Okanagan Okanogan. Writing by Vernon author, Harold Rhenisch.

I first discovered Okanagan Okanogan when it’s author Harold Rhenisch linked to Girl Gone Wild & Weedy for my nettle soup recipe. I have been reading his words ever since. It’s not often that someone captures my attention this way, but Harold has such a fresh, lateral way of thinking that I find myself wanting to know more about his work. Harold seems deeply rooted to the Okanagan/Okanogan valley that runs down into Washington, and writes of his observations of the unique ecology and water systems of this valley that transcend colonial methods of land and water use, and how these observations could empower the social and economic fabric of this land. Underground clouds, sky rivers and rock face collection systems. Alternative crops that can reform land use. Wow. Just wow.

http://okanaganokanogan.com/

Darke Lake, BC.

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DIY: Hillbilly Washing Machine

How cool is this?! A simple yet highly effective manual washing machine for under $10. I love off the grid options. One day my family may very well live “off the grid” so always good to learn a few tricks along the way.

DIY: Hillbilly Washing Machine.

 

 

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To Change A Name, or Not.

Look at that crazy wild Pine. How dare it be so sexy, showing it’s sexy bits like that…

Well hello there,

So I have been working on a couple other blogging projects lately, one for my dance troupe and one for the herbal community of BC and Canada, but lately I have been feeling a need to write on my personal blog and not necessarily only about plants. I have so much on my mind that I find I have a need for an outlet, to share my thoughts, as they do in essence relate to and connect to herbalism as a part of the whole.

So be prepared to find some different thoughts when you come here, other than my usual plant talk and medicine making recipes.

Also, I have been thinking about a name change for this blog. This in part comes from having a facebook page for this site and the weirdo’s it attracted due to the Girl Gone Wild & Weedy name. Yeah, people thinking they were going to find a topless stoner chick. I guess I should have not been so naïve, I did not know about girls gone wild culture until recently. Though in some ways I’m thinking it is about time we reclaimed the term “wild”. Wild does not mean drunk and promiscuous, when on earth did the word “wild” become connected to a thinly veiled part of our youth’s dysfunctional sexual connection or dare I say it, “rape culture”? Here is a dictionary definition….

Adjective (of an animal or plant) Living or growing in the natural environment; not domesticated or cultivated.

Adverb In an uncontrolled manner:  “the bad guys shot wild”.

Noun A natural state or uncultivated or uninhabited region:  “kiwis are virtually extinct in the wild”.

Synonyms adjective. savage – mad – feral noun. wilderness – waste

Indiscriminately touching fronds. I’m so badass…

Touching frogs, too! Oh the humanity. I totally see how this blog was mistaken for something it is not.

 

Now, I have used the word as an adjective but to me wild means more. It means un-domesticated, natural, free, unadulterated, self sufficient, tenacious and strong. It means deeply connected to the Earth and thriving with all you need from the ecology around you. It means living without constraint of social or religious restrictions, and following your heartfelt path. It means deep dark and mysterious, and often it means the unknown. For me, wild represents something very complex, feminine and balanced.

I’m so promiscuous, blatantly loving my herbal medicines like this and taking pictures of it…

 

In the case of this blog, I use the word “wild” specifically in description of plants. This blog is about wild and weedy plants. Wild plants as opposed to cultivated plants. Kind of boring, really.

So I have entertained the idea of a name change as Girl Gone Wild & Weedy now carries some negativity in my heart and actually created a reluctance to write here.

I am thinking of simply dropping the “Girl Gone” part and keeping the “Wild & Weedy” part. Not as catchy, but at least familiar for the long time readers. I’ll have to think about it some more.

Anyway, name change or not, Spring is here and a new season for getting down with my plant peeps.

I’ll write again when I can, next time about more interesting things than blog names.

Until then, take care,

Danika.

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The Gathering Basket.

Hola beautiful people! How’s it going?

Guess what I have been up to? Germinating the seed of an idea with action, that’s what.

I will be winding down Girl Gone Wild & Weedy as I move on to another project. A community project. An awesome project. The Wild and Weedy blog will remain up as many still come for the recipes and such and perhaps I will still write the occasional article for it.

The project is called: The Gathering Basket.

