Wednesday’s “Weed” Walk: A Re-Cap of My First “Live” Weed Walk

“For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love, and self-discipline.” (2 Timothy 1:7)

On Saturday, June 3, 2023 I found myself staring down Imposter Syndrome with more resolve than real strength and conviction. I had prepared for this…but maybe not enough. Maybe I didn’t know enough herbs. Maybe I didn’t know enough about them. I took notes. Would they see me as more of a fraud if I had to use them? I didn’t study the notes enough. I didn’t memorize every fact, fable, or theory about each plant. I didn’t know every. Single. Plant. In the forest.

Dang! Who am I to call myself an herbalist?

Salvation came whilst standing in the short strip of meadow while waiting for everyone to join me for this “weed” walk. There at my feet were two of my best known—and loved—herbs: a dandelion, and plantain. This last is not the banana-shaped fruit found in many grocery stores. It is a type of crabgrass. And the dandelion? There’s a reason my Jillian is holding a dandelion in her mouth as part of The Herbal Hare icon. I’ve been drawn to dandelions since the day I took my first steps…or near abouts. My mother and grandmothers all had little Dixie cups filled with dandelion blossoms lining their windowsills when I was a kid.

Relax. Breathe. I’ve got this…at least with these two.

From there, I led a small group of 6—counting the lovely Australian shepherd who joined us for the walk; she said she got all of this, too—through myriad forest paths, up steep inclines and over rocky, dried-out streambeds. And, while there were a few stretches where that Imposter Syndrome kept trying to creep in again (we had about a 10 minute walk along paths lined with nothing but poison ivy, jewelweed, and Virginia creeper), I found enough to keep it interesting. There was even a note of praise on the library’s Facebook page later that day for the fun everyone had learning about some of the plants that share our little corner of Connecticut.

Here’s a recap of what we saw: Plantain (Plantago lanceolate), Dandelion (Taraxacum officinalis), Multiflora Rose (Rosa multiflora), Jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), Cleavers (Galium aperine), Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia), Hairy Solomon’s Seal (Polygonatum pubescens), Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus), Buttercup (Ranunculus acris), Dame’s Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) and Stinging Nettle (Urtica dioica). It might be fun over the next few weeks to feature each of these for a Wednesday’s Weed Walk—except the Dandelion and Plantain. I think I’ve done at least two blog posts for each; I’ll have to put a link to them in the coming weeks. 😉

May God bless you & keep you!