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Valley So Shady

Horticulture and Herbalism

A modern database of plants including how to grow, harvest, and use them.

Plant Guide

Regular Plant Profiles

  • High quality in depth research
  • Referenced science for plant uses
  • Instructions from planting to use
SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE

Self-Paced Learning

  • The basics of gardening
  • Harvesting and Preservation
  • Culinary and Practical use of plants
EXPLORE COURSES

A Searchable Database

  • Curated data at your fingertips
  • AI informed resource review
  • Science and ethnobotanical resources
PREMIUM SUBSCRIPTIONS

From hands in the dirt to kitchen alchemy

Sustainable options for plants that anyone can grow and ways to use them that will nourish the whole family

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Growing a garden

When to plant, time to germinate, special needs, and companions plants love to grow with.
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Learn Plant History

Honoring the wisdom and experience of cultures who pioneered the use of plants as we learn from them
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Explore Plant Lore

Explore the spiritual and cultural associations that plants have in a variety of cultures and locations
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Foraging and ID

Grow from novice to experienced in the identification of plants using botanical best practice
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Harvesting

When, how, and what parts to harvest to satisfy your own needs while ensuring sustainability
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Preservation

Understand options for keeping plants usable for short and long-term consumption and enjoyment
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Personalised Learning

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Unique Projects

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60%

80% of people worldwide rely on herbal medicines for some part of their primary health care

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Get to know the world around you

Get an overview of some of the most common edible and medicinal plants around you and how they have been historically used. 

Start to appreciate "weeds" and the interconnected eco-system

Many of the plants we consider to be weeds or pests today were cultivated in the past for important reasons. Familiarize yourself with plants and foods outside the box store shelves 

Start to recognize the plants around you

Our free ten plant profile e-book can get you started thinking about how to grow, recognize, and consume some of North America’s most common plants. 

Get your free ebook

Top Categories

Real world photos with beautiful water colours to inspire your learning

Browse Our Latest Plant Profiles

Overviews and studies of plants and their properties

Flower head of yellow Arnica Montana plant

Arnica

2023-07-03 No Comments
Blue Flag is a perennial flowering plant native to North America. - It is known for its vibrant blue or purple flowers and distinctive sword-shaped...
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Image of many anise hyssop flower heads in light purple colour

Anisse Hyssop

2023-07-03 No Comments
Anise Hyssop is known for it’s pleasant aroma, resembling a combination of anise and mint, and attracts various pollinators, including bees and butterflies. It is...
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Image of three heads of Iris Versicolour in dark purple

Blue Flag

2023-07-03 No Comments
An overview of Blue flag (Iris). This beautiful perennial was used medicinally in the past but is now known to be toxic, it is associated...
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View all Plant Posts

I've been looking for something that will give me the basics backed by research. I love that this provides backing for the overviews and information. 

Alice B.
Plant Newbie

Got the chance to review the courses early, and this is exactly what I'm looking for. Give me all the information and the source and let me decide for myself. I want the details! And pretty plant paintings help too! 

Jay Adams
Front-end Developer

A great overview, and I like that the focus is on a lot of things that grow in Quebec and Canada, things I can actually grow and use. If it'll grow in Quebec it'll grow anywhere. 

Jay Johnson
Front-end Developer