In this episode of The Lia Andrews Show I interview Chinese medicine scholar, professor, and translator Lorraine Wilcox. Listen as she discusses gender, translating, and the future of Chinese medicine. Lorraine Wilcox has authored several books on acupuncture and Chinese medicine including: Moxibustion:The Power of Mugwort Fire, a translation of Tan Yunxian‘s Miscellaneous Records of a Female Doctor, and her upcoming translation of Xue Ji’s An Outline of Female Medicine.
I admit I was a little sad to wake up this morning to one single (albeit beautiful) flowering orchid after we attended the Redlands Orchid Festival yesterday. She was a phalaenopsis hybrid that was too good a deal to pass up. After the Tamiami Orchid Show, Dr. Judith Andrews and I came home with a dozen flowering plants. This time we knew the plants we wanted and that we could get a lot more of them if we purchased bare root plants.
Aerides odorata with new root growth and flower spike.
Bare root plants are usually found in bins at orchid shows for a steal compared to the price if they were potted. They look half dead and unappealing, but with a little TLC they spring back to life. The above Aerides was a bare root cutting I purchased 2 months ago from Robert Palmer Nursery. Even after being abused (I put her in high sun and burned her leaves) she has significant new root growth and a flower spike.
We went to the show with a plan: better plants, long term blooming, and more of them. The problem is, bare rooted plants don’t always thrive. I have already learned to repot every orchid I acquire. For phalaenopsis and paphiopediliums I use fine coconut fiber, fine orchid fir bark, stalite, and sponge rock. For cattleyas, oncidiums, and dendrobiums I use a mix of stalite, sponge rock, coconut chips & charcoal. I have nearly lost several plants after believing vendors who say,”You don’t have to worry about repotting for 1-2 years.” That may be true in other climates, but in South Florida (or any wet climate) sphagnum moss or regular tree bark can turn orchid roots to mush in a matter of weeks. Orchid vendors pot their orchids to endure neglect and survive, not to thrive in home orchid collections.
Southwest Florida Orchid Society president Barb Murza advised us on how to treat bare root orchids. She explained that they have been through a lot of abuse. They have been shipped from other countries and jostled around. They endure cuts and broken roots leaving them wide open for fungal infections that can wipe them out. She recommends treatment with a systemic fungicide such as Aliete. Further, many successful growers soak any orchid they are repotting (bare root or established) and their growing media in a combination of fungicide, Super Thrive, and fertilizer.
Some of my favorite orchids are the cascading dendrobiums of the dendrobium, callista, and phalaenopsis sub groups. These display true Fire (startling and fun) and Water (drama and romance) qualities. I began growing orchids last October and I want to share my mistakes so others can avoid them.
Mistake #1: Dendrobium Phalaenopsis Doesn’t Like Cold!
I assumed all dendrobiums could handle the minor cold in southwest Florida. However, this is not true for D. phalaenopsis. These hybrids use plants growing in Australia and Papua New Guinea where temperatures do not get below 50-55° F. I am unclear whether or not I have a Dendrobium biggibum which is even less cold tolerant (min 60°) and looks almost identical.
I left my poor plant outside in the cold this winter (it dipped down to 40°). She lost all her leaves. This year she sent up 1 new shoot and a keiki (from the stress).
I have 2 other D. phalaenopsis that wintered indoors because they were flowering. They have 2-3 new growths and no keikis. However, they have started to lose their leaves on the old stalks anyways. Apparently this is what happens. This plant does not grow into a specimen plant.
Mistake #2: Do Not Allow the Stems of Dendrobium Anosmum to Sunburn or the Stems Will Die
I was very upset to see that one of my favorite plants, a D. anosmum with lovely lavender flowers looked near death. Experts at the Southwest Florida Orchid Society questioned watering, sun, and media, but I couldn’t figure it out. I observed them more intensively and it finally dawned on me what I had done. I mistakenly placed my Dendrobium anosmums in almost full sun this winter because that is what my Dendrobium nobile and lindleyi seemed to like. I then moved them to the area we grow our cattleyas in the spring. The plants flowered but then showed signs of stress. The first picture shows a D. anosmum var. alba I purchased already flowering that I never put in full sun. It has both strong growth from the base and keikis. This is my healthy model.
The second picture shows a lavender variety D. anosmum. All her stems were sunburned. They yellowed, shriveled at the base, and stopped supporting growth at the ends. There is no new growth yet, but a desperate profusion of keikis.
