Plant Class Follow-Up

Man almighty! That class was outstanding!

I went up with my Mom on Saturday to George and Angie's class on medicinal plants and herbal preparations and I am just blown away by the amount of knowledge they possess and the skills they shared. I've been building up that portion of my library since we got home and am truly energized to learn as much as I am able about the subject.

We took a plant walk and learned a dozen or so plants and their uses just from what was growing wild outside the shop. We made teas, decoctions, tinctures, balms, and salves with various medicinal herbs and learned how to use them. We sat down and chatted once the class was over.

The process of making herbal preparations is not complicated but there's definitely an art to getting concentrations and consistencies right. It might take 20 minutes to learn how to make all of the things listed above but it could take 20 years to learn the right plants to use and which parts of those plants give the best results.

From the time I first learned of broadleaf plaintain (Plantago major) and it's healing properties against mosquito bites I was hooked. George makes learning so easily accessible and he discusses the science as much as the historical usage without referring too much to the moonchild mysticism one sometimes finds in this area.

All in all I had a great time and my mom did too. I wish I could've stuck around an extra day.

Bottom line: If you have an opportunity to take a class from George, DO IT! He's certainly at the top of the plant game, he has a great deal of knowledge of both survival and primitive skills, his teaching style is right up my alley, and he's got the no-nonsense personality that makes learning effective and fun.

Thanks for reading,


B