How to Befriend a Plant: Interview with Ancel Mitchell.

I had the opportunity to interview Ancel Mitchell, a Scottish plant fairy who has lived in Costa Rica for 10 years and runs a botanical garden there with her husband. She also grows and makes chocolate, teaches classes at the garden and is a cranio sacral practitioner. I asked her for some tips for those wanted to go deeper into unlocking the wisdom of the plant world.

TIP #1: Find an "Old lady" who raises animals or cans her own food. Tap into her wisdom.

TIP #2: Make friends with a plant.

STEP ONE: Find a plant that you are drawn to

-One that is native to where you are

*Don’t make judgements

STEP TWO: Try and eat it

STEP THREE: Watch the plant through the seasons.

STEP FOUR: Look up websites about the plant but don’t let it determine anything for you. Instead of your head, use your gut.

STEP FIVE: Look at it with all your senses. See how it moves.

STEP SIX: Try and fall in love with the plant.

It’s all about OBSERVATION:

Here is a list of questions to ask yourself about this plant – Why not use a workbook? Or print off this page!

1. What to look for:

What kind of soil does it have? Clay, Lime, black copper, etc?

Does it like shade? Sun?

Why?

Why does it grow where it grows?

Does it like growing where it’s growing?

Do other plants like it, or not?

2. Self Reflection:

Who is this plant like?

It the plant prickly? Do I have prickles too?

Is it funny looking? Does it make me smile?

Does it like shade? What are the shady parts of myself?

Does it cause a reaction when I touch it? With the plant and with myself?

3. Animals:

What animals does it interact with?

4. Environment and Cycles:

[Warning: Do not remove the plant from its environment.]

What is it’s environment? What does this say about it?

What are its rhythms?

When does it fruit?

When does it die back?

Is it the first to come through in the spring or does it come later?

Does it have flowers? What colour?

With all of those steps and tips you'll surely be making a new best friend. Let me know how your journey goes and how your plant friend is feeling! Ciao.