Root to Bloom

A note to my son, Hawthorn, on his first birthday:

If there is one thing I can give you, it will be an abundance of love. With love, the darkness of fear diminishes, anything is possible, and you can overcome any challenges that life might throw your way.  You are magnificent, my angel, and from a foundation of love I know you can fly as high and wide as you dream.

And you have already given me so much, even at such a young age: lessons in patience, empathy, compassion; intense joy and a newfound sense of wonder; most of all an emergence of a new level of unconditional love, so soul-stretchingly profound that the heart is made tender at the fullness and depth of it. You have enriched my universe beyond measure, in a manner I never even imagined, my darling boy.

What a treasure you are! So precocious, thoughtful, tenacious, sensitive, expressive, strong, intrepid, peaceful, willful, fiery, fluid, and connected. You amaze me every day, and I delight in watching you bloom, learning who you are.

You are my precious son, I love you with all my heart, now and always.

Let me first tell you the story of my chance meeting with this great plant. I was enjoying a day at the springs with my Mom - swimming, hiking, touring on the paddleboats - and in front of the bathroom pavilion there was this woman with a table set up, selling all kinds of baby plants she had cultivated from her yard. This being before I had awakened to my plant journey and all that these wonderful friends have to offer, and also quite occupied with playing in the water, I really didn't give the woman or her plants a second thought. Then, as the afternoon wore on and more and more people started leaving the park, the lady was running low on plants and started packing up. My Mom and I were all swam out, too, so we headed to the pavilion to change and then head out. As we walked by the lady and her near-empty table, she called us over. She must have done well for herself that day because all the plants were sold except for a small scraggly, dehydrated few, which she then picked up, thrust into our hands and told us to take home.

Among those scraggly sticks slouching up from the dry soil was a little Hibiscus acetosella; the lady just called it a mallow, though I didn't really know what that meant at the time. We took our plants home, and we each decided to give them a chance, putting them in some nice terra cotta pots, though unsure if they would be able to make it, as fragile as they seemed. Within days, at both our houses, we had a handful of healthy new plants, and soon it was evident that these "Mallows" wanted to go in the ground. So that's where they went, and they seemed to like it, with beautiful crimson leaves and flowers; quite a sight in the garden, but quickly slipping into the background of my mind.

Once I started my plant journey, I became much more aware and appreciative of all the plants around me, wanting to get to know and understand each little weed that grows underfoot, so I started identifying all the plants that were growing, cultivated and wild, in my yard. I was constantly delightfully surprised by who I met and how, more often than not, their humble appearance belies fantastic nutritional quality or even great medicine.

Hibiscus acetosella was just such a delight to come to know! And once I recognized and began interacting with this wonderful plant, he has been very prolific, with tall elegant branches reaching taller than my patio and new babies popping up. Apparently he likes the attention, and I don't mind giving it.

Commonly called Cranberry Hibiscus, False Roselle (though I don't like telling any plant that they're a false-something, it just seems rude), or African Rose Mallow, this beauty is wonderfully nutritious. Like most hibiscus plants, it is very rich in vitamin C, and has that signature tangy taste. It also has niacin (vit B-3) and riboflavin (vit B-2), which is great for a little energy boost. I have read that among the many antioxidants H acetosella offers is a class called anthocyanins, to which are attributed hepatoprotectant and anti-carcinogenic properties as well as the ability to lower cholesterol. I think the leaves taste wonderful and use them to supplement salads, adding a nice tang, or just enjoying them there picked fresh in the garden as I work.

As a member of the Malvacea, or Mallow, family, this plant does have some mucilaginous properties, and I have found the stems and leaves to be a wonderful addition to the infusion I use to make my shampoo, with a handful of fresh plant material completely replacing the marshmallow root I had been using for nourishing moisture before. And he's such a prolific and fast grower that I know there will be plenty to harvest for each batch.

H acetosella's sister species, H subdoriffa, is known to have refrigerant properties. I have also heard of such properties in acetosella. So I've been experimenting with water infusions that I then freeze into popsicles or ice cubes and serve at summer gatherings. People have reported that they do feel cooler, and it's such a fun treat!