The third picture shows another D. anosmum var. alba (I think they are more rigorous). The stem that was sunburnt dropped its buds and produced keikis. The stem that wasn’t flowered well and then sprouted new growth from the root close to that stem.
According to culture sheets these also do not like to get below 50°, although that did not affect flowering or health on unburnt stems. I am attempting to rehabilitate my beloved plant. Hopefully this saves other plants out there from the same fate.
I have to be honest. I find green tea (lǜchá 绿茶) the least interesting type of tea (unless it is Jasmine tea which is divine). Most of the world, however, does not agree. In China, the birthplace of tea (Camellia sinensis), 70% of the tea produced is green tea. Traveling throughout China you will notice most people walking around with a thermos of green tea.
Green tea is unoxidized, minimally processed tea. It is sun-dried, steamed, or dried in a wok over low heat, and rubbed into shape. It is best used fresh; within 6 months or so. White tea (bái chá 白茶) is even less processed than green tea. Tender leaves and unopened buds are allowed to wither in the sun and to maintain their natural shape. The resulting tea leaves have a gray/white hue and when brewed produce a light green tea liquid. Yellow tea (huáng chá 黄茶) is made by piling the rubbed tea leaves and changing the texture quality of the leaves under carefully controlled heat and humidity; a process known as Menhuang. The resulting tea leaves have a yellow hue and the resulting brewed tea liquid is noticeably yellow.
White tea
Health Benefits of Green Tea, White, and Yellow Tea
All three are high in antioxidants compared to other types of tea. They are cooling and best during summer or hot weather and for hot, inflamed conditions. They promote digestion, alleviate some types of headache, remove toxins, and help allay the effects of greasy foods. White tea has the coldest thermal temperature and is used to clear heat and fever.
Taste of Green, White, and Yellow Tea
White tea has the most delicate fragrance and taste of all the teas. Green tea is characterized by a fresh, green, slightly bitter taste and aroma. Yellow tea has less fragrance than green tea and a sweeter taste.
Types of Green, White, and Yellow Tea
Yellow tea
I recommend sampling tea from each category to find your favorite style(s).
There are over 60 varieties of Green Tea listed in Chinese tea books, and perhaps thousands lesser known. Some of the most well known varieties are Long Jing (Dragon Well), Zhu Ye Qing (Green Bamboo Leaf), Bi Luo Chun (Green Snail Spring), Lu’An Gua Pian (Lu’An Melon Seed Tea), Tai Ping Hou Kui (Peaceful Monkey Leader), and Mao Jian (Hairy Tips). Long Jing tea is a good place to start.
White Tea is mainly produced in Fuding, Fujian Province. Varieties include Baimudan (White Peony), Baihao Yinzhen (White Hair Silver Needle), and Shoumei.
Yellow Tea varieties include Mengding Huangya (Yellow Buds), Huoshan Huangya (Yellow Buds), and Huoshan Huangdacha (Big Yellow Tea).
Scented teas process the tea leaves with flowers. This includes: Jasmine Tea, Jasmine Pearl Tea, Orchid Tea, and Performance Tea (green tea leaves are bound with beautiful flowers that unfurl n hot water). I recommend trying Jasmine Tea as one of your first experiences with green tea.
By andrews|2019-03-26T14:29:33+00:00May 28th, 2015|Chinese Herbs, Tea|Comments Off on A Beginner’s Guide to Green, White, and Yellow Tea
Chinese tea categories are a little different in Chinese than in English which can create some confusion. Black tea in English is called red tea (hóng chá 红茶) because the color of the brewed tea is reddish. Dark or black tea (hēi chá 黑茶) in Chinese refers to a category of post-fermented teas historically popular amongst Chinese minority populations who eat higher amounts of meat. It was also used as tribute tea because dark tea gets better with age, like wine, and could weather the long journeys. Dark tea includes Pu’er tea (pǔ’ěrchá 普洱茶) from Yunnan Province, Fuzhuan from Hu’nan, Qingzhuan from Hubei, and Liubao cha from Guangxi. Pu’er has become popular in the past decade as a collector’s item and health drink.
