Part of the pleasure of this work is getting in sync with the plant world, both cultivated and wild. It means paying attention to the seasons and the weather, and knowing when to plant, when to cultivate, when to wait, and when to harvest. It means listening to the plants and hearing how they are. Listening also means following one's own instincts, taking what is needed and only what is needed, especially when wildcrafting. It means talking to the plants, silently sometimes, and thanking them for what they are giving.
Wildcrafting in particular is a wait, wait, wait, and then run operation. Some years it seems to take forever for the wild herbs to reach their peaks and then there isn't enough time in the following days to harvest and process the buds, flowers, and leaves that have been anticipated for so long. But again, it's all part of the pleasure. The days in the fields are sunup to sundown meditations, and evenings become rituals of preparing the days' harvests for future use.
New England is wonderful area for wildcrafting and growing herbs most years. The following is a list of some of the herbs that I wildcraft in Massachusetts and Maine, or grow, sometimes inadvertantly, in my own gardens. Perhaps you will recognize some of them and decide to try working with them yourself.
Photos from the Garden
Photos from the Field
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