Rose in Bloom
Rose is an old soul. She has been on earth more than 35-million years and she has walked intimately with humans throughout the rise and fall of civilizations. Her influence appears in art, poetry and song. No other flower has had as many admirers or has been as written about. Rose is a symbol of completeness with strong roots, perfect flowers, straight and strong stems and thorns that symbolize the spice and challenge of life. People have brought her in during moments of greatest joy and grief. She speaks when we are at a loss for words. She is a symbol of love and grace. Rose...
Read MoreChickweed
Once you know chickweed you will see that it is omnipresent. Just yesterday we found it growing around downtown Olympia trees – those compact patches of dirt in the midst of a sea of concrete. Later we found scraggily plants in our lawn, which looked entirely different than the lush mats growing in our neighbor’s garden. Chickweed is a welcomed weed at our house – we celebrate its pioneering spirit. Other names: Stellaria media. Stellaria means “star” and media means “in the midst of.” Also called white bird’s eye, starweed, scarwort. Identifying...
Read MoreBig Leaf Maple
Each spring I look forward to seeing the blooms of big leaf maple trees illuminated in front of a dark stormy sky. Their golden-green color is also a dramatic contrast to the evergreens and the leaf-bare deciduous trees. They are so lush and so light-filled. The flowers are full of sweet nectar that pollinators and people relish. Try eating them straight, adding them to salads, or making maple blossom fritters. Other names: Acer macrophyllum, Oregon maple Identifying big leaf maple: As I think of big leaf maple several strong characteristics come to mind. The leaves...
Read MoreIt’s Nettle Season
I could not contain my excitement this year as I spotted the first nettles emerging from the cold damp soil. They are deep green with reddish flames that blend in to the forest floor detritus. As my eyes soften and adapt to the terrain I begin to see them everywhere – tiny bodies reaching toward the light of a new season. This year my hunger for nettles is acute. After having been sick for weeks with the sinus and lung crud, I need some lively plant medicine to help rebuild my strength. An elder once told me that if you drink about 3 cups of nettle tea per day for...
Read MoreGinger
I know, you can’t find tropical ginger wild in the Pacific Northwest, but I can’t resist writing about my favorite winter plant companion. It is easily gathered from our most common harvesting ground – the local grocery. And gingers’ warm and stimulating disposition makes our cold damp winters almost bearable. My grandma Betty loved ginger. Whenever I had a cold or an upset stomach, she made me a tea with ginger, honey, and lemon. I still remember how that comforting brew, coupled with her grandmotherly love, could make even my deepest woes dissipate. ...
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