Wildflowers

Have you ever seen a field of beautiful wildflowers? If not, I hope these pictures do them justice. This week, I had a chance to go on a site visit to a local gardener who is in the Grow Wise Program. Recently, a family member had decided to plant various wildflowers in a spot in her yard. When visiting, I noticed that bees, butterflies, and other pollinators were attracted to all of the bright colors and different types of flowers. This helps our pollinators have a food source as well as allows them to continue to pollinate flowers and crops.

Medicinal Plants

Last week, in my blog, I talked about edible plants. However, this week’s topic is on medicinal plants and how they can be useful. In this area, there are various different types of plants that can be used for medicinal purposes. For example, lactuca, elderberry, witch hazel, lobelia, and stinging nettle are all medicinal plants. With this being said, lactuca is used as a painkiller and to induce sleep. Also, elderberries are known to boost your immune system and help with inflammation. In fact, the flowers and berries of elderberries are packed with antioxidants and vitamins, therefore, many doctors recommend elderberries for cold and flu symptoms. Furthermore, witch hazel is commonly used to soothe the skin and help with inflammation. Lobelia, on the other hand, helps with respiratory problems and stinging nettle is known to suppress inflammation, which helps with arthritis. Additionally, there is an educational video about all of these medicinal plants on the Wise County Extension’s YouTube page. Here is the link to it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mONraYEdJg