Welcome! What will you find in the garden?
DISCLAIMER
The information and recipes contained on this site are presented for intellectual and historical interest only. If you are looking for medical advice, please consult with a licensed physician. If you choose to try any recipe for the sake of adventure or curiosity, you do so at your own risk.
ANOTHER DISCLAIMER
The wise person knows exactly what it is that they are putting in their mouth. If you are not an accomplished forager, go to the nearest Teacher of Wild Edibles and learn. Always have your field guides with you, even if you are an accomplished forager. Eat nothing for which you have not attained “negative recognition”. That’s the point at which, if I hold up a banana and tell you that it’s an apple, you automatically and decisively state “No, it isn’t!” and are able to defend your statement, even if I argue with you, by accurately recounting the positive field identification marks for a banana. That being said, I encourage you to learn to forage. The intangible benefits are as great as the tangible ones.
Tales of a Worldly Willow
The Greek myth of Niobe and her pride is possibly one of the best known tales of the willow tree. It’s also one of the saddest. My first encounter with Greek mythology came through a book called D’Aulaire’s Book of Greek Myths when I was about six. I loved that book then and I still love it now. The lessons that were taught in stories like these have stayed with me all my life.
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Knowing that there are “artifacts” like the Niobe rock on Mount Sipylus that make the story “real” make me happy.

If you are a visual person like me, here’s the link to the text version.
If you prefer to hear the story, here’s the audio version.
If you’re in a hurry and want the short version, this one is fairly complete and kind of cute, although it doesn’t let you get really involved in the story.
There are also a fair number of other stories about willow from other cultures. Another well-known one is the Chinese tale of the Blue Willow. The story is often depicted on china plates.
You can read it here.

Here’s a tale from Japan.
And a Native American tale.
And just for good measure, here’s a fable from Aesop.
Enjoy the stories . Thank you for stopping by.