Healing Gardens

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Week one

Reflecting on the last week's seminar and readings i have realized that the U.S mainstream culture looks at gardening in a way much different than the rest of the world. The US mainstream is not very concerned with land preservation or self sustaining communities. Unlike the indigenous groups or most other countries, we are not as concerned with conserving and preserving nature. The farmers in both readings preserve their land and do not overuse it.

In The Earth's Blanket by Nancy Turner, the indiginous groups teach that everyone should respect all that covers the earth(its blanket) and only use what is necessary. The metaphor warns that if peple mistreat or exploit the blanket, then the earth weeps. They even believed landslides were caused because of deforestation and other disturbances to the blanket.

We Americans have few self sustaining communities. Most of us see gardening as something fun or relaxing to do. Many American gardens are just for beauty, containing only flowers not used for any household use. I'm sure that other cultures that depend on their gardens for food must have a totally different perspective on the correct uses and ways of gardening. Personally i am inexperienced at gardening so i am looking forward to learning a lot this quarter.

week two

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Earlier our class had a marvelous discussion about what makes something a garden. We discussed what is natural and how humans create things that are therefore natural. I posed the question whether or not the others in class considered a forest a garden. The feedback was so interesting and enlightening. We talked about how we harvest mushrooms, berries, and numerous other things from the forest.

People make gardens without plants. Rock gardens, zen gardens

week three

TEKW traditional ecological knowledge and wisdom refers to the ways of the indiginous groups and other peoples that give back to the land as much as they take. Traditionally most groups taught their people to care for the land so that generations of their people may be able to benefit from the same cultural traditions with the same resources. ^They benefited from the land but did so in a way that was least damaging to the plants and environment. Traditionally many groups taught that all things are sacred with spirits to be respected. Through traditional ecological knowledge and wisdom people could live entirely off the land without altering the environment. Our readings talk about how when the Europians came over and saw all the natural habitats untouched they wanted to put the land to use by farming and building and things. The Europians didn't understand that even though the land remained as untouched as possible, the natives used and cherished all the natural habitats.. Traditional ecological knowledge and wisdom is very concerned with conserving, preserving, and not taking things for granted.

week four

What purposes do gardens serve?

Well a garden could (and should) serve the purpose of just being appealing to the senses. Who could argue with the purpose of enjoyment? But more than that, gardens can be a great learning tool. There are a million different purposes for a garden. For healthy benefits, to make profit by selling goods,for fun, for an escape, and a big one is to clear the air of all the nasty pollutants.

 Reflection
Week 5

What is a garden? Well, the Webster’s Dictionary defines a garden as a plot for flowers, vegetables, ect, a fertile area, or a public park. So many things we normally don’t consider a garden, could be. When we briefly discussed this issue in class someone informed us that kinder garden literally means a garden of children. I wouldn’t have considered a forest a garden before Lonnie pointed out how people collect mushrooms and berries. The whole earth could be considered one large garden. I wouldn’t consider a city a garden although cities are often fertile areas. People can mean many different things with the same word. A word only describes a small piece of what an objects substance or form is like. I believe there is no right or wrong answer to this question, like most questions. We are all right and wrong, with valid points describing a bigger whole. My personal idea of what gardening consists of is when a person interacts with earth, nature benefiting and helping both himself and the land. A gardener should benefit the land more than damaging it. Hunting and gathering could be considered gardening as long as these things are done with respect and consideration of all beings involved. Someone who picks a plant until it is barren of fruit, or kills animals without thinking about how these actions impact the other animals and plants shouldn’t be considered a gardener, in my opinion. As Nick was touching on, intent and perception is everything. No one person can be entirely right or wrong.

