Calendula infusing in olive oil in the window

The more I study plants and herbs and flowers the more I am amazed by the bounty around us, how even the ugliest weed can hold treasures.  In this society where plants are categorized: ornamental, grass, vegetable, fruit, weed, we miss out on the diversity of each individual plant.  Most plants have several uses, if we can only look deeper than its category.  For example, Comfrey, one of my favorites, is considered a medicinal herb, which it is, however it is also a bio-accumulator, its roots break up heavy clay soils, it pulls minerals from deep down and deposits them on the surface where other plants can use them, and it is great animal forage. A common weed, plantain, is more than a nuisance, it is also very medicinal, it grows in poor soils, cleaning up contaminates and deposits its nutrient rich leaves on the soil when it dies back for the winter.  In a permaculture landscape/garden every plant is evaluated not only for its use in one category, but for many uses.  Here on Quail Run Farm, each planting, be it tree, bush, flower, herb or vegetable has many uses (4-6 at least).  In this manner we are not only producing, but we are putting back into the land, nourishing it, being a steward over it, building it up. For example an apple tree does much more than grow apples for us, it creates shade for shade loving herbs that grow among its roots, its leaves create a rich mulch where beneficial microorganisms can thrive, the branches attract birds who in turn eat nuisance insects and leave their droppings, and the prunings are fed to the rabbits or used in hugelkulturs. So many uses for a simple apple tree, it creates synergy, fertility and life working together to build and maintain healthy land.