Change Your Weeds Perspective- Change Your Health

What do you see?

Many I know will answer “I see a weed… and more weeds… I see an unkempt yard/farm… .I see a family that doesn’t care, maybe they’ve given up”

Our values when in regards to green spaces have been shaped by cultural pressures… most don’t even know where they originated, but I wrote a piece a while back about how we came to view the LAWN as a sacred expanse of green, perfect grass and weeds were banished in the name of neighborliness and good citizenship.

Here’s What I See

I see roses (Rosa rugosa) that I use in our Swallowed Emotions, Pregnancy, Good Night and Lactation Teas. I see roses that I use in our Sleep Balm and Facial Skincare Line. I see my grandmother, who never visited anyone without taking a rose, its end wrapped in a wet paper towel. These roses are the first thing I reach for when a community member has lost a loved one, has been attacked or assaulted, suffered a loss or struggles with depression and anxiety in the form of our delicious and comforting, Open Hearts Elixir.

I see the plantain (Plantago spp.), the first plant my children learned as the source of poultices that remove splinters and bee sting venom and one of the chief ingredients in our bug and poison ivy remedy. I see food, fresh in salads and sauteed, as well as dried and used in winter stews to take advantage of the wealth of nutrition contained in its leaves (Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, Mn, P, Vit C). I see a partner in improving the quality of my soils, balancing metals and salts where damage has occurred due to tilling and compression.

I see marshmallow (Althaea officinalis), so important for soothing our internal membranes found in the digestive, urinary and respiratory systems. I see campfire smores, rice cookie treats and winter cocoas with the homemade marshmallows we can get from the root. I see all those in my community that are able to continue their chemotherapy for the full treatment because their kidneys are kept healthy and eliminating toxins with the marshmallow in my Free Flow Tea formula.

I see red clover (Trifolium perforatum) with all of its wonderful contributions to soil health, adding nitrogen back in to the topsoil where compaction and tilling have caused damage. I see food for the rabbits and chickens on our farm. I see our customers who have had such great results with our Toxin Clearing Tea, bringing down liver enzyme numbers when they climb too high. I see the kids of neighbors who suffer from eczema who are having success drinking the Toxin Clearing Tea while applying our Clover balm.

I see plants that, when I no longer need their leaves and flowers, I will weed and adde to compost teas or the compost pile itself. These “weeds” will give back to the fertility of our vegetable garden and the other plants we grow for the health of our family and community.

I see a perfect system. I see a promise. I see that God has provided everything.... food and medicine are everywhere I  look if I know to look for it. There are systems in place to heal the soil and my community if I observe and work within the design instead of seeking control. In this picture I see a reminder to be humble, I am in awe.

What Do You See Now?

Our perceptions need to change, if we are going to change the health of ourselves, our family, our soil and our community.