When I was a kid, I often wandered around in search of the tiny grapes, huckleberries, raspberries, blackberries, wild chives (onion grass), and rhubarb that grew just about everywhere. And I and my little buddies would snip the buds off of the honeysuckle vines and drink in the sweet droplets of nectar. I marveled at (but didn't eat) the lovely little Lady Slipper orchids that grew wild in the hills near the house.
It was as if, as kids (particularly little Nature-Wild-Child kids!), we had an instinctive and intuitive understanding of this. And in some cultures, it's still commonplace. For example, when I lived in San Francisco, I'd often see older Chinese ladies picking various edible plants at the wild-edges of the City parks.
Many naturally growing 'weeds' were once valued for their use as nutritious foods, teas, and herbal medicines. Now, we're likely to douse them with chemicals -- God/dess forbid there's a dandelion on the lawn! -- and look at these valuable growing-grounds as 'undeveloped land'. Thankfully, there is a renaissance underway to reclaim that knowledge, particularly as the harmful effects of chemicals, pollution, and excess development become more and more evident.
So, it's not a moment to soon to gather up those dandelion leaves to add to a salad or the next batch of sauteed greens. And that's just a start. There are other edibles available, too, scattered amongst inedible plants.
In some communities, there are 'weed' experts that host 'weed walks' to help educate you about the edible plants growing in your area.
You'll also find a wealth of information on the web, and a good start is a recent Care2 article called "Get Off Your Grass and Create an Edible Lawn." The article also includes some stunning statistics - I don't imagine many of us give much thought to the costs of maintaining the 'perfect lawn'.
Another big benefit of cultivating and harvesting edible 'weeds' (sans pesticides) is that it reconnects us to the Earth, which is a great stress-reducer.
Listen in to my audio SophiaLogue with 'green witch', aka herbalist, Robin Rose Bennett for more inspiration on 'going green' in this particular way.
Do you have favorite edible 'weeds'? Post a comment and share the wealth.
Blessings,
Jamie
* Photo - Admit One (the edible-Dandelion link above)
