Hi, I'm Amanda

 

I have been fascinated with wild plants for as long as I can remember.  My happiest childhood memories consist of picking wildflowers on walks.  Or creating what I know now to be cold infusions of mint and other herbs growing wildly in my grandparents backyard in the alps in Italy, using a bucket and spade and pretending I was a local witch doctor.

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Why the early fascination?  Probably down to how the plants connected to my senses - beauty, scent, and touch. As I got older, I was drawn to the concept that something could grow on its own accord, without any (conscious) human intervention. And this basic attraction, along with their nutritional and medicinal benefit, is why interacting with plants was one of the first human developments. We foraged to survive.

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And somehow we have become disconnected from this pivotal relationship. Many people cannot recognise a dandelion or a hawthorn tree, let alone be aware of their benefits and potential usages. As my interest has developed in recent years I have discovered that these plants matter to us as humans on a quite existential level. I honestly believe that fostering this vital connection is crucial to our own wellbeing and that of the planet, as well as our sense of place in time and history.

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I hope that by exploring this site you are inspired to connect with wild plants on some level - whether it's foraging, learning about their history, engaging in wild crafts, or even if it's just  noticing them as you go about your everyday business. There is a spiritual element to that. I truly believe that if we are going to save our planet and ourselves we have to get past seeing nature as "shades of green" and to really appreciate what is growing under our noses.