Lakeport >> The