Katelyn LandryKatelyn Landry is the founder and creative director of Fôrij Thrills. This lifestyle brand is an extension of her own passion and excitement for herbs, edible flowers and of course foraging. After discovering a shocking amount of plants on her property were edible, originally identified as ornamental plants or weeds, there was a realization; there's a huge disconnect between "wild urban" food available to us just outside our door step. Fôrij Thrills curates intentional seasonally themed events and workshops to highlight various wild/urban plants as well as their various uses. Growing up, gardening always felt like a chore. My Birthday always landed on May 24 weekend which always impeded on my self centered beliefs that, well, everything should be about me. Hours were spent preparing the garden soil and weeding...So much weeding! Fast forward to now, as an adult, I’ve come to realize many things. Gardening is a beautiful practice and pastime. Not only is it a great way to connect with nature but it's highly rewarding. My true love for gardening was ignited in my mid 20’s after successfully growing classic herbs like Thyme, Oregano, Mint and Basil etc. These little action packed petals had me shook because in comparison to store bought dried spices, these fresh herbs actually had flavour. From that point on I was excited to experiment with the odd tomato and zucchini plant among a few others. In more recent years I was introduced to the world of foraging for wild plants. I was amazed by the amount of edible food that can be found here in southwestern Ontario.Yet, what was even more shocking was the amount of edible weeds, ornamentals, shrubs and native plants that could be harvested in my own backyard. From that point on I’ve been exploring how conventional urban agriculture combined with landscaping can co-exist to grow food. Here’s 3 tips to discovering the wild in your backyard:
Don’t be shy to break the traditional gardening rules a little bit. A garden doesn’t have to be a perfectly manicured square section of your backyard. Look at your entire property (front, side and backyard) as potential to grow unconventional foods through edible landscapes designs and letting edible weeds grow. Disclaimer: It’s always important to learn and get familiar with each plant thoroughly before harvesting, especially before consumption. This article was written to serve as inspiration to get you started with little wild epiphanies, opening our eyes to beauties all around us. Some plants are poisonous, some are combined with edible parts or deemed safe with proper preparation. Integrate wild food into your diet slowly to monitor how your body reacts and take extra precautions if you have allergies. Do not consume wild food unless you are 100% in your plant identification, consult a mentor, published articles or foraging ID books.
3 Comments
7/7/2020 06:23:04 pm
I love this story! It builds into anticipation and the sense of adventure to come!
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2/11/2024 11:34:42 am
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