Chestnut Herbal School
Close up of a toad.
Last updated on June 9th, 2023

The greening

The GreeningWritten and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor Our neighborhood farmers' precious daughter My excitement for springtime is punctuated with the hurriedness of the tending - our nursery, school and gardens. Anyone tied to the land in the northern temperate world knows this springtime reality. And yet it is such a juicy time. In between my [...]
A pollinator visiting passionflower.
Last updated on June 9th, 2023

Passionflower, from seed to fruit and back again

Passionflower: From Seed to Fruit and Back AgainWritten and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor Passionflower Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata, Passifloraceae) is a short-lived perennial native vine to the southeastern US, with gorgeous flowers and interesting foliage. It is weedy in much of its native range; and fairly easy to grow elsewhere, especially if its given a wall or [...]
Bloodroot
Last updated on June 9th, 2023

Spring Ephemerals and Elaiosomes

Spring Ephemerals and ElaiosomesWritten and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis, Papaveraceae) Spring ephemerals are perennial wildflowers that take advantage of the early spring sunlight reaching the forest floor. When the temperatures begin to rise in early spring these wildflowers grow quickly, flowering, setting seed, and dying back to their root system when the [...]
Daylily greens
Last updated on May 11th, 2025

Daylily Greens Garlic Butter Sauté Recipe

Daylily Greens Garlic Butter Sauté RecipeWritten and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor Water droplets on daylily greens. Lime-green succulent spears of winter’s released slumber, daylily greens are a relished early spring wild green. Daylily’s pleasant mild flavor is excellent paired with the more pungent creasy greens or wild turnip. To prolong the season, cut the greens [...]
Partridgeberry in fruit.
Last updated on November 15th, 2023

Partridgeberry Materia Medica

Partridgeberry Materia MedicaWritten and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor Partridgeberry in fruit My botany professors in Florida first introduced me to partridgeberry, and with excitement I recognized the scientific name as a medicinal from one of my herbal books. This was back in the late 80s when the modern herbal literature was scanty, computers were not [...]
Replanting a meadowsweet divisionling
Last updated on September 5th, 2025

Root Division: Multiply Your Medicinal Herb Harvest with These Plant Propagation Tips

Root Division: Multiply Your Medicinal Herb Harvest with These Plant Propagation TipsWritten and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor Dividing meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) with a garden knife (hori-hori) for replanting Want an easy and free way to get more herb plants? Who doesn’t, right? When I discovered how simple it is to multiply the herbs in my [...]
Closeup of Ruby Rose.
Last updated on November 15th, 2023

My Lovely Office Assistant

My Lovely Office AssistantWritten and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor Ms. Rose driving a hard deal I would like to introduce my lovely office assistant, Ms. Rose, whose many talents include: Finding new and unusual ways to incorporate post-its and scotch tape into thought-provoking and controversial art installments throughout the workplace. Asking for a snack repeatedly [...]
Fresh picked greens.
Last updated on October 11th, 2024

Cold Season Wild Greens and Pecan Feta Wild Greens Pesto

Cold Season Wild Greens and Pecan Feta Wild Greens PestoWritten and Photographed by Juliet Blankespoor Creasy greens Creasy greens (Barbarea verna, Brassicaceae), also known as wintercress, is a common weed in the Southeast and the pacific Northwest. Its close relative, Barbarea vulgaris, has a more widespread distribution, occurring throughout most of temperate North America. Here in the southern [...]