Health Benefits of Pu’er Tea
Pu’er is used to counteract the heavy nature of meat during meals, helps lower cholesterol (especially when brewed with Chrysanthemum flowers), aids weightloss, improves blood circulation, protects against cancer, is antiaging, and reduces hypertension. The enzymes used to process pu’er aid digestion and regulate bowel movements.*
Taste of Pu’er
Ripe pu’er has a mellow, earthy fragrance and taste and produces a dark red tea liquid. Raw pu’er produces a lighter tea liquid and the taste varies with age. Young (under 5 years old) raw pu’er has a distinct astringency and bitterness and produces a yellow tea liquid. After 5 years it begins to darken and mellow and increase in complexity. The flavor continues to improve as it is aged 20+ years.
Types of Pu’er
Tea made from small tender leaves is considered better quality and more expensive (this is true in all tea categories) than tea made from large leaves. The picking standard of high quality teas typically includes 1 bud and 1-2 leaves. Premium teas are less bitter, more subtle, and more complex than cheap tea. Interestingly, my teachers all preferred using low quality, bitter tea for medicine claiming the action was more potent.
The tea plant (Camellia sinensis) began as a large tree and evolved into smaller trees and shrubs. All continue to be cultivated for tea. Pu’er is divided into that made from old arbor trees, young trees, bushes, and geography, all of which affect the taste profile.
Raw Pu’er is made by drying the tea leaves and compressing them into cakes, blocks, or other shapes. They are then aged for at least 5 years (and up to 20-30 years). During this time natural bacteria transform the tea’s taste and properties. Raw pu’er under 5 years of age looks green and is astringent tasting and a bit harsh, though some enjoy it at this stage. After about 5 years of proper storage the tea begins to mellow and darken. At 10 years or over the tea becomes earthy, mellow, and complex. Aged raw pu’er is more expensive. The issue I have is that when I buy raw pu’er I feel pressured to save it, like I would a good quality wine, and end up not drinking it as often as ripe pu’er. Raw and ripe pu’er are like two different types of tea and I enjoy them both.
In the 1980’s a new method of pile fermentation was developed to speed up the fermentation process of pu’er tea. This is called Ripe Pu’er. It does not need to be aged and can be enjoyed immediately. It can be stored for long periods of time. The tea liquid is dark red and the flavor is mellow and earthy, and less complex and variable than raw pu’er. Ripe pu’er is cheaper and often a better choice for those who want a daily drink for health benefits.
Loose Pu’er can be raw or ripe. It has been packed loose rather than formed into cakes or bricks.
Zhutong Cha is tea processed in bamboo stalks. This mellows the taste and adds complexity. Various parts of the bamboo plant are used in Tradtional Chinese Medicine TCM to clear Heat and resolve Phlegm.
Old Tea Lump (Lao Cha Tou) are clumps that develop from pile fermentation in the production of ripe pu’er. These clumps are unevenly fermented and removed from the pile. They retain qualities of both ripe and raw pu’er. It is more fragrant and complex than regular ripe pu’er.
Flowers can be added to pu’er to enhance the taste and health benefits. As mentioned before, Chrysanthemum flowers are added for cholesterol and hypertension issues. Rose flowers pair very well with the earthy pu’er tea and helps aid circulation and stress-relief.
*This is what has been studied and reported in China. These claims have not been reviewed by the FDA.
By andrews|2019-03-26T14:29:33+00:00May 26th, 2015|Chinese Herbs, Tea|Comments Off on A Beginner’s Guide to Dark (Black) Tea
Chinese tea culture can feel intimidating at first, but it shouldn’t be. It is about experiencing and experimenting until you find what you like. Oolong tea (wūlóng 乌龙) is one of the 6 main tea categories: white, green, yellow, oolong, black, and puerrh. Oolong is partially oxidized, whereas white, green, and yellow are unoxidized and black tea is fully oxidized. Puerrh is fermented tea.
Oolong for Health
Oolong is traditionally recommended during fall. It can also be brewed year round to assist with weight loss and help maintain healthy levels of cholesterol. For high cholesterol or hypertension brew with chrysanthemum flower.
Oolong for Taste
The processing to make oolong tea is more complicated than green or black tea, producing a more complex tea experience. Oolong tea is incredibly fragrant, with a mix of floral, fruit, and smokey depending on the variety. The taste can be a combination of sweet, pungent, light, heavy, fruity, and floral.
Oolong Tea Categories
All tea comes from the tea plant (Camellia sinensis). Different types of tea, and different subcategories, are the result of different tea plant varieties, age of the plant, growing region, and processing. I recommend sampling a tea from different subcategories to decide which style(s) you like.
