Tips for the Extreme-Yardcrafting

This week I took part in a lively discussion that included what I eat around my yard. Yes, I identify and eat weeds, and some plants that people think of as only ornamental. If I did this in the woods it would be called wildcrafting, I (and you can, too) eat things from my yard. Yardcrafting sounds kind of fun to me. I am going to call it that. Now that I have given that some thought I will share with you some of the things that I have eaten over time from my yard.

If this interests you at all I recommend the book, Northwest Foraging, by Doug Benoliel. Yes this book mostly pertains to the Pacific Northwest of the United States, but many of the plants in there are universal, you can find dandelions and plantains in Hawaii and Europe, too.

This website also looks helpful: www.wildcrafting.net . It has pictures, common and scientific names of plants.

Anyway on to the tips!




1. Salads are more interesting and colorful with yard collected greens and flowers. Violet flowers, violet leaves, chick weed, miner's lettuce, day lily flowers, and clover flowers can enhance the beauty and flavor. If you can handle a more intense/unusual taste, add sorrel, dandelion, or new day lily leaves.

2. Yardcrafted greens such as dandelion, sorrel, plantain, wild mustard, and curly dock mingle well with other cooked greens such as spinach or kale. They also work in soups, and gumbo.

3. You also may have wild herbs such as mint, oregano, yarrow, or pineapple weed that make pleasant tea.

4. I collect dandelion flower buds and use them as a vegetable in my spring stir fry dishes.

5. Summer gives me wild strawberries and blackberries. Winter gives me rose hips.

6. You can make candied flowers from things around your yard, day lilies, violets, lilac, roses, evening primroses, etc. This link gives good instructions on how to proceed. http://homecooking.about.com/od/dessertrecipes/r/blmisc69.htm

7. If you really get into this concept. You can probably find many roots, mushrooms and local berries that are not obviously edible but grow everywhere.  Ask around and see what lives near you.


Ok now a quick talk about safety. Please don't eat something if you don't know what it is. While most things that are bad for you are only toxic (they make you sick) some are deadly poisonous. So please be careful. There are lots of websites and books that can help you learn to identify what is what.

Don't eat sprayed things. If you spray your yard with fertilizer or pesticide, you have probably killed all the edible weeds anyway. But if you are picking from roadsides or city parks they are probably sprayed. You can use those spots for identification practice though.

So I encourage you to at least spend time outside exploring the world and the little details right in your back yard. Pick some flowers, breathe some fresh air, and find some wonder right where you live.

Thoughtfully,
Kristin