spread.

I loved the question on harvesting traditions.  There are so many!  Dr. Stuart mentioned the one he uses in his lecture but I don’t recall his exact words. I don’t think the exact words are what ‘s important anyway.  The intention is. I’m Wiccan and we follow the tradition that you ask the plant first before harvesting (I should say I do because not all Wiccans do). If the plant is okay with it, you will simply know that they are. Like my dear rosemary. It felt like she was begging me to cut her back so she could breathe and return to a flourishing life. I also promised her when we got to a permanent residence, I’d plant her in the ground rather than her big pot.  I followed through with that promise too and she is very happy where she is.  When you ask for permission you should express to the plant what your intention is. Once you have collected your clippings, you should thank the plant for allowing you the opportunity to turn them into medicine, for example.

For the last question, “do these have deliberate or hidden ecological benefits” I think the answer depends on the person, their beliefs and their observations. I know that ALL things have a spirit they just display them in ways that we cannot always comprehend. Plants and animals need each other – animals needing the plants more than the plants needing the animals… An example of them needing us, again I turn to Rosie. She was in the ground in Virginia. That winter was very harsh and killed all the rosemary plants in the area. I think she survived because she was in a pop-up greenhouse. However, there was so much dead on her. I wanted to cry when spring came and I saw her condition. I cut off all the dead and dug her up and put her back in her pot in the house the next winter.  That was when I promised she would have a permanent place in the future. The way you treat your plants is a deliberate way of keeping them healthy. Cutting back in specific ways to help the plant flourish is perfect. I forget what plant Dr. Stuart was talking about, I think it was nettle, but he said if you cut it a certain way, 2 more grow back. This is a way to help the plant flourish. There are also hidden benefits which I need to find the articles for. Plants actually do better when you talk to them. The scientists thought that it was an affect of exhaling near the plants which gave them fresh air. Basically, it’s the same affect as us going into nature for clean air. The plants breathe better when we are near.

https://unitedplantsavers.org/species-at-risk-list/