It is an online community for BC herbalists. But not just for BC folks, it will have resources for all herb minded people from the Yukon to New Zealand. The service will offer cool articles, photos and video by various BC based herbalists and herbal students and also encourage all and any herbalist to contribute from the greater community. It has a herbal school directory, a herbal supply directory, a forum, an event page and a local sustainable business directory. It is a place that those who are seeking a local teacher or a bag of local nettles can come to find a connection that will take them where they need to go.

And I hope you come join us, too. I would love to offer you a place to promote your herbal work, school, business and events. I want this community service to be shaped by the people it serves.

Come on over, just take a short walk through the wild woods below and you will arrive at The Gathering Basket. (click on the forest) 😉

www.thegatheringbasket.ca

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Want To Help Me Choose a Name?

I’ve been feeling I want to change the name of my beautiful herbal, youth elixir, facial serum. Only thing is I can’t decide which name I like best. Would you help me choose?

Anyone who votes on my poll with be offered a 25% off coupon code for The Herbal Shoppe! Just leave a message in the comments section and/or email me at herbandpetal at hotmail dot com.

Thank you for helping!

 

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Sacred Nature.

“Everyone, no matter what their cultural background, has a right to discover the sacred in nature; to heal and be redeemed spiritually by nature; and to revere the ancestors. We are all haunted and saved by our memories” -Martha Brooks (Bone Dance)

Kive Rose Hardin shared this quote earlier today. It speaks of something that is so true to me- the spiritual awakening I have experienced through my love and reverence of nature. I enjoyed the quote so much I decided to share it with you too.

Have a wild and weedy day!

Danika.

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The Medicine Bear – A Novel by Jesse Wolf Hardin.

Recently, I had the honour of co-proofing author Jesse Wolf Hardin’s latest novel, The Medicine Bear. I relished the quiet, focused work of proof reading and fell in love with the characters Omen and Eland. I even found myself weeping and moved at times, all signs of a really good book! Jump over to The Medicine Bear website for more information on this soon to be released historical, herbal novel.

Stay Wild!

Danika.

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Farewell, Spring!

A Spring outing with my son to gather Arrowleaf Balsam Root leaves.

Well there goes May, and with it Spring leaves me as early Summer rolls on in. My month of May was impeded by a chest infection but I still managed to get out to my Herb School classes and spend time wildcrafting and medicine making. I have welcomed into my life the act of prayer. In the past I had always associated prayer with religion and so avoided it. But as I grow older and connect deeper with Nature through my studies and passion for herbal folk medicine, my perception of life expands and opens, and my heart asks me to be more still, more quiet, so I can listen to the voices of the forest, of wild water and animal chatter, and if I am lucky perhaps for a moment I will hear the song of their Spirit. Prayer gives me a way to offer my intentions to all of creation here on Earth, be it of healing given or needed, love shared and received, joy and sorrow. It opens the door to communion with loving, healing, spiraling consciousness. And maybe it does far more… For me it is also a way to give offerings of love and to announce my intentions when working with the plant world.

Belly to the Earth, intoxicated by the scent of Oregon grape inflorescence.

Arrowleaf Balsam Root (Balsamorhiza sagittata)

Leaving the magical Nettle forest…

May brought fresh Nettles once again, something that makes me very, very happy. I have a weird fear of not having enough Nettles! I can’t live without them. On Mothers Day, I drove out to a friends farm with my son and husband and we spent the day picking beautiful, vibrant green Nettles. I dried about 10lbs, steamed off some for the freezer, made nettle infused oil for an under eye cream I am working on for Herb & Petal, my herbal skin care line, and cooked with nettles to my hearts content. I made a very yummy rustic nettle and goat cheese pie with whole grain sage pastry. I wasn’t completely happy with the result, next time I will add more creamy goodness to it like cultured cream cheese and mix the filling well with it, rather than leaving the cheese in chunks, to make for a richer, moister pie. When I have perfected my recipe I will share it with you…

Drying Nettles on an old screen.

Chopping Nettles for oil infusion.

Making Nettle oil infusion for skin care.

Cooked Nettles.

Making Rustic Nettle and Goat Cheese Pie with Sage Pastry.

Nettle and Goat Cheese Pie.

