DEAR GENTLE READERS(that's how the letters start in Bridgerton!),
I want to celebrate two magical plants that grow wild in the hills of Tennessee, the Blackberry and the Thistle.
Healing blackberries humble you with the ticks and chiggers that claim the same territory. When you brave the thorns and bites, you are rewarded with sweetness perfect for jams and cobblers. They were one of my great distractions during the first year of Covid.
Thistles have been my guide and teacher. When we first started Thistle Farms I knew I wanted to name it after the wildflower that grows in alleys and through the chain-link fences around the prison in Tennessee.
It was a reminder of resilience and courage. No matter how prickly we may be, we have a soft center, painted with a regal soul.
-- Becca Stevens
Originally published 6/22/24