Tie Guan Yin Oolong
Anxi Oolong is from the famous tea-growing region of Anxi County in Fujian Province, China. Oolong from this region is characterized by its low oxidation (about 15%) making it closer to green tea in appearance and tea color. The dried tea leaves are rolled into little balls and are green. They emit a strong floral fragrance. Anxi oolong includes Tie Guan Yin (Iron Goddess of Mercy), Huang Jin Gui (Golden Osmanthus), Benshan, and Maoxie. Tie Guan Yin oolong is arguably the most popular type of oolong of any category. It has a beautiful complex aroma and taste that lasts multiple infusions. I have not met anyone who did not like it.
Wu Yi Shan Oolong
Wuyi Yan (Rock) Oolong is the earliest type of oolong. It is heavily oxidized (30-60%) giving a smoky dimension to fragrance and taste. It is called “rock” tea because it is planted between rocks and gives off the fragrance of flowers growing on rocks. Wuyi Yan oolong includes Dahongpao, Tieluohan, Baijiguan, Shuijingui, Rougui (Cinnamon), and Shuixian (Daffodil). Dahongpao oolong is the most popular in this category due to its enduring orchid fragrance and sweet aftertaste.
Dancong Oolong
Dancong Oolong is characterized by a floral and honey taste and fragrance. Dancong oolongs are categorized by geographic location, Phoenic or Ling Tou, and their floral characteristics such as Mi Lan Xiang (Honey Orchid Fragrance), Huang Zhi Xiang (Yellow Gardenia Fragrance), Jiang Hua Xiang (Ginger Flower Fragrance), Xing Ren Xiang (Almond Fragrance), and Gui Hua Xiang (Osmanthus Flower Fragrance). Try one based on your flower preference.
I have not explored Taiwanese Oolongs, though they are known to be more heavily oxidized than other types of oolong (meaning they are closer to black tea than green tea). Taiwan’s climate is conducive to tea production so they have many tea-producing regions and varieties. Types of Taiwanese oolong include Baihao (Pengfeng), Wenshan Baozhong, Dongding, Yushan, Alishan, Lishan, and Jinxuan. Dongding oolong is considered the elite of Taiwanese oolongs.
Reprocessed Oolong tea takes oolong tea leaves and adds flowers or herbs to enhance flavor or health effects. Common flower essences added to oolong are gardenia and osmanthus. Ginseng oolong is a popular health tea where ginseng powder is added to oolong leaves.
By andrews|2019-03-26T14:29:34+00:00May 25th, 2015|Chinese Herbs, Tea|Comments Off on Beginner’s Guide to Oolong (Wu Long) Tea
During my trip to Beijing in 2012 I fell in love with Chinese tea culture. I had long understood the health benefits of green, oolong, and puerrh, but I had not experienced the ceremony nor the quality of tea until that trip. Unfortunately I was not as tech savvy so I do not have video of the ceremonies or many pictures, but my favorite teahouse was the Confucious Teahouse across the street from the ancient Confucius Temple in Beijing. The teahouse is also next door to a vegetarian Buddhist restaurant that is still one of my favorite restaurants in China.
On this trip my experience of Chinese tea deepened as I discovered a few other jewels:
Long Jing tea at teahouse in Suzhou.
West Lake Long Jing Tea 西湖龙井茶
I prefer the ceremony and fragrance of oolong tea, but I was still enamored with the fresh green tea Hangzhou is famous for. West Lake is a scenic area in Hangzhou and West Lake tea is traditionally served in clear glass so that one can appreciate the beauty of the unfurling leaves.
Chinese people prefer green tea (70% of tea produced in China is green tea). Of all the teas it is the most cooling (anti-inflammatory) and cleansing. Green tea is the least processed form of tea and is best fresh. Perhaps this why green tea was not popular in export markets until modern times.
Long Jing tea fields ready for harvest at the China Tea Museum in Hangzhou.
Long Jing (Dragon Well) tea is perhaps the most popular type of green tea in China. Hangzhou attracts tourists from all over China in May to drink and buy the fresh Spring harvest. Chinese tea is divided into several types and subtypes. There are the basic tea categories: green, white, yellow, oolong (wu long), red, and black. These are further divided by tea plant varietal, region grown, and processing which affect the taste, health benefits, etc. of the tea. Long Jing is green tea grown on tea plants in Hangzhou and surrounding areas and processed the local way.
