Survivors: Watercolor Collages by Jennifer E. Miller

“Survivors” celebrates the richness and diversity of Nature. For years I’ve studied books about wildflowers, edible and medicinal plants, and “weeds,” so with our planet’s mounting ills, my interest intensified into a year spent creating these watercolor collages.

The subject came into focus one day in late winter when I watched a shivering worker in a vast Walmart parking lot using poison on what was the only thing growing through the cracks in the pavement: Henbit. It spurred me to focus on that survivor weed, so delicate and beautiful and, according to edible wild plant sources, also nutritious.

From one online site (among many) https://hillsborough-homesteading.com:
Henbit was a very appreciated Spring Green in early times, as it comes early, and is full of iron and vitamins; just what we need after a long Winter….The stems, leaves and flowers are all edible. You can add it raw to salads, soups, or smoothies, or use it to replace spinach in any of your favorite recipes. The leaves can also be dried and used as a tea.

Wildflowers and weeds have much to offer, being lovely and also sometimes tasty and healthy for all creatures including us.

Many thanks to NC Botanical Garden, for their guidance in conservation practices through the gardens, staff and reference materials. Please rely on them and reputable websites and books for foraging advice.

All of the collages are made with archival materials: watercolor paint, various papers, adhesive, and mounting board. – Jennifer E. Miller

DeBerry Gallery is open Tuesday-Saturday 9 – 5, Sunday 1-5, inside the Visitors Center at NC Botanical Garden, UNC.