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The Art of Watching Plants

Daisy

How To Grow Your Plant Knowledge The Old Fashioned Way

​Would you like to know the secret to having deep knowledge of plants?

​​It’s a rare thing these days to find people who are wise in the ways of plants. Lots of people have the passion, but most have become ‘lazy’ about how they choose to learn about plants.

Back in the old days, humans didn’t even have books or fancy apps to make the job easier.

​And yet it was much more common for each family to have members who had multiple encyclopedias stored in their brain.

How did they do it?

How is it possible that there can be more knowledge at our fingertips than ever before, and at the same time so much less plant knowledge in the general population?

In my experience it all comes down to a little thing I like to call…

​”The Art of Watching Plants.”

(I’ve been a serious student of this for about ten years now.)
​
I’m a big fan of using plants for food​, health & wellness, and also as a doorway to deeper awareness and presence in the natural world.

It’s made a big difference in my life, and I’d like to share some uncommon yet highly practical perspectives with you!

It’s all here in today’s video…

8 Favourite Plant Patterns To Look For:

1. Seasonal Changes

Watch how plants grow & change through the four seasons​​. What’s the first plant to emerge in spring? In what seasons do different flowers bloom in your bio-region?

2. Insect Relationships

I recently discovered that feverfew will actually repel bees & other insects. Crazy! I didn’t even realize that was possible. Other plants are really good at attracting insects that balance & bring stability to an ecosystem.

3. The Influence of Environment

Pick one individual plant and watch it for an entire year. Notice how shifts in temperature, precipitation, wind & air pressure effect the appearance. You’ll notice that some plants follow the sun, some plants close up before it rains. Very handy stuff to know!

4. Plants In Different Conditions

Pick one individual species and try to find it in as many different locations as possible. Notice how this species thrives (or not) in various microclimates, at different elevations, light conditions & soil structures.

5. Identification

​This part is less important than you might think… but having good plant identification skills does help. Did you know that each family of plants has a different type of flower? There are different leaf shapes and branching arrangements that all help you quickly narrow down the identity of a plant. You don’t need to know the name in order to look for these patterns.

6. Mammal Relationships

How do your local plants interact with mammal populations? Are there certain times of year when the porcupines eat clovers in the field? What are the favoured foods of rabbits in your area? The first herbalists probably learned a lot directly from the animals.

7. Flowers

How many different types of flowers can you find? What’s the first flower to open in spring? What’s the last flower to wilt in fall? Can you find flowers that are only open in the morning? What do your local tree flowers look like?

8. Roots

There really is a whole art & science to looking at just the roots of a plant. Some roots are fibrous and weblike. Some plants have deep taproots. Can you notice any patterns of where different root types grow on your landscape?

Of course there’s always more! This is just a small sample of what you can look for as you practice the art of watching plants.

And I’d love to show you more about how to observe patterns in nature with my free forest secrets training video.

Filed Under: Naturalist Training, Videos

Are You Ready For More?

If you’re seeking age-old tools & techniques to go deep with knowledge of plants, trees, birds and energize your natural instincts… you’ve come to the right place!

Whenever you’re ready… here are 4 ways I can help you connect deeply with nature in your local environment:

1. Try My Free Lessons & Guides

I always recommend new visitors start by watching my free training video ‘How To Read The Secrets of A Forest‘. This video shares lessons that will forever change the way you look at trees & forests. You can also download a free copy of my Ebook – ‘The Wild Observer’. It’s all about how to make amazing observations in nature.

2. Master Real Nature Awareness Skills

If you’re looking for the easiest way to start really honing your outdoor instincts and nature observation skills… try the Nature Memory Journal Program.

All the home learning products in my online store come with a money-back guarantee and cover unique aspects of the holistic deep nature connection journey from bird language & naturalist intelligence to mindfulness & goal-setting.

3. Join My Instincts Mentoring Program

Every month I gather on the phone with like-minded nature geeks, trackers, bird language & nature awareness enthusiasts to support my students on their journey with nature skills & awareness.

Would you like to join us? Click here to get a sneak peak at my instincts mentoring program.

4. Work With Me One-On-One

And if you’d like to work with me one-on-one… just send me a message and tell me what you’d like to work on together… and I’ll get you all the details!

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How To Read The Secrets of a Forest

Hi, My Name Is Brian Mertins…

Brian Mertins

When I was 15 years old I had an experience of sudden lucid clarity while hiking in the woods. Since then I’ve been passionately seeking tools for helping modern humans develop razor sharp natural instincts. I’m the author of multiple courses & ebooks about bird language, naturalist training, observation skills & outdoor mindfulness. My goal is to share these life changing skills with YOU! Continue reading

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