Directions for the Gathering, and Collecting of Botanical Plants
It is important to handle plants gently and properly. Never handle them
with a metal object unless it is a magic sword. Always use wood, enamel,
glass, or stoneware to contain and cook them in.
The only metal that should touch them is the knife or scissors used
to sever the plants, or the leaves or bark from the rest of the plant.
If you wish to collect your own plants, do learn to correctly identify
them. Some museums have herbariums where many different kinds of plants
have been collected and pressed - study them. Or take a course
in botany at your local night school or college, or buy a book
guide (like Herbs & Things by Jeanne Rose) to the identification of
herbs and flowers at your local book store, or go to the library and study
the field guides they have there.
If you are going to do your own picking,
the following are some things you should keep in mind.
- Herbs should be collected in dry weather.
- Annuals, plants that complete their growth in one growing season,
such as basil, should be cut to the ground.
- Biennials,
which require two growing seasons in which to go from seed to seed,
such as parsnips and anise, should be cut about halfway down.
- Perennials,
like the delphinium or lavender, die back seasonally and produce
new growth from a perennating part - they should also be cut about halfway
down.
- Cut them and strip off the flowers, smaller leaves, and the very small
stems. Dry them by tying them in small bunches and hanging in a warm
dry place.
- Another simple way to dry grean herbs is to take small amounts of the cut
herbs and wrap them loosely in newspaper. Tie a string around the middle
of the paper and hand in a warm, dry room. Within a few days the herbs
will be dry and they can then be bottled.
Leaves should be collected in clear, dry weather, in the morning after the
dew is gone and the sun (nor yourself) is not yet high. The aromatic
oils are at their greatest strength at this time. Look for plants that
are in bloom. Leaves of biennials are most valuable during their second
year of growth. To dry, spread them out thinly on a clean floor or
suspend them in the air on muslin or cheesecloth in a warm, dry place,
and stir occasionally until thoroughly dry. This may take as long as
two weeks. Remove all the stems from the leaves and remember that the
most valuable leaves are those which as closely as possible retain
their natural color. Do not use any that have been sprayed with evil
insecticides or tampered with in any way. Sprayed plants can posion
you if used in teas or ointments and contribute to the futher destruction
of our environment by our nasty government.
Flowers are best, from a medical standpoint, when they have just opened
and should be collected in the morning before you or the sun is high.
Gather the flowers, discard any brown petals, and spread thinly on
cheesecloth in a dry, airy place. Stir occasionally until dry.
Barks are gathered in the fall or the spring when the plant is at
least two years old. The bark should be dried and allowed to age for
about two years before using.
Seeds are gathered as soon as they are ripe and fully developed,
then dried by sprinkling on newspaper or muslin and placing in a warm
dry room.