Reply To: Foraging 12: Plant allies

[Valentina Mandozzi]

Hi everyone!
I really love this idea of choosing a plant ally and develop a connection while building knowledge and familiarity with it. The hard part is: choosing THE ONE!
I currently have at least two plants that are my allies: Rosemary and Stinging Nettle.
I love them so much for how basic and straightforward are, but at the same time so incredibly useful and versatile.
I have a plant of Rosemary on my balcony that I check regularly: yes, it’s a common herb and it doesn’t require any particular care and it doesn’t go through many changes between seasons, but every time I pass next to it, I can’t help it but touch some branches and enjoy its recharging scent. Wherever I’ve lived, it’s always been the first plant I added to the house.
The love for Stinging Nettle is more recent: I’ve started to know it in my recent learnings about foraging and I didn’t know how many useful properties it had. Every time I find some on my path (in a safe spot), I always bring it home for some risotto and other dishes. I didn’t identify yet a Stinging Nettle spot so close to my house that I could visit regularly, but I’m planning on sowing some seeds on my balcony once it warms up a bit. 🙂