Colonial Gardening in the Americas

I had a lovely meeting with the local DAR chapter where we talked about plants and the Colonial America period. The people who came from England and other parts of Europe knew their plants for food, medicine and beauty. They brought with them what was familiar and quickly adopted what was native to the American soil. Their knowledge was at the level of “Master Gardener” by today’s standards and in some cases had a good grasp of scientific names given at the time. There are many plants we simply don’t see in the average, modern garden that they grew in abundance. As promised the power point I used during the presentation is provided below. The reference books I used were so interesting and really amazing. Enjoy!

A Tea Party as the Windham Textile Museum

I had a wonderful time at the Sunday Tea held at the Windham Textile Museum in Willimantic.  Gorgeous tables, laid with romantic table cloths and china with beautifully crafted treats made for a serious self-indulgent afternoon.  It was great fun to complement the event with a talk about drinking other herbs besides the Camillia sinensis or "tea" plant we commonly think of as a beverage.  Unfortunately, my technology did not work so I did not show my PowerPoint.  However, here it is below.  Enjoy!

Camillia sinensis (Tea Plant)

Medicinal Weeds of Connecticut: Goodwin Conservation Center

Goodwin State Forest and Conservation Center in Hampton, CT is a magical place.  I had fun talking to a wonderful group of people about our amazing medicinal weeds of Connecticut.  Below is the presentation for all to see.  EAT YOUR WEEDS!!!!