One of my lifetime goals has always been to create a lawn with wildflowers and herbs. Not a structured garden but rather a random visual delight, free and wild.
My mind wanders back to a property owned by my grandparents where lilac, lavender and lily of the valley grew wild along the pathways and honeysuckle grew up the wooden fence that surrounded the boundaries of their land. Often my mind drifts back to the serenity of that beautiful wild garden and I find myself calmed by the memories of the sanctuary they created.
Recently I was driving the backroads around my home to my delight, I discovered an old and abandoned cottage surrounded by an amazing burst of color and a variety of plants, herbs and flowers that looked as if it had been taken straight from the pages of a fairytale. Although the property was in need of TLC and was run down, it’s potential was more than obvious. There was a gazebo, garden gates and shards of beautifully decorated pottery scatted along the paths of the property. I was thoroughly enchanted.
Not being able to get the cottage out of my mind, I researched the old homestead and found that it had been purchased by the local college for future student housing. Though I understand that student housing is in high demand, I feel saddened that so many of the old family properties have been leveled and replaced by modern multi-level complexes to accommodate the needs of the university.
I plan to contact the college and see if there is a possibility of collecting some of the beautiful flora to transplant before the property is demolished and to bring some of the magic home to help create my dream of a wildflower lawn. While I accept the necessity of change and progress, I mourn the loss of charm and grace that often were found in the old homesteads that nurtured the heart and soul.
Living just outside the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, I’m blessed with a wealth of plants and herbs growing in their natural habitat. 1,500 various plants are native to the area, many which have been used throughout history for medicinal purposes.
Although foraging or picking plants inside the park is prohibited, St. John’s Wort grows naturally outside of the park on the western edges. Used to treat mild depression, the plant can be used in a tea, tincture, capsule or pill form. To help heal wounds, it can be used as an oil.
Laying on the outside perimeter of the park, Witch Hazel is another plant that can easily be located. The leaves and bark of this shrub can be made into teas and ointments.
While more commonly known to treat acne and scalp irritation, the plant also can be used to provide protection against skin damage, acts as an agent to sooth sore throats, aids in the treatment of hemorrhoids, and possibly in warding off infections.
Wood Nettle grows abundantly along the creek banks and mountain streams. Wearing gloves when obtaining this plant is necessary to avoid extreme irritation to skin. The leaves of Wood Nettle in the form of teas and tinctures are used for healthy kidney function, increase blood flow and aid in joint health.
Another plant common to the area is Striped Pipsissewa, a small but powerful herb. During the civil war, doctors often used the plant to treat depression and for centuries the Cherokee used it to treat various ailments.
These are just a few of the plants and herbs that can be foraged from the area and as this site grows, I will be adding many more that grow both locally and further afield as well as information and tips that will assist in creating a working herbal apothecary.
As a young child growing up in Appalachia, specifically southeastern Ohio on the border of Kentucky and West Virginia, I remember my great-grandmother relying on herbs and plants as medicinals.
She was a religious woman and combined prayer with her knowledge of herbs to treat her own ailments as well as the medical discomforts of loved ones.
Looking back, I admire her knowledge, success and faith and one of my life goals is to study herbal medicinals and create my own apothecary.
I will be sharing what I learn here with the hope that together, we can explore the invaluable curing elements plants and herbs provide.