I often get asked, “But how do I actually get to know the plants?”
And I get it. Because I am very good at this myself taking something that could be simple and turning it into a full-blown research project involving six books, seventeen tabs open on my laptop and the sudden feeling that I need to learn Latin before I’m allowed to pick a Dandelion.
We can make getting to know plants far harder than it needs to be.
So, what if we looked at it differently?
What if getting to know the weeds and plants growing around us was a bit like making a new friend?
Because when you meet a new person, you don’t immediately demand their full life history, medical records and a list of their chemical constituents.
Well… hopefully you don’t.
You start with hello.

Step One: Find someone you fancy

When you’re making new friends, you’re usually drawn to people you have something in common with.
Maybe you both love being outside. Maybe you’re both happiest sitting in the sunshine. Maybe you both prefer hiding indoors when the weather turns sideways.
Plants are the same.
Some are sun worshippers. Some like the shade. Some want their feet practically sitting in water, while others would be horrified by the idea.
Maybe you like a bit of colour.
Love yellow? Hello Dandelion.
Partial to red? Fuchsia is over there absolutely showing off, with a splash of purple thrown in because apparently one colour wasn’t enough.
Maybe you’re more of a minimalist. Green. Simple. No fuss.
There is definitely a plant friend for you too.
The point is, notice who catches your eye.
You don’t have to know their name yet.
Just notice them.
“Ooh, who’s that?” is a perfectly good place to begin.

Step Two: Say hello

If you see someone interesting, you might smile. Say hello. Maybe see them a few times before you actually start chatting.
Do the same with plants.
When you’re out walking, start noticing the plants that keep appearing.
There’s that one again.
And again.
And AGAIN.
At this point the plant is practically waving at you.
You don’t have to rush home and Google 47 things about it.
Stop. Look. Say hello.
Yes, I am fully giving you permission to talk to weeds.
And no, I don’t think you’re weird.

Step Three: Hang out together

Once you’ve made a new friend, you spend time together.
You learn what they like, where they hang out, what makes them happy and what makes them slightly cranky.
Do the same with a plant.
Sit beside it. Look at where it’s growing.
Is it baking in full sun? Hiding under a hedge? Growing in damp ground? Has it appeared in the crack of a footpath where absolutely nobody invited it?
What plants are growing beside it? What does it smell like? How do the leaves feel? What changes from spring into summer?
You learn an awful lot about a plant simply by hanging out with it.
And sometimes you can invite your new friend home.
Admittedly, this does involve chopping bits off your new friend, so please keep this particular friendship technique to plants.
Bring a little home, once you’re 100% certain of your identification and that it’s safe to harvest and make a tea.
Which is basically inviting your new friend over for tea…
except your new friend IS the tea.
Slightly weird when you think about it, so probably best not to think about it too much.

Some friends are for admiring from afar

Not every person you meet becomes your best friend.
Plants are exactly the same.
Some plants become the ones you reach for again and again. Some you enjoy meeting occasionally. Some you’re fascinated by but don’t particularly want to work with.
And some you simply admire from afar.
Hello, Rose. Aren’t you fabulous?
Actually, complimenting plants is highly encouraged.
I guarantee at some stage in your life you’ve walked past a flower and said:
“Oh, look at you!”
“You’re gorgeous.”
“Would you look at the size of that!”
So feel free to flirt with your plants.
“Well hello there, Hawthorn, aren’t you looking fabulous today?”
“Nettle! Look how many of you there are!”
“Dandelion, you absolute ride.”
Whatever works for you.

Then you start discovering their personality

This is the really lovely bit.
Because when you spend enough time with someone, you start understanding their personality.
Plants have personalities too.
Some are bold. Some are delicate. Some are incredibly generous. Some require a little more respect.
Some are the friend who wraps you in a blanket, hands you a cup of tea and says, “Sit down there, love.”
Others are the friend who tells you to cop yourself on.
Nettle, I’m looking at you.
She’s nourishing, generous and incredibly useful…
but grab her carelessly and she’ll remind you about boundaries fairly quickly.
Then there’s Daisy cheerful, gentle, joyful, popping her little head up in the lawn like she’s delighted you came.
And Dandelion?
Dandelion doesn’t care if you invited him.
He has arrived. He’s made himself comfortable. He’s probably brought the extended family.
And he’s staying.

You don’t learn everything about a friend on the first day

This might be the most important bit.
When you meet someone new, you don’t expect to know everything about them after one coffee.
Friendships build over time.
You learn their stories. Their quirks. What they love. What they can’t stand. How they behave in different situations.
Plants are no different.
You don’t need to learn 50 herbs.
Pick one.
One plant that’s growing near you.
Learn its name. Visit it. Photograph it. Watch it through the seasons. Smell it. Touch it, if it’s safe to do so.
Learn a little folklore. Find out how people traditionally worked with it.
If it’s an appropriate edible or medicinal plant, make something with it.
Then keep coming back.
Because herbalism isn’t really about memorising massive lists of what herb is “good for” what condition.
It’s about relationship.
And relationships take time.
Eventually you’ll recognise your plant friend from across a field. You’ll spot it when it’s only just poking through the soil. You’ll know where it likes to grow. You’ll know its smell without having to think about it.
And one day you’ll realise…
Oh. I know you.
And that, to me, is where herbalism really begins.
So this week, don’t try to learn all the plants.
Just go outside and make one new friend.
Say hello. Hang out. Pay attention.
And if you feel like telling a Dandelion he’s looking fabulous…
I promise he won’t think you’re weird.

Love Laura & The Plants