Kara Swenson

When you think of Spring, what associations come to mind for you? For me, Spring is my favorite season - for many reasons. Spring is the emergence after a long, cold winter. It is resilience, it is hope. Spring is fresh rain that brings out the most beautiful shades of green and brown. Spring is the flowing of sap which offers us the opportunity for the sweetness of Maple Syrup. Spring is the reemergence of so many dear plant friends, and it is a tender “hello” after a season apart. Spring is...

Over the last several weeks, the plants have slowly started to wake up. The other day, however, I spotted the first handful of garlic sprouts popping up in my garden. Although I can’t say there is any proof to this statement, I personally have noticed that once my garlic begins to sprout, the dormancy of winter has worn away and nature is ready to flourish. Is there a spring plant that you are or have been particularly excited to see? -:-:- A couple of letters ago, I started a short series...

My previous letter  was the first of a short series of answering some of the most common questions I get when folks learn that I am a practicing Herbalist. In my last letter, I answered the question “What is an Herbalist?” - or at least started to answer this broad, deep question! Today, we will explore the question of: “Why might someone seek out the support of an Herbalist?” -:-:-  For the sake of keeping this letter a little more focused, I am approaching this common question of “why” from...