I referenced the photographs I took using "Wildflowers of Denali National Park" by Verna and Frank Pratt. As we hiked, Jenna explained the native uses of many of the plants we observed. Did you know that aspen has a natural sunscreen? It holds chlorophyl in the bark and photosynthesizes there; the white, powedery outer layer contains a natural sunscreen. Rub your hands against the bark and apply. Labrador tea has leadall and you can overdose from it, but it is also used for digestive issues, to clean wounds and for sore throats. The tea is very aromatic. Wormwood is used for parasites, as a poultice and as a tea for "women's issues". It was also used to slap the skin in the sweat lodge. The lovely blue delphiniums that were seen all throughout the camp have a poisonous variety, monkshood. All parts of monkshood are poisonous and was known as Wolfbane. (from the Pratt book) "It was once used as a spear or arrow poison because it contains a neurotoxin that would paralyze animals without affecting the meat."
Other usable wild plants include: {insert photos}
fireweed
bog blueberry
lowbush cranberry/lingonberry
soapberry
grass of parnassus
big dish mushroom/ holele
frog's back lichen
cauliflower lichen
Jen has traveled to other countries, teaching people how to be more self sufficient with their gardens and showing children how fun and easy it can be to garden in a small space. Children love to watch things grow. She began the garden tour by referencing the following:
Messages in Water
The Spirit of Ma'at interviews Dr. Masaru Emoto
Dr. Emoto study of water
In the study, Dr. Emoto argues that water respons to its environment and to our language and emotion. You are invited to ask how is the water being treated? Jenna studies permaculture, which is the combination of food, energy, water and community to create all the things you need to survive in that place. She subscribes to the "take it, make it and share it" philosophy. She starts seedlings in a circle and reminds us that natives used to give back their best of the crop in thanks. A garden can become an inviting place to sit and enjoy if you add benches and something of interest. Part of permaculture also involves seed saving.
At Kantishna, they now raise some of the vegetables they serve in the dining room but that was easier said than done! They were required to get special permits to actually serve fresh food to guests! We had lovely fresh salads each day, decorated with edible flowers. Jenna has one crazy bed that she can make an entire salad from without gathering from different beds; there are greens, flowers and herbs in a delightful concentration. That idea got my attention and now resides on my "list of things to do" for next year's garden!
Kale, in the brassica family, grows well in the cold and taste good, too! Knead it in lemon juice and sea salt. We grazed our way through the garden, tasting raw plants and appreciating the unique differences of their flavor. Bok choi is yummy; arugula spicy. Try lambs quarter, or mezzuna, a "spunky lettuce". The white flowers of arugula are also spicy to taste. The more accessible a garden is, the more attention it will get.
They can start growing in the greenhouse at the end of May. Because of the amount of light, plants with big leaves and lots of surface, go crazy. Or grow crazy! Root vegetables grow more slowly. Grow the Three Sisters of corn, beans and squash create a living mulch. All three are good companion plants.
Garden with many different varieties so that they are more pest resistant. As we taste-tested our way through the gardens, we also selected the flowers to add to our dinner salads. To have such a beautiful display in front of you at dinner makes it all the more enticing. We added pansies, calendula, nastursum and violets, to name a few. Just two leaves of the violet contain the daily requirement of Vitamin C. As one more use for these lovely flowers, I added that you can freeze them in ice cubes to add beauty to your beverages.
No comments:
Post a Comment