Originally from Africa, H acetosella is generally tolerant and hearty, and does well in most soils or even sand, as long as it's well-drained. You can start them from seed, though I've had great success in simply taking cuttings from the tips of branches, sticking them in the ground, and finding a new growing plant in a couple of days. My experience has been that he is also very resistant to bugs and other pests- even when others in my garden have needed some care from pesky invaders, H acetosella hasn't been bothered.

A very strong plant, especially once you start giving her the attention she deserves, the only thing I've noticed that can pose a problem is strong storms. There's a couple ways you can keep them: let them have their naturally tall and leggy branches, or start trimming them and encourage them to grow a bit more shrubby. I tend to let my plants mostly do what they want, so even though I do trim for harvest, my acetosella tends to be a bit tall and long overall, and those long limbs don't take thrashing around in a rough thunderstorm very well, so I've found it best to plant them where they'll have a little support and protection- up against the outside of the patio, along the fence, etc.

I hope you've enjoyed my little story and that it inspired some love for some plants you didn't even think to think about before, the same way that H acetosella inspired me. I'd love to hear any experiences you've had with this beautiful plant in the comments.

Have a wonderful day with big herby hugs!

Life and gardening are the same. If you neglect your duties in either, they'll fall to ruin at the mercy of the whims of outside influences, and the chances of you creating something you can be proud of, something you can feel at peace with and nourished from, will be slim.  You must be an active participant.

When you garden, you've first got to think of what you want to grow. It's important to consider and prioritize because you can't grow everything, so you've got to decide on a few plants that you absolutely know you want. Then you get the seeds, plan out planting conditions, prepare the soil, pots, etc. After planting your seeds, you've got to be diligent and consistent, working hard every day, out there watering and cultivating those little seeds and seedlings.

At the same time, you've got to know your weeds in the garden. Some things that crop up will be good, maybe provide some food or medicine that you can use, or maybe they can support the growth of the seeds you've planted, helping them to flourish. Keep them, and nurture them just like you would your seeds, as they are a part of the garden, too.

Other weeds may be cool to see but just aren't good for your garden. Some are poisonous, some are perfectly fine in their own right but they will overshadow the seeds you've planted and won't allow them to grow. Either way, these weeds have no place in your current garden and must go, for the overall long-term wellbeing of your plants.

It's very important to constantly keep an eye out and understand which weeds are which, and then do what you must do.

For example: I want my passionflower vine to grow. It will provide me with healthy and tasty fruit as well as good medicine from the leaves.

But I have a Virginia Creeper vine on the same length of fence - I like it, it's pretty to watch the leaves change in fall, and I've had it for years. Plus, it takes a lot of work to keep it trimmed back. But it's berries are poisonous, it overruns my passionflower, and it allows rats to get in the attic. It's a sad decision, but I know it's got to go.

In gardening, as in life, it does not serve you well to sacrifice what is best for you in the long run for what is nice and easy now. It takes a lot of strength, courage, wisdom, and will to grow a truly successful garden or a truly successful life.

Sometimes something out of your control may happen - a sudden violent storm, an unexpected freeze - that leaves your garden wiped out and you left with nothing but dirt. You take a moment and mourn, but then you set yourself to the work of planning out those seeds again, and plant them! Soon enough, with the right diligence, your garden will be growing again, perhaps even better than before due to lessons learned from the tragedy.

As seasons change, what you need to grow may change, the seeds you choose to plant may change, and so might the weeding that needs to be done.

But one thing remains constant: plant your seeds, know your weeds, then nurture them or pull them up by the roots as necessary. It's simple, but not always easy.

Always keep the garden of your life in mind. When faced with difficulties, look at your garden: be mindful of the seeds you've planted, make sure the weeds you're watering are encouraging the growth that's best for you, make sure you're decisive about weeding out the plants that do you and your other plants no good. What you nurture is what you will harvest.

The metaphor of the garden applies to situations, things, even people in your life. If you follow the principles of the healthy garden, then ultimately what will grow is what is of the greatest good for all.