practices for connecting with the plant world

I've been a student of the plant path - studying herbalism, gardening, green witchcraft - for the last three years and am finally starting to feel "intermediate." I've heard it said that you should teach what you just learned (as you're closer to understanding the mindset of the person who is learning) and wanted to share some of the practices that have been the most impactful on my journey connecting with plants so far. These are all tips I wish I learned sooner to help me get started as a beginner but they may be applicable to more experienced folks as well!

1. Keep a notebook with your drawings, plant wishlists, growing experiments, field notes and anything else you're learning you want to remember or reference back to.

2. Go for walks in your local area with the purpose of connecting with the plants around you. I suggest taking photos or making drawings of plants you are seeing frequently or that seem to draw you in so you can try to ID them when you get home.

3. Pay attention to and learn about plants existing around you outside of nature (in your clothing/textiles, food, houseplants indoors, etc).

4. Think like a gardener. Grow plants in any space you have large or small and/or start saving seeds.

5. Make digital or physical flashcards for the most abstract concepts you're learning (scientific names, botany lingo, herbal actions, etc).

6. Seek out plant stories (books and documentaries are my fav) and community (see if any plant lovers are already hiding in plain site in your circle, also go out of your way to volunteer or learn with other plant nerds) that will ground what you're learning and support you on your journey.

BOOKS MENTIONED:

Plants Have So Much to Give Us, All We Have to Do Is Ask by Anishinaabe ethnobotanist Mary Siisip Geniusz

Braiding Sweetgrass and Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer

PS: I completely forgot to mention in this video that community gardens (often known as p-patches) are an amazing way to get your hands in the soil and start growing your own food without owning any land. You could even ask a gardener friend or family member if they could let you garden in a corner of their space or come learn with them and help out. Hope these practices help you on your plant journey! I would love to hear yours as well,