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Late spring and summer are ideal times for harvesting plants. This is because, by this time, most plants have developed to the point where their identifying characteristics are obvious — leaves are often fully grown, flowers have blossomed, and some plants are already forming seeds, each of which makes plant identification easier. While most in […]

Chickweed is a spring herb that is abundant here in East Tennessee. Not only is it easy to identify, but it has several different uses — one of which is chickweed pesto. Chickweed pesto is one of my favorite ways to use chickweed. Not only is it healthy for you, but it’s easy to make […]

You. Guys. I love chicory so much! I am a bitter, black coffee kind of gal, and chicory is deep, dark, and bitter—making it a perfect fit for me. This doesn’t mean that you can’t sweeten up chicory for your enjoyment if you don’t have a black-coffee tooth. You can. In fact, everyone can enjoy […]

The “Dog Days” of summer are upon us in the South. The dogs and cats are lazy, the snakes are more prone to bite, the gnats, flies, and mosquitoes are more bothersome than normal, and the poison ivy is thriving. Thankfully, it isn’t all bad. These slow, hot days bring more time for family gatherings, […]

What do you do when you end up with a bad case of poison oak in the middle of winter, especially when your go-to poison ivy plant, jewelweed, is nowhere to be found? I’ve been there, and trust me, it’s no fun. Sure, there are other plants and natural products you can use to soothe […]

Mullein. There’s so much to say about this plant it’s hard to know where to begin. Not only does it grow all over the US and in many other parts of the world, but it’s one of the easier plants to identify and harvest. It has many valuable actions and can be used in a variety […]