Do you think I’ve lost my mind when I say “Weeds are wonderful!” Well, let me explain. The Wonderful World of Weeds has captivated me for as long as I can remember. I now have an even greater appreciation for them than before.
Although some people might call me a ‘flower child’ – I am not a flower gal. I don’t care to receive cut flowers for any occasion; they die too fast. Although I love bringing a season from the outside to inside the home, decorating with them also always seemed a short lived boost. Planting flowers for the sake of beauty really seems to be something that has never struck me as a good use of the time spent in the dirt (which I love no matter what). Enter the Wonderful World of Weeds.
Each morning, as the weather permits, my favorite thing to do is go for a walk (ok, hike) around our property to see what wild food is growing and what is newly in bloom. Inevitably I come back with hands full of weeds. Some come into the house while others, if I can grab enough roots (like the clover in the lower picture) will be transplanted for easier locating when needed.
Does anyone else decorate with weeds? They grace a table, corner or shelf of our homestead on a regular basis:
Clover (the pink blossom) is not only pretty but both the bloom and the leaves have medicinal properties as well.
A weed actually has a greater purpose than decor (I know, you’re shocked aren’t you…?). It will grow in a soil that is lacking certain nutrients in order to replenish that nutrient in the soil. This is the balance of helping soil be healthy. In stead of pulling out the dandelions, find out what you lack in your soil and let them grow (and eat them too). Your soil will thank you next season and your body will have some great greens that help you detox your liver.
We actually cultivate the dandelions that pop up in our garden spaces. This helps to repair the soil from one year to the next. Pictured above are the dandelion plants growing right along side our kale. Beside that photo is our harvest of dandelion greens!
Food foraging is one way of making a meal out of the plants that other people (and maybe once you and I) thought of as weeds.
The series from Of the Field is a very helpful one to teach us what to recognize as food – so we don’t just think we are surrounded by weeds. There are singular books there as well and a homeschool guide that I wish I’d had when our kids were younger and still at home(school).
At our house, we take the Wonderful World of Weeds to an extreme from decor, to medicine, actually cultivating/transplanting them in certain spots as well as foraging for them. Each season brings new weeds. Instead of fighting them, it’s fun to find ways to use them and enjoy them.
Best Blessings and enJOY the Journey!
Donna Miller
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