May also brought a ‘Super Moon’, which was very beautiful, although by the time the Moon rose over the mountains behind my house I had  missed the effect of it’s largeness. It was still an energy charged night and I was determined to have a fire outside to enjoy it. I searched around for a second hand brazier to enable backyard campfires but there was no way I was going to pay much for one. So I got my spade out and dug a lovely fire pit for free. 10 minutes later I had an awesome, rock lined fire pit and we have been loving it! Besides, I can cook on my backyard fire pit. Braziers are for….

The full Moon as it drifted over my side of the mountain.

I also had the opportunity to go to Summerhill Organic Winery for the Fertility Festival and interviewed local folk punk band The Dirty Earth. Lots of fun, yummy food and wine, artists, artisans, music and beautiful, shining people everywhere. I’ll post the interview in a separate blog entry soon!

The Dirty Earth played in the Kekuli at Summerhill’s Fertility Festival this May.

Well, I had more to say but I am fading in my enthusiasm presently. It’s been a long week, motherhood has been trying for me lately with low energy levels and the lingering infection in my lungs. Finding time to do all I must and rest to recover is almost impossible. I haven’t even set up shop at my farmers market yet this season, something that bothers me to no end. I must persevere and hope that I am filled with boundless energy soon!

Thanks for stopping by, see you again real soon!

Danika.

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Campfire Roast Chicken!!

I LOVE cooking on an open fire or camp fire. Check out this yummy inspiration: Campfire Roast Chicken with Flowering Onion and Dill over at Nourished Kitchen. I’m roasting a Cornish game hen this way tonight, using the herbs growing abundant in my garden. A recipe is meant to be a guideline only, so go wild… ♥

http://nourishedkitchen.com/campfire-roast-chicken-with-flowering-onion-and-dill/

Photo credit: http://www.nourishedkitchen.com

Enjoy, Wild Ones!

Love,

Danika.

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The Herbalists Apprentice

Today I begin a new chapter in my life, as apprentice to a Wise Woman Herbalist. For the next 9 months I will be a student of Wild Roots Herbal Learning Center and partake in the Womens Herbal Intensive. We will learn the ways and traditions of women healers. I am so friggen excited!! And, nervous to be an apprentice. I do have a sense of going to Baba Yaga’s house to complete her tasks in exchange for snippets of her wisdom. But this herbalist is very much a natural beauty and as far as I know, she does not fly around in her mortar and pestle at night! But you never know…. Actually, I wouldn’t mind taking my own mortar and pestle for a spin! Wouldn’t that be fun?

Enjoy the new Moon energy, you crazy, wild wonders….

Love,

Danika.

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For the Love of My Roots

He whah kai rongorongo e mahia ana mai i to po, he irirangi roreka oro ana ki te ao, e whaka arongo atu nei.

The pleasant voice of song, a divine sound wafted tremblingly from the now silent past to the listening present.

Not plant roots. Ancestral roots. Spiritual roots. Heart felt roots. O.k then, plant roots too…..

I am home sick. I am here in Canada because of a pull I could not ignore any longer. I felt a drum beat for months, maybe it was years, I don’t remember… Calling to me, pulling me from my home in New Zealand, drawing me nearer. A beckoning. I had people to meet, places to see. Important voices to be heard. Important words to speak. And I still do. Although, apart from my family I am still not sure why exactly I ended up making my home in the Okanagan of British Columbia.

I feel like an oddball. But then, I think maybe I always have felt that way. But growing up Kiwi has left it’s impressions on me and I am inherently Kiwi. Born in Canada to a New Zealander father and Canadian mother, leaving the north for the islands of New Zealand at age 2, I have always been split between two worlds.

I love the people of New Zealand. The ones I grew up with, my first loves, my teachers, my relations, my community. Yet I always felt apart from them. Different. I don’t know that I was ever wholly accepted as one of my own human community. But the wild land of New Zealand, the earth and plants, the spirits, they accepted me and drew me near. For real. Every time I left my islands I mourned for the land more than the people. I love the people, they are my kith and kin, but the land, she is spooky. She claimed me as her own and calls to me from a great distance. She calls to me now. It’s powerful shit.

