Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Wildcrafting

So much goodness to collect right now.  The last few weeks I've been collecting red clover for infusion. 
Purslane because it is yummy and full of omega-3 fatty acids.
Elder flowers for their antiviral properties.
Then more Elder flowers for a facial toner as well as yarrow for tincture and daisies and rosebuds...just because they're lovely!
So wonderful to have all these good things (and much more) growing right outside the door.  Anyone else have any wild favourites?

6 comments:

Moment to Moment said...

Is purslane a succulent?

Erin said...

My wild purslane has just started to pop up, and I hope it doesn't get trampled. I may get M to erect a tiny willow fence around the sacred patches ;-) I discovered it last year and love it, too though I don't get much. We recently picked/foraged abandoned cherries- a whole bowlful, tiny and sweet. Yum!

Matthew takes a bowl and fills it with Fall rye, now 6' tall and takes the kernels off of the tassel of rye and eats them purposefully. Very mindful work to him and he can get quite a bowl-ful to eat and share with his favourite hen ;-)

W-S Wanderings said...

My middle child and I were just out wildcrafting some yarrow this evening. We actually went to check on the blackberries, but once it was determined that they were not ripe, we set our sights on the yarrow.

Tonya said...

what do you use for the walkways so pretty...

Rosina {Rosy ~ Posy} said...

Hi Heather :)
thanks so much for stopping by my blog and saying hello :) I love to meet fellow BC'ers *grin*. I've really been enjoying reading through your blog. Your garden is phenomenal!! I have a quick question. Where did you find your elder flower?? I have looked all over for one but none of the nurseries near us can ever find one for us or even know which variety would be edible. If you could give me the exact name or latin name of yours that would be wonderful as it might help me find one :) Thanks so much :)

Heather said...

Hi Rosina,

Good to hear from you, I also enjoy meeting fellow BC'ers - especially fellow homelearners! The elder flowers came from some shrubs that I found growing on the property here. They grow wild and I am pretty sure, based on info. in the book Plants of Southern Interior British Columbia, that they are this kind - Sambucas racemosa ssp pubens var. melanocarpa (I just call it Black Elderberry). I also pick from a different spot at a lower elevation nearer town and from there I pick this kind - Sambucas caerulea (Blue Elderberry) and this one seems much more common in our area - it is the one that looks like the blue-ish berries are dusted with icing sugar. I wonder if you could take a cutting from one if you found them growing wild near you?

Hope that helps,
Heather