Zhu Ye Qing tea
Zhu Ye Qing Tea 竹叶青茶
It is grown in Sichuan Province. Literally “bamboo leaf green” tea, this green tea has a distinct astringency and bamboo-like freshness. Zhu Ye Qing is currently popular in China for its health benefits, particularly in promoting heart health.
Wu Shan Spirit tea
Wu Shan Spirit Tea 巫山神茶
Judith and I happened upon this tea in Fengdu Ghost City. Sweet iced tea was being sold as the symbol of the mythological forgetting tea souls would drink before crossing the bridge into the underworld. Later, when we visited with the local Wu Shan people (people of Mt. Wu), a minority ethnic group also called the Tujia people, we learned that this is their daily tea. It has the color of a Wuyi Rock oolong tea, but is very delicate with a sweet honey fragrance and taste. Our guide pointed to the old tea trees growing at the top of the mountains where the tea came from. She carried around a glass thermos with tea, as many Chinese do. Our guide, like many others, had been displaced from her ancestral home along the Yangtze River with the building of the Three Gorges Dam.
Mountains where old tea trees that produce Wu Shan Spirit tea grow.
Sarah, our Wu Shan guide, knew and used over 200 Chinese herbs, brewed her own corn wine with herbs, and does tours up the mountains. She also speaks English and has a good sense of humor. I recommend her if you are in the 3 Gorges area. Her email is 15213545120[at]163.com. Please tell her I sent you.
Fengdu forgetting tea
Translation:
center: 孟凉婆茶, mèng liáng pó chá, bottom: 源自 秘傳 古方, yuánzì mìchuán gǔfāng, “from an ancient family recipe” left: 清涑饮品, qīng Sù yǐnpǐn, “fresh Yangtze River drink” right: 四季皆宜, sìjì jiē yí, “appropriate for all seasons”
Master marketer Cheryl Shuman does a beautiful job promoting product, and is currently spotlighting cannabis. For example, Shuman advocates a little marijuana for us working gals at the end of the day to help us unwind. Before you run out and get some, however, it is a good idea to learn how to balance cannabis use, as it can be a little harsh on women.
Properties of Marijuana
Hemp seeds (huo ma ren, 火麻仁), have a neutral, moistening effect and are used for constipation due to fluid deficiency. In contrast, the marijuana (huo ma, 火麻, literally “fire herb”) used for fun and medicine is heating in nature. This quality is exacerbated by its traditional method of administration; smoking. Marijuana use depletes yin; the grounding, purposeful, cooling, and moistening functioning in our bodies and psyches. Loss of yin hurts both genders but is harder on women. We already tend to get yin and fluid deficient as we age.
Hormones
Regular marijuana use tends to cause menstrual imbalances. This is because it tends to cause pathogenic heat and deplete yin fluids. Periods may come too early or erratically. There may be excessive bleeding or spotting. Cervical mucous and vaginal fluids, necessary for fertility and healthy sex, may dry out. If you use cannabis on a regular basis it is a good idea to use cooling and moistening herbs to balance this. An example of a mild herb with these properties is go ji berries (gou qi zi, 枸杞子).
The Skin
Abundant yin is necessary for plump, smooth, glowing skin. The lung organ is also directly associated with skin health, meaning anything that injures the lungs, injures the skin. Besides burning off yin, regular cannabis use leaches Vitamin C from the skin. Skin can thin and wrinkle prematurely. Try to consume cannabis in a manner that bypasses the lungs and be sure to apply Vitamin C regularly to your skin.
With these tips you can balance your occasional dabble with marijuana and do it safely.
I am in favor of the concept of immunizations (they were after all a Chinese medicine invention), and yet it is not crazy to question the safety of vaccinations on our children. In doing so we are not questioning science, we are questioning the FDA and AMA which have done things like endorse GMOs and ignore the importance of nutrition.The organizations charged with safeguarding public health have demonstrated repeatedly a greater concern with profit and political power than our collective health. This requires that we the general public begin to question. This freedom to question is the foundation of a free society.
As a practitioner I have observed children regress in development after receiving vaccinations and I had a case where a healthy teenager developed seizures after receiving the HPV vaccine. On a personal level, I lost my dog, Virginia, to injection site liposarcoma (cancer that develops at the site of vaccination) and have seen lesser complications in a number of my dogs.
