Roots- Part 2

The weekend’s adventures continued after a day full of fun frolicking, digging roots and wolf farts (the translation of the latin name Lycoperdon pyriforme, for the pear shaped puffball mushroom)!

We had the pleasure of spending the day in and around High Hill Farm and getting to visit some of the Horses there.

We ventured across the road and onto a part of the Bruce trail, that overlooks the Boyne Valley! Though the forest we wandered, finding plenty of Raspberries and Blackberries. We wondered why there might be SO MANY brambles, and so few understory shrubs and small trees.

As we came to an old fence row we found a patch of Beautiful Beech Trees, unfortunaley some had Beech Bark Disease. Alexis pointed out how the old fence rows are great wildlife corridors and are often great places to find fruit and nut trees that have been planted from birds, racoons and other creatures spreading their seeds!

We also laughed at all the apples hiding around the forest! We found the teeth marks of the squirrels who we guessed are preserving some fruit for later.

Can you spot the plant nerds?
After soaking in the sun and looking out on the Boyne Valley, we too gathered some apples and had a cozy lunch along the hillside.

 On our way back to the farm Tamara pointed out these AMAZING bark bettle “galleries”
When we got back to the farm we processed the many roots collected Saturday, and roots Alexis gathered from the herb farm, like these Echinacea angustifolia roots!

We washed away, then lay all the roots out

We ended the day all gathered in the Hay loft away from the wind. Here we processed the roots into many different tincture combinations! Valerian, Elecampane+Nettle+Marshmallow, Cherry Bark+Elecampane and many more blends! 

Feeling so much gratitude for the plants, their roots and my own roots that grow ever deeper as I begin to know the plants in so many different ways. Thanks to Alexis, Margie and all Wild Plant Apprenticeship pals for the fun-tastic weekend!