On My Mind

Mary shares both brief thoughts & longer essays through these postings. Follow along on Instagram and sign up for Earth Devotions to not miss these regular, hearty inspirations.

A little Beach Plant Walk

Huntington Beach State Park located in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina, is a haven of undeveloped seashore, dunes, salt marshes, brackish waters, freshwater ponds, expansive ocean, nature trails, boardwalks, interpretive signs, guided tours and…

Writings

Sweetgrass Teachings

I first met Sweetgrass thirty years ago at a sweat lodge when an indigenous elder burned a braid of it before we went in, and the smell transported me to my childhood, sitting on my Pop’s lap, admiring his handsome grin while he smoked his…

Writings

Nothing Remains in its Prime for Long

Until recently, whenever I’d have a bouquet of flowers, the moment they started to wilt, lose their ‘fresh’ look, drop petals, and fade, I’d dump them out as quickly as possible. I mean, who wants to look at spent flowers, right? Hart…

Writings

Sicilian Plant Pilgrimage

I recognize that traveling internationally is a privilege. I am humbled by the opportunity. If you have never immersed yourself in a completely different culture and there is a chance you can, please do take it. It broadens your perspectives…

Writings

Blog Articles for Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine

Mary Plantwalker has been enjoying penning some articles for Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine's Blog! Check them out! Why Plant a Medicinal Herb Garden? How to Grow an Herbal Tea Garden Herbal Tea Ceremonies Compost Magic for…

Writings

Upon Whose Shoulders I Now Stand

Yesterday would have been the 99th birthday of my paternal grandmother whom I am named after. Mary. She and my mother were the dearest women of my life and now they are both gone. Gram died 7 years ago, mom 5 months ago. Sometimes I feel such…

Writings

Calendula

Never do I tire of being a voice for calendula and incorporating her into my life! Calendula officinalis grows easily from seed and will self sow year after year in Zones 5 and up. They will bloom until frost if you pick their flowers…

Writings

The Light in the Dark

The bats were coming home to roost when I awakened at dawn. They sleep under the eves outside our bedroom windows and on the mornings when my own awakening chimes in with their swirling-whirling descent dance to hang upside down for over 12…

Writings

Everyday is a New Song

How many of us wake up singing? How many of us sing while doing the dishes, showering, gardening, driving or during other tasks throughout the day? This is your daily reminder that if you can talk, you can sing, and singing is an essential form…

Writings

Eat your Flowers!

There are so many flowers we can eat! Some taste better than they look, others look better than they taste/ just like people! Here are some photographed from our gardens at Herb Mountain: Day lilies Bachelor Buttons Calendula Rose Nasturtium Evening…

Writings

My Walk with the Plants

Perhaps it was having a pond at our house growing up that eventually led me to become a plantwalker. One of the most intriguing ecosystems to lead a child back to nature, I would sit, walk, swim and wade for hours in that pond, watching tadpoles,…

Writings

Mamas

Not one of you reading this is without one. No one can make the passage to earth without a mother. Whether she be alive or dead, you will always have a mother as she is a part of you more than any other human, having given half her genes and…

Writings

Only One Earth

Beech, Sourwood and Maple grew up together, and are as close as can be, lives forever intertwined. Together, they make this portal that beckons. When I first came to Herb Mountain Farm in 2005, the bank holding these trees was covered in…

Writings

Don’t be Rote

As I watched this beautiful egret skillfully feed in the Everglades Sawgrass, I was struck by this thought- Does this bird give a damn what anybody thinks or says its experience should be? No! It is both intuitive and constantly adapting to…

Writings

Unfurling

I am honing skills at aligning my time and energy with what I want to see flourish. It’s such a continual practice! Whether it be plants, friendships, family bonds, community service, or something else, it is evident that what I give my attention…

Writings

Earth Devotions

Hello, it’s April 5, 2022, and I am beginning my Earth Devotions, regular writings on how we love and care for our one precious mama planet. Which is really about how we live. From day to day, year to year, our lives unfolding. Sometimes these…

Writings

Stewarding the Land Interview

Interview with Mary Plantwalker on stewarding Herb Mountain Farm, by Kelly Moody of Groundshots Podcast

Writings

Species Inventory of Herb Mountain Farm

In 2014, Luke Cannon, aka Luke Learning Deer, helped us compile a species list of the flora we have met on the property. Over the past few years, Marc Williams has been a valued investor in not only updating this list, but bringing plants to…

Writings

Cosmincidence

Mary Morgaine’s first introduction to Herb Mountain Farm and the Cosmincident that followed. “Be very careful what you set your heart upon, for you will surely have it.” -Ralph Waldo Emerson In 2005, A friend called and asked…

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Mary shares both brief thoughts & longer essays through these postings. Follow along on Instagram and sign up for Earth Devotions to not miss these regular, hearty inspirations.

A little Beach Plant Walk

Sweetgrass Teachings

Nothing Remains in its Prime for Long

Sicilian Plant Pilgrimage

Blog Articles for Chestnut School of Herbal Medicine

Upon Whose Shoulders I Now Stand

Calendula

The Light in the Dark

Everyday is a New Song

Eat your Flowers!

My Walk with the Plants

Mamas

Only One Earth

Don’t be Rote

Unfurling

Earth Devotions

Stewarding the Land Interview

Species Inventory of Herb Mountain Farm

Cosmincidence

I see the world and the world sees me- everything is alive and changing, infinitely.

Follow Mary’s conversation with the natural world on Instagram

This world needs good earth stewards because what we do each day ripples into the future.