I believe there is something going on and rather than brand skeptics as quacks, we would be better served understanding what exactly is causing side effects in some individuals. I think there are three apparent issues:
Multiple immunizations at once. Administering multiple pathogens into young child will greatly increase the chances of his/her immune system being overwhelmed and of creating complications. When I have spoken to physicians socially, all have agreed that shots should be spaced out, however, most pediatricians appear to advocate the opposite. Is there any motivation other than convenience and increased profit to immunize for as many as 6 pathogens in 1 sitting?
Excessive immunizations. We immunize our children far more than any other developed country. Why?
Immunizing while the immune system is compromised. This is a clear contraindication, yet I have heard from many parents who were told by their pediatrician there was no problem bringing in a child with a cough or fever for vaccinations.
Additionally, there are likely other factors, such as the safety of the medium used to deliver the immunization, environmental toxicity, and pre-existing weakened immunity.
A Chinese Medicine Perspective & Potential Solution
In the traditional Chinese practice of zuo yue zi, newborns and postpartum women remain protected at home for the first 40 days after birth to allow themselves to become strong before entering the world. After this time children are still protected. Children’s Spleens do not develop fully until the age of 6. This means their immune and digestive systems are delicate during these years. Precautions are taken: eating healthy food, treating even minor colds before they have a chance to progress, and taking immune enhancing foods and herbs during cold season.
If a child (or adult or pet) is immunized, there are two things you can do to help minimize side effects:
Take an immune-boosting tonic for 2-3 weeks prior. I like formulas with a good dose of huáng qí (Radix Astragali Membranacei, 黄芪) such Yù Píng Fēng Săn (Jade Windscreen Powder, 玉屏風散). Huáng qí strengthens the Spleen in general, boosting immunity, strengthening digestion, and increasing energy. Different types of ginseng are other examples.
Take a formula for Heat-Toxin after immunization for a few days. Ideally, you would use a formula specific for the pathogen in the immunization, but this is often difficult, especially when there are multiple pathogens. In these cases a broad-spectrum anti-Heat-Toxin formula can be used such as Huang Lian Jie Du Tang (Coptis Decoction to Relieve Toxicity, 黃連解毒湯).
If a child (or adult or pet) is not immunized: We have the choice whether to rely on alternative medicine or Western medicine, or a combination of the two. Using natural medicine requires that we be more proactive; that we do things like eat nutritious foods, get a good night’s rest, and listen to our bodies when they become imbalanced. I would recommend taking an immune-boosting tonic off and on consistently, particularly during cold season and while traveling (though children are always exposed). Pathogens in children can move quickly, so take every cold seriously (I would say this about immunized children as well). You should have them under the care of an appropriate health professional.
By andrews|2019-03-26T14:29:39+00:00February 7th, 2015|Chinese Herbs|Comments Off on A Chinese Medicine View on Vaccinations
Plants are our food, our medicine, and our oxygen. They create our climate. More than this, they are our teachers. This is why we chose to feature David King, botanist and plant activist, in our premiere of The Lia Andrews Show (airing this Wed @ 7pm PST).
David King was Judith’s and my botany professor for our masters program at Yo San University. Traditional Chinese Medicine is a plant-based medicine, so the importance of his class was obvious. However, he did far more than teach us about deciduous trees vs evergreens, he introduced my class to their world. Stephen Harrod Buhner’s The Lost Language of Plants and Eliot Cowan’s Plant Spirit Medicine were required reading.
Our distance from nature has allowed the emergence of factory farming, GMOs, and deadly pesticides as acceptable ways to grow our food. There is little thought to the destruction this causes to the soil and water, the suffering to the animals or laborers, or the health risks to consumers. There is also psychological damage. When we are in sync with our electronics we develop a frenzied pace that affects all our relationships and our happiness, whereas a few moments walking in nature can restore us to peace.
As David relays in the interview, life had dealt him a heavy blow, and it was his connection with plants that saved his life. He came back from that experience with the ability to listen; an ability that humankind used to have before the advent of video games and cell phones. I believe, of all his gifts, this is his greatest; to teach us how to listen again. This is a vital lesson for herbalists, gardeners, farmers, and for all of us who share space with plants.
David King is the founding chair of the Los Angeles Seed Library and is garden master of the Learning Garden, where he hosts classes. David is also working on a book for gardeners.
