Houston Botanical Garden

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I signed up for a class on medicinal herbs today at the Houston Botanical Garden. Last night I packed my lunch and set out my clothes so I would be ready first thing. I bought a coffee at Starbucks with my retirement gift card and drove north to Houston. I arrived a half hour before it opened so I drank my coffee in my car. At 10 a.m. I went up to the desk to get my ticket.

This is an artist's rendition of a termite mound. Looks real to me.

My class didn't start until noon so I walked around until 11:15.

This is barrel cactus. And that is when I realized that I forgot my lunch at home.

This turtle shell was in a tiny building called House of Curiosities. I asked the woman in the gift shop about where to buy a vegetarian lunch. She laughed. She said the food truck outside has great avocado toast and delicious smoothies.

I went to the truck and asked. The lady there asked what I had packed in my lunch. I told her vegan pepperoni on focaccia bread with butter and a cut up mango. Eventually I ordered a smoothie with mango, berries, peaches, spinach, oat milk and almond milk. The cup was bright green and huge and deliciosioso! I couldn't finish it all.

This is a tarantula in a terrarium. I brought it to my class. A lady asked if she could sit next to me so we worked together. The teacher was a fantastic teacher.

The teacher looked to be about 25. She said she was born in Mexico and was diagnosed with ADHD at age 12. She was put on medication that took a terrible toll on her body.

That Texas stone is gorgeous. The teacher had about 25 students. Two of the students were children which was cool. One was a nurse and she had good questions. Two ladies run their own herb farm. They were there when I came in and they mentioned how early I arrived.

This art work looked like a six foot tall bush with a depression in it. When I got closer I saw it was made of metal letters. That is just darling! It's like a word salad.

I was nodding in approval at what the teacher was saying. I agreed with her almost 100 per cent.

Big Pharma interrupts my evening news hour every night and irritates me to no end.

She makes a good point here!

The teacher asked many questions and the students gave the answers.

Maybe I should visit an allopathic. Ok, I took like 50 pictures today.

We got to go outside and collect our herbs. She suggested we taste each one that we put into our jar.

I bet I ate a dozen herbs and possibly a few bugs.

We put our herbs into our glass jars after we chopped them up with sharp knives.

We added at least half of the jar with apple cider vinegar.

Then we topped it off with honey collected from her bee keeping friend.

We put wax paper over the jar before putting the lid on it.

And then we shook it up like Taylor Swift.

She also gave us food to eat. I took a banana but there were berries and pastries available.

Every day we are supposed to shake out bottle and keep it stored in the refrigerator.

In two weeks we are to strain the mixture through cheesecloth or muslin and compost the herbs.

Then we can add some to our salads.

And then she gave us each a plant of Calendula!

She had to hurry us along because she had another class to teach in 30 minutes.

I asked her about the 2 cups of dried rose hips I have at home. She said I could definitely use them to make a syrup. So that's cool.

I am go glad I came here today. Traffic in Houston was lighter because it is a Saturday.

She suggested we use Ever clear in our tinctures. Man, I remember that stuff from parties in Saint Cloud.

Absolutely fantastic class.

So then I walked to the children's side of the property.

They had a Lego exhibit.

A Monarch made of Legos.

A preying mantis.

A rototiller? Fabulous.

Oops, pictures are coming out of order.

This was supposed to be the last picture. I walked with a lady named Lupita.

I used the QR codes to download music to listen to while I walked around.

Mallard!

I saw turtles in the water but I didn't get any good pictures.

Lupita was born in southern Mexico. She needs to get out of the house every day just like me.

Lupita used INaturalist and she had a ton of pictures on her phone.

She wanted to take the class I took so I told her all about it.

My grand girls would love this place.