Ask pretty much any Maori person, young or old and they will tell you how real this is. Like the time I met Mahuika on the Takaka Hill, a mountain full of crystals and tomo’s. I was minding my own business, walking near the summit with my male room mate a few metres behind me on the path, brushing the turpentine plants with my fingers and then out of the green, there she was, the fire woman. Talking to me. “What is he doing here sister?” Ummm, say what? Holy crap, what just happened? I looked back towards my room mate and couldn’t see him. But I understood. She doesn’t trust men. They tricked her into giving up her fire. The fire that burned from her finger tips. A gift to mankind, yet stolen. A story all women can relate to. That shit is real.

And now I am land locked in the arid zones of Canada. A delight unto itself for I had no idea there were deserts here. But far from the sea and the familiar. I don’t know when I will get to go home again. I worry about the future of all islands as Canada and the rest of the world turn their heads from the effects of their actions, the relentless need to burn fossil fuels, to disregard the rest of the planet as long as there is benefit to their own economies. To continue living in a ‘throw away society’. The tar sands, now there is a heartbreaking reality… There will be dire consequences for island nations soon enough. The Pacific nations may cease to exist within my sons lifetime. I hope not.

As giving as the plant world is here, as much as it teaches me and puts up with my curiosity my heart aches for another place.

And that is my life, for now… It is how it will be and I must accept that. For there is much more that I must learn here. That much I feel in my heart to be true.

With love,

Danika.

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Hello? Is it me you’re looking for?

Not the most attractive picture of me but look how lovely those nettles are. So photogenic!

Bahaha, I’m so friggen funny. Sorry for being a dork with the title.

Obviously, I have not been writing for some time and as we don’t know each other that well, I will spare you the details of my turbulent life of late. Let’s just say that being a nature worshiping, plant loving, wild food eating heathen does not spare you from the occasional heartaches of life. All is not sunshine and butterflies all the time, as one might be led to believe. Life is bloody hard at times for all of us, whatever our passions may be.

But here I am on this damp, snowy afternoon, giving it a shot again. I feel a bit word shy as it has been so long since I wrote anything of interest. I feel it best to be frank about that fact I am feeling unsure of my ability to write at the moment. But enough whining! I am back to my usual mischief and there are people out there that want to read about it and I would love to share with you all, once again.

Believe me, I have not been hiding under a fallen log all this time, even though that sounds pretty good to me! I have still been out and about, sowing my seeds, grounding my roots, living and loving with the herbal community that is growing around me. It’s about bloody time I got over myself and put finger to keyboard! The herbalists of the Okanagan are coming out of the wild woods and I want to share our stories with the world. And today’s story will be all about a Sunday spent at Wild Roots Herbal Learning Center’s love medicine workshop, as Wise Woman herbalist Barb DuTot’s spoon washer, I mean assistant. (Love you, Barb!)

I am off to fill my tea cup and smoke some sage, then back to the business of my awkward typing. Article to be posted after I check with Barb for accuracy on certain points.

See you again real soon!

With love,

Danika.

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No ads? Ads? What’s going on weedy girl?

Hi there!

It has come to my attention there are bloody ads on my proudly ad free blog! What the hell?! Call me naive, I am so new to the world wide web, blogging and IT. Heck, I don’t even own a cell phone. I have a perfectly good home phone, after all.

Anyways, the only way to make my blog truly ad free is to pay WordPress. This has to wait until I go back to work in the fall, cause I am a poor home study student with a very small business making skin care to sell at the farmers market. I just don’t have any spare money to pay for the right to be ad free on my blog right now. Sigh…

Luckily, I work at the local university during the school year and work will begin again soon.

I hate ads being on my work. Sure, I have badges linking to other awesome herbal goodness and people. Because I believe in what they are doing and want to support them. I get no monetary benefits from doing so. But as for the wordpress generated ads, well I can’t stand it so soon, they will be no more on Girl Gone Wild and Weedy.

Hope this clears up any confusion, I feel so silly for not being aware of the way things are.

Hope you all have an awesome weekend doing what you love!

Danika.

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Go to the Water, the Living Water.

A few years ago, sitting by my beloved Motueka River. My sacred place to meditate, contemplate, and bath away my troubles.

