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Texas sage, or Cenizo, is a favorite in many landscapes. It weathered the drought this year, gave us gorgeous color with the rain, and is loved by pollinators. And its leaves can be brewed to make a tea that helps treat symptoms of a cold.
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I’m so in love with the chili pequin forest that has found its way under the live oak tree in this backyard.
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Post rain, the sunflowers, lantana found wild in my neighborhood, and delicious prairie tea are having a great time together.
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This ceramic darling has seen many summers come and go nestled among cultivated basil, Cora vincas, wild pigweed, and spurge. Spurge is toxic and not to be eaten if removed. Pigweed, or amaranth, on the other hand offers leaves and seeds for nutrition.
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Adding a gazing ball is so fun and is easy to move according to the season.
This past summer was intense, not only in the Brazos Valley, but around the globe. With such high temperatures and scarce rain, caring for the plants on our properties was a real challenge. Many people found that even with copious amounts of water, their plants struggled and eventually had to be removed.
As week after week delivered scorching heat, decisions had to be made about how to maintain our landscapes. When it became clear that rain was not on its way, I buckled up, and knew I would not be assisting my plants with any additional water except my houseplants and shaded porch plants. Even my poor grass was also left to its own devices. So, if the plant made it through the drought it stayed, and if not, it was time to go, because I’m planning ahead for next year, and five years from now, and 10 and 20 and so on.
I am not looking to remove my lawn, but like many, I want to slowly replace my lawn with plants that require no care or offer me a yummy benefit if they do require some attention.
Wild but walkable
As someone who loves to learn about every plant that makes its way onto my property, I really appreciate the uniqueness that each year brings. But I certainly don’t want every wild or volunteer plant that comes in to stay! I love the term “wild but walkable.” Throughout the year, I take out the plants that create painful stickers and aggressive plants that are super-duper cute as little babies, but monsters as adults. Having a lot of wild plants can be daunting, so I always start with the areas closest to the house and work my way out. Section by section, I remove seed heads, pull plants after it rains and use the opportunity to train my kids to know what to pull. Then, the wild plants we want to stay can take over. I want the dayflower, purslane, dandelion and ponyfoot to have a fighting chance. I want the horseherb to overtake the turf grass where it can. Just to name a few, the examples go on and on!
What the Earth is trying to provide for us
All the wild or volunteer plants in our yards deserve to be researched before deciding that they have to be entirely eradicated. Rather than seeing all the so-called weeds around our homes as a problem, look at them as what is being sent from the earth. A favorite example of mine is nutsedge, also known as nut grass. I learned early on to just leave it alone, and it has never caused a problem in my yard. As I continued to study wild edibles, I looked into nutsedge, and what did I find? What was the earth trying to provide for us? Parts of the plant offer relief from depression, and it has been a major food source in the past! So when you pull it, nutsedge responds by coming up at an alarming rate! It wants to feed you!
Wild and edible
Feeling confident about foraging and eating wild plants can take time, but it becomes easier as you study about them. Imagine you’re shopping at the market for strawberries. How sure are you of your ability to identify and select strawberries and not accidentally end up with raspberries, or radishes? It’s the same for identifying plants in the wild. Eventually you develop a certainty about what is what. And of course, never ever eat something you are not sure of!
One bonus of researching what is edible in the yard, is that now, as I pull sow thistle, which I do not want to keep, I get a little thrill from being able to munch on them, giving thanks for its efforts and its ability to provide me with nutrition.
Wild energy
A truly wonderful notion is that the nutritional fuel we receive from wild plants is stronger and more vibrant than cultivated plants. A wild plant has decided for itself that it is the right temperature, time and space to grow, rather than a human deciding it should exist in a certain spot. How fun to be able to ingest this powerful, healing energy!
Help with allergies
No, I don’t harvest all of my food from nature, or even full meals for that matter, but I do eat a few wild plants every day. Not only do I enjoy the wild energy, it helps me with any allergies I might normally experience in the spring. This is a very real thing, and so simple. We are surrounded by little edibles, no matter where we live. When we ingest pollen on a regular basis, it won’t become our enemy when it threatens to overwhelm in the spring. It’s the same concept as ingesting local honey to help with allergies — it helps the body recognize the pollen and not see it as something to fight.
Some easy ones to snack on in the spring include chickweed, henbit, wood sorrel and dandelion. But don’t wait until spring — eat some unwashed wild edibles all year long. Yes, I typically eat them without washing them first because I believe this actually supports a healthy immune system, and our guts are in need of a little dirt on a regular basis, so let a little bit in!
Foodscaping
Once we have decided what wild or volunteer plants we want to welcome and keep in our landscape, the next consideration is what we are adding. Even those with strict HOA requirements can add edible trees, shrubs, veggies, and herbs in a beautiful and pleasing manner. It is such a fun and rewarding way of thinking! My goal is for the plant to be edible or medicinal in some way, and if it’s not, then it should be able to take care of itself once established. Although, even natives and drought-tolerant plants need to be babied as they take root.
Even if you never eat anything off of the plant, it is so powerful to be surrounded by edibles, to know that the plants you are putting your time, money, and energy into can actually feed you. It brings joy to see the possibilities all over the yard, and it just gets more and more fun as you add a few carrot seeds here and pop in a few garlic bulbs there. We only need look around town to see the concept growing!
Permanent pieces
In addition to plants, remember permanent additions. Since we all love a variety of colors and textures in the landscape, have fun adding permanent pieces such as metal and ceramic art, driftwood, large rocks and reclaimed art such as brightly decorated wheelbarrows. Gazing balls, birdbaths, and fence murals will add beauty and structure, and require no care at all!
Connecting the village
A major goal for many citizens of the Brazos Valley and beyond is to become more connected. What is doing well in your neighbor’s yard? Do they have a cutting for you, or seeds, or can tell you where they got the plant? Do we each want to plant a fruit tree in our yard that will need each other to cross-pollinate and create fruit? And of course, do you have some delicious bounty from your yard to share? In addition, are you getting a load of mulch and want to offer some to your neighbors, especially those who have trouble bending and lifting? Moving forward can feel really daunting, so let us keep finding ways to help each other and work together and have a good time along the way!
About the Author
Molly Hagan-Ward is a longtime Brazos Valley resident who has been a general manager at The Farm Patch Produce Market and Garden Center in Bryan since 2017. In 2021, she began her landscaping business, Wild at Heart Landscaping, and specializes in native Texas, drought-tolerant, and edible plants. For information, contact Molly at wildatheartbcs.com.
