Guinea Greenery

Normally I would shoot it, but it is so desperate for water in this drought that it risks being seen just to get a drink. I must respect this little creature struggling to survive. Let it live today, but know that next time, its luck will run out.

"In the greenhouse, a flicker,
My hand to the gun, so quickly i want to pull the trigger.

But parched and desperate for a single drop,
It risked the open space around.

So live today, you thirsty little thief,
Tomorrow's mercy is beyond belief.

The gun waits still, the hunt's not done,
But today, you've won."

Look at that, moving up in the world.

Check out the NC Extension this weekend after Hoke County Farmer's Market

So many plants

A lot of “weeds” growing around us have been used for generations in kitchens and home gardens.

Things like dandelion, chickweed, red clover, purslane, plantain, and even daylily buds are familiar to a lot of foragers once they learn what they’re looking at.

What I’ve learned is this:

Just because a plant is common doesn’t mean it’s safe to guess.

Some edible wild plants have toxic lookalikes, and that’s where people get into trouble fast.

Queen Anne’s lace is the big one people always mention, because it can be confused with poisonous plants like hemlock.

So this kind of list is a nice starting point for learning, but never the last step.

A good habit is to:

1. Identify the plant more than one way
2. Check the leaves, flower, stem, smell, and growth habit
3. Use a trusted field guide or local expert
4. Never eat anything unless you’re fully sure

I do think it’s worth learning these plants though.

Once you start noticing them, you realize how many useful plants are hiding in plain sight around yards, paths, fence lines, and garden edges.

Have you ever found an edible wild plant growing in your yard?

Out at Ithíka Acres Creamery today. It going to be a beautiful day, come on out and join the fun.

Variegated Canna lily

Ah the yarrow

Hard at work at the Hoke County Farmer's Market today.