Reflection

week6

Gardners garden for many different reasons. SOme people garden for sustainability, to eat the things they grow.Some grow food to sell it for profit. Others use the plants as medicines, or for beauty. Each of these purposes would result in different kinds of plants used. some people garden just for the visual appeal of enjoying the beauty. These gardens often have lots of pretty flowers and such. Some people like to just have an activity to do, to feel productive and proud of. Many families garden together, and it is often a rare way these families interact all working together cooperatively. Some people grow things to learn more about them. Pleasure, beauty, exercise, learning, working together,profit, and sustainability are just a few of the many reasons gardners garden. The purposes are also as diverse. Along with being beautiful, and useful, gardens are also political statements. 

In Fields That Dream, Margaret Hauptman organizes a community gardening program to help youth. She saw that youth have few outlets for their energy and little ways to learn and make money. The purpose of her garden directly benefits her community. I found her second chances opportunity very inspiring. She saw a problem and instead of ignoring it, she found a way to help.

From the same book a woman named Susan started a very successful garden in her mobile home park. It seemed to me that she began the garden to provide more meaning to her work and life. She liked to be able to work directly with it and to help the youth by giving them jobs. I was very surprised to learn from this chapter that WW2 was when mobile homes became popular and evolved into stationary homes.

From The Earth's Blanket's readings I was surprised to learn that indigenous groups pegged their resource areas. They divided the resource areas among families which were marked(pegged) with sticks so that each family gardened their particular resource plots. They even did this for things like clams. Often, camas areas were privately owned and inherited. I had just assumed these areas were there for everyones' use. I also hadn't realized that berries used to be pruned after picking. Although the indigenous groups gardened their lands through pruning, burning,digging, fertilizing, transplanting, and many other methods, the Europeans couldn't see the maintenance these people were doing and just assumed that the land wasn't being used.

Week7

It blew me away to read in The Earth's Blanket that men would tie a whale's mouth shut so it wouldn't sink once it was harpooned. I love to imagine this being done. I also want to see the way the winter homes were made with the entrance also serving as a smoke hole in the middle of the roof. I imagine it sort of like an igloo although I'm sure it is much different. It seems very logical that everything in the land is very relevant to all aspects of indigenous groups lives, and therefore is part of their identity. It is so tragic that The Sandbar Willow Syndrome, "when a key habitat and its resources are taken away and the knowledge associated with that place or resource is lost , is so common. The loss of the land and assimilation policies have made it so a great deal of knowledge has been lost.

I learned from reading Fields That Dream that the biggest organic farms are in California. I was surprised that so many corporate companies can own smaller companies without the consumers knowledge. You would think that a label would tell you who the company is. I was also very surpised that our country pays only 14 % of its income on food. (151) I also hadnt realized how long it takes to make topsoil with organic materials. Each chapter continues to surprise me. Who would have thought farmers could graft a branch from one tree onto another? It's amazing the way we change nature. We mess it all up and then try to put it all back the way it was.

Who is to say what a good or bad garden is? Maybe weeds and overgrowth represents natural beauty to some. Plants that take over other plants may end up taking over a garden so it's not as diverse as it could be. But I don't believe that there are good and bad gardens because a garden should be a place for natural wonder and growth. A gardner with more knowledge may be able to create a garden more useful, more productive, or just more beautiful but that doesn't make it in any way better. Just different.

week 8

Who gardens? Well, a wide range of diverse people garden. A "green thumb" is just someone who has the knowledge to grow plants well, either from experience or what have you. My mother used to garden all the time. She was a stay at home mother and wife. Gardening was the only thing she had complete control and knowledge of. Most of her other daily activities was for the benefit of the family. I feel that all her tedious chores and things to do left her feeling empty and meaningless. What is the purpose in repeatedly doing the same things with no visible outcome? Laundry and dishes keep pilling up. When I was young I saw gardening the same way. No matter how many weeds a person picks, they keep coming back so what is the point? Now I see how much happiness gardening brought to her. She could be adventurous and try new things in her garden. She had so much time on her hands, I can't imagine a more constructive way to burn energy. My mom was a typical old fashioned woman with little control, few outlets, and even less ways of finding fulfillment. As i grew up and needed her less, she spent more time and energy on the garden. It wasn't just something for her to do. It was a reason to wake up and face the day. 