Barbara from Wild Roots Herbs posted this on her facebook page. I had to share as I feel so strongly about the right for all life on Earth to have pure water. I also believe that Water itself has the right to be honoured, and treated with the highest respect, for without it, we will all surely perish. This report is about the Traditional Ecological Knowledge of the First Nations of Southern Interior British Columbia, in regards to water and the way this knowledge differs from the Western Scientific view of water being a lifeless commodity.

Water. A First Nations’ spiritual and ecological perspective.

Go to the Water, the Living Water. And give thanks, give offerings, pray. Let us remember, it is the Blood of Earth.

With Love,

Danika.

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Root to Fruit: Folk Herbalism From the Ground Up, a free webinar with Kiva Rose

Join this awesome FREE webinar by following this link. I can’t recommend Learning Herbs or Kiva enough! They are offering a free class to help demystify herbs, I’ll be there!

http://www.learningherbs.net/onlinemeetingsnow/herbwebinar/

Happy Herbal Adventures!

Danika.

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WOW! 1015 views on Girl Gone Wild and Weedy!

I just wanted to drop a quick line in thanks of all the great comments, subscribers and encouragement I have gotten since going live in December last year with Girl Gone Wild and Weedy. Over a thousand views already! I will keep it up for sure and have lots of great stuff in store for the green seasons. Right now I am getting to know my local artemisia and have a lovely article on this wonderful arid zone plant brewing up, I hope you will enjoy it!

The soft, silvery and graceful Artemisia frigida or Pasture Sage. More to come on this wonderful desert beauty.

Thank you once again for your interest in what I am doing, it makes me so happy to meet and share with other herb loving folks!

Happy Herbal Adventures to you!

Danika.

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Canadian Native Plant Database, eh.

The Okanagan Sunflower, balsamorhiza sagittata. Picture from Wikipedia.

Kia Ora!

I just wanted to share that I have put up a link  going to the Evergreen Native Plant Database website. It’s under Cool Herbal Links.

It’s an excellent resource for the budding botanist and all herb lovers and wildcrafters need a good botanical reference. I was stoked when I came across it and have used it many times already. It also has great info on growing native plant gardens, something I did extensively for a while in NZ, regenerating area’s in parks and shorelines using New Zealand native plants, naturally. 🙂

I’ll have a great article on Edlerberries up real soon, with step by step pics on making an elderberry syrup and maybe some other yummy recipes.

Until then, happy herbal adventures,

Danika.

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50 Top Herbal Blogs

Comfrey and Wild Rose

I just found this list of some of the best herbal blogs on Fireweed Meadow’s blog.  What a great reference for all of us herb lovers. Thank you Fireweed!

http://pharmacytechniciancertification.net/50-best-blogs-to-learn-about-herbalism/

I will be writing an article on making Elderberry syrup soon. A delicious remedy for the cold and flu season that works! The best part is you can use dried Elderberries, very practical for this time of year.

Herbal blessings,

Danika.

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Exciting News from a Wild and Weedy Girl!

The Wild Rose (that later became part of a wild rose oil infusion) A fitting symbol as I become a student of my mentor, Kiva Rose Hardin.

Hello friends!

I have wonderful news and I just have to share with you… I’ve just been accepted into the Traditional Western Herbalist training program “From the Ground Up” taught by Kiva Rose Hardin. I’m over the Moon and dangling in the stars right now! 😀

It will be a challenge creating and keeping the necessary life balance to achieve my goals but nothing worth having is easy to get now is it? I am ready for the challenge and I rise up to meet it.

I will be sure to share my learning curves with you all as I take my home herbalism further and deeper than ever before and transform myself into a practicing traditional herbalist. This is super exciting stuff for me!

If anyone reading this has been feeling that herb bug bite too and wants to take it to the next level I’d love to recommend Anima Lifeways & Herbal School. They work on a sliding scale donation basis so there is no need for unaffordable fees to keep you from the path you desire to follow, if that is what you truly want and are dedicated and focused. I have put a link up under ‘Cool Herbal Links’.

I’m off to get my home life organized and work out a balanced schedule for my family so I can get started on my study. Wish me luck!

Blessings to you all,

Danika.

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Happy New Year!

I hope its a wild and weedy year full of awesome herbal adventures for all who love to seek plant knowledge. I’ll be posting an article on making healing herbal salves shortly. Stay tuned!

Danika.

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