Possibilities in Plants
Ilze Hays moved to Hagerstown from Latvia and started a small business to teach local residents about the wonders of wild plants.
Drawing from nature, a ‘plant nerd’ helps others discover the wonders of natural living
By Lisa Gregory, Photography by Turner Photography Studio
Ilze Hays of Hagerstown doesn’t just see a plant but all the possibilities that plant may hold.
Like dandelions. “The dandelion is one of my favorites,” says Hays, who shares her knowledge of plants on her Facebook page Herbtastic. “You can make syrup with dandelion flowers and put that on pancakes. You also can make pancakes with dandelion flowers. And dandelions are full of nutrients.”
Hays developed an appreciation of the natural world around her and what it could provide early on. “I was born in Latvia, which is a country that loves nature,” she says. Growing up during the Soviet Union era, “meant there was nothing in the stores. So, we needed to figure out how we could do for ourselves,” she says.
Hays learned much from her mother and grandmother. “We would go in the woods and pick berries,” says Hays, who moved to Hagerstown 15 years ago when she married her husband. “We would pick mushrooms. People would bring out baskets and baskets of mushrooms. It was a tradition and our culture.”
Her Herbtastic Facebook page, which she began a year ago, is a wealth of information with instructions on how to create one’s own body butter, cleaning solution, infused teas, dandelion soda, and even a natural toothpaste, among many other items.
Hays, a self-described plant nerd, also offers activities such as Foraging for Kids for those 8 years and older, as well as edible plant walking tours and salve making and syrup making workshops, just to name a few. The activities, which charge a fee, often fill up quickly.
Not surprising. Those like Melissa Rodman of Frederick are eager to learn.
“I’ve always been interested in learning more about plants and learning more about how to use them,” says Rodman. “I know nothing. I’m actually from New York. I’m a city girl, and I live out here now.”
A favorite learning experience of Rodman’s was the class Hays offered on how to make elderberry syrup, which can be helpful for treating colds and the flu. “It can be very expensive to buy sometimes,” says Rodman of the syrup. “But I found out how to make it. With all the colds and everything going around in the winter, I can make a big batch of it now.”
And Hays, the mother of two, is happy to start the learning process early. During Foraging with Kids, “we walk around, and I point out plants, and we talk about the plant,” she says. “I show them how to recognize it as well as what are the bad lookalikes–the ones we need to be careful around.”
Youngsters learn about plants like chickweed, hairy bittercress, garlic mustard, speedwell, and cattail. Hays explains how to harvest them and then how to use them. Chickweed, for example, is considered a wild spinach and “will make great greens for egg salad for your sandwich,” she says. “You can also make pesto to add in pasta or on pizza or try it in a salad.”
She says cattail pollen makes great muffins, breads, and other baked goods.
Hays, who often takes classes to improve her knowledge about plants and their uses, including studying clinical herbalism, looks forward to continuing to pass on her knowledge. In many ways, it is a labor of love for her.
“What I think is really nice about her is she’s not trying to overcharge you and make you keep coming back,” says Rodman. “She gives you the recipe. She charges a reasonable rate for the event. It feels like she really just wants to get her knowledge out there. That’s so nice to see.”
“It’s a wonderful skill set to have. So, why not share it?” says Hays.