There’s nothing I love more than a weedy yard. That’s right. I live in a rural area so there’s no one to glare at me as I stroll through the yard in the spring, when all the good stuff is sprouting.

I get a kick out of those ‘end of the world’ shows on the science channels. In one scenario, a man cut his hand, which subsequently became infected and he died. I was yelling at the TV, ‘put some pine sap on it for pete’s sake’!  Oh yeah, and the character was a doctor.

After World II, when American agriculture was fully conquered by industry and supermarkets full of frozen food popped up across the land, foraging was forgotten and many plants became disregarded as ‘poisonous’. When you know what is edible or medicinal in your area, you will never look at the environment the same way. It becomes less abstract.

The links below come from one of my favorite sources, Eat The Weeds. No matter your geography, you are sure to find these common herbal and medicinal plants right out side your front door.

Bidens Alba: This one fascinates me the most. The names of this plant vary as widely as the lore.

Dwarf Plantain: It’s found all over the world. It was called English man’s foot, because it was said to grow where ever they set foot.

Peppergrass:  I loved to just pick this and nibble it as a kid.

Pine:  There are about 115 species of pine.

Now, you can take over from here. Happy hunting!

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