Free Webinar: Plants, People & Culture: The Science of Ethnobotany – American Botanical Council — Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

We are happy to announce the first in a new series of Ethnobotany Webinars from the American Botanical Council and the Sustainable Herbs Program. Leading ethnobotanists Michael J. Balick and Paul Alan Cox will be discussing their new book Plants, People & Culture: The Science of Ethnobotany, revised from the first edition published in 1996. Balick […]
Free Webinar: Plants, People & Culture: The Science of Ethnobotany – American Botanical Council — Crooked Bear Creek Organic Herbs

Fresh Flower Crowns and Flower Garlands: Step by Step How-To Guide

The Druid's Garden

A woman hikes up to a sacred spring that she visits at least once a season. From her small bag, she pulls out a beautiful crown of flowers that she had lovingly crafted before leaving home. Placing the crown upon her head, she dances and sings around the spring, drinking deeply and celebrating life on this early fall. As a sign of respect and offering, she hangs the flower garland near the spring and carries her sacred water back down the mountain.

Family wears crowns I made at the bridal shower

I find it interesting that the ancient art of flower crowns garland making is almost non-existent today, at least here within the US. This tradition has so much potential. The only people who I’ve seen make these delightful crowns are children, who haven’t yet lost their magic or wonder about the world. And yet, garlands and flower crowns, are…

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Herbal Grief Ritual for Healing of the Soul

The Druid's Garden

2020 has been challenging for nearly everyone in a multitude of ways. One of the things that we are faced with right now is grief: grief over lost friends and family who have passed, grief over a previous way of life that seems to be gone for good, grief over lost careers and uncertain futures, grief over continued suffering and uncertainty with regards to our climate and life on this planet. I have certainly been experiencing many of these things. Perhaps the two most central things that happened to me this summer was the loss of a good friend after a long and difficult battle with cancer and the destruction of a large part of our family’s property to put in a septic line. The loss of many trees that I had grown up with and a beautiful ecosystem that we had cultivated into a botanical sanctuary. These losses happened…

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September 2020

Good Witches Homestead

As is so often the case these days the weather seems to be mirroring the volatile and unexpected nature of the energy flow. As September approached there was an abrupt end to the summer weather almost as though a switch had been flicked. There is now a distinct feeling of Autumn in the air something that is also reflected in the garden and countryside around us.

The Energies of September

A good way to sum up what the energies of September have in store for us would be to say that the roller coaster ride of transformation looks set to continue to increase in intensity.

The winds of change are blowing in, both literally and figuratively, and they are gathering force. This is not something to be concerned about, but it will help to expect the unexpected and be prepared to flow through any transformational opportunities that come your way.

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Looking for Buffalo Nuts (New video!) + Nature Photography Workshop

Greetings,

Some plants are easy to find. Other plants require time, turnpike tolls, and chance encounters with botanists’ field notes in order to pinpoint their precise locations.

Buffalo Nut, an understory shrub with a rather bizarre lifestyle, falls into the latter category.

My first encounter with Buffalo Nut took place more than 5 years ago. Since that initial sighting, I had never seen the plant again.

A few weeks ago, I came across a list of plants that a few botanists had compiled regarding the flora of certain forests. One of those forests was located in the southwestern portion of the state, and one of the plants included on the list was the elusive Buffalo Nut.

Intrigued, I decided to plan a visit to this forest in search of Buffalo Nut, though because I was quite unfamiliar with the area, I knew that I’d be embarking on a small-scale adventure. What excited me the most was finding its fruits, because years ago when I first discovered the plant, I had only witnessed it in flower.

The trip was planned, though the questions remained. Would I find the fruits? Would I even find the plant? Why are turnpike tolls so expensive?

In this brand new video, I recount the story of my recent adventure in search of an unassuming denizen of the forest.

Click here to watch the video.

If you are interested in learning artistic nature photography skills, there are two upcoming opportunities to learn directly from an expert in the field. Michael Haritan (my father) is a photographer with over 30 years of experience. He will be teaching two separate classes in southwestern Pennsylvania (Allegheny County) on the techniques involved in using the camera to create images worthy of artistic merit. If you are interested in taking your photography skills to the next level, these all-day classes are definitely worth the investment.

Thanks for reading and watching, and thanks for your continued support!

-Adam Haritan