Week 9

The Earth's Blanket talked about how to keep environments healthy and productive we need to have "skilled teachers who hold the cultural knowledge, wisdom, and values;willing , interested learners who have the opportunity and desire to become skilled at and practice environmental stewardship, and access to intact, productive environments to practice." (215) I found it so absurd that people would steal property that belonged to the Haida nation. They shouldn't have had to make watchers to protect against this. That is so very sad. I was excited to learn how to make better berry bushes. Ashes and clamshells around the bushes help neutralize acidic soils.(220)

I was surprised to learn from Fields That Dream that more than a quarter of food in America is thrown away. But it's awesome that farmer's markets donate what isn't sold to food banks and other non profit organizations.(175) It is very good that a program to make sure farm workers are treated well is being created ( the Social Accountability in Sustainable Agriculture).

                             Reflecting on James Green's THe Herbal Medicine -Maker's Handbook

I really enjoyed this reading. I particullarily love how he feels plants radiate unconditional love.By harvesting we are receiving this love, and should therefore express our gratitude. He makes it very clear that the healing power of the herb is in it's spirit. Harvesting is the most crucial factor in high quality herbs and medicine making because the intention should be clearly expressed to the plants while harvesting. Green offers an example of how to do a harvesting ritual. Instructions include to clearly communicate your purpose and intention for harvesting.  " over 99% of our human being is a vibrational communicator"(46) When you ask the plant permission to harvest, and how, and where listen well. Sometimes the plants may not want you to take from them. If they choose to let you do so, harvest softly and minimally, try to leave it as it was before you took.

It was good to learn that when harvesting on a slope, a person should begin at the bottom and work up the slope. It makes perfect sense that the plants on top of the hill seed downhill and also protect smaller plants, simular to grandparents. Green makes the whole medicine making process very personal, which i like very much. I love his ideas of expressing graditude to the plant spirit by dancing and visualizing warm light. Intention is very important in action, I understand this.

I was surprised to read that dandelions are so useful to traditional people and in China. I was also amazed that it's species name, officinale, means "used in the office or workshop." Taraxacum, the genus name, is deriverd from Greek taraxis, meaning disorder and akas means remedy.(15) Funny how the most common things that people dont care about are so crucial parts of the whole picture.

I hadn't realized that commercial demands of pipsissewa, goldenseal, echinacea, and black cohosh are making them at risk. I am happy James Green persuades readers not to use these herbs until they have repopulated.  It's so crazy to me that echinacea's native species are dissappearing because i see it in most herbal supplements. I never thought about how the native species of herbs has changed.

Although i have had some small practice drying herbs before, I found this section in the book very helpful. The optimal air temperature for drying herbs is 85 degrees-100 degrees. (59) I didn't know that after herb is dried you should check it monthly and if it doesn't seem crisp enough, it can be dried again.  It makes perfect sense that the temperature must be experimented with and that it it is too hot it will roast, and rot or mold if dried too slowly.

 I purchased this book after reading the assigned chapters.

Reflecting on The Village Herbalist

To be completely honest i didn't particularly favor this reading. I found it tedious to get through all of it. I feel that it would have been more enjoyable had  i been able to flip and read through what i was interested in. There was so much to it, and much was repetitive.But i did learn from the reading even if i didn't particularly want to.

It was clear that heart attacks greatly increased with sugar, processed white flour, and refined vegetable oils and margarine. It seems simple enough though. do everything, including these things, in moderation. I was surprised that among the people who go to doctors, only ten percent require drugs or surgery and an equal ten percent of people have diseases with no cure. (3)

I learned a big word meaning to observe is "the organoleptic method".

There is a simple recipe to making a beverage drink i found useful. It is so easy. For every cup of boiling water add a teaspoon of dry herb. Five minutes of steeping and it's done. There are many other recipes I should try.