"One of the biggest problems with learning herbalism is trying to figure out where to stick more trees and plants in the yard and gardens."

Deep winter is an excellent time to research and dream, and wander about the yard considering potential projects (when you're not in the middle of a storm or freezing your backside off).

Each year we typically add (or discover) some "new to us" plants, though I could live until my eleventy-first birthday and still have some on my wish list.

We started with the annual gardens, and windbreak trees to create a protected microclimate. (We added ponds and structures to help with the microclimate, too.) Then came fruit and nut trees, shrubs, brambles, and vines, with herbs and perennials tucked in here and there.

Lately it's been mostly bee food plants and medicinal plants (or both). I love being able to go out and harvest food and medicine from our own yard. There are so many wonderful medicinal herbs that are easy to grow, even in small gardens.

The plants we grow may even adjust their medicinal compounds to help take care of us when we are in need (as suggested in the book, Plant Spirit Medicine). Plants communicate with other plants via chemical communication to boost defenses, so it wouldn't be surprising if they adjust with exposure to us, too.

With the constant stream of AI generated media (and the heavily edited images and video even before AI), it is so important to stay grounded and connect with real things. Tending a garden engages all the senses, and has health benefits beyond just getting exercise.

Gardening can also help to create community, if we swap seeds, or share the labor or the harvest. I know I always enjoy chatting with gardening friends about how the season is going, or new plant varieties, or even troubleshooting garden problems.

I have a few questions for you this week -

One, for those who live in northeast Wisconsin - would you be interested in a seed swap, or a get together in March where I put together "garden starter" seed bundles?

Two - I have a chance to test and review one of the funky indoor garden setups. Is this something you would like to read about?

Three - are you a gardener? If so, what's your favorite part of gardening, and what's your most challenging part of gardening?

Helping you create Resilience and Abundance,

Laurie (and August IV, August V, and Duncan)

This week's featured articles...

We're going Old School this week with an Ode to Horseradish. Sure, most folks know that it packs a fiery kick in the kitchen, but it's also good medicine for cold and flu season.

First up - how to use horseradish for medicine.

Second - how to make three types of horseradish sauce from the fresh root. (Horseradish is a digestive aid, and is anti-microbial.)

Finally, how to grow horseradish without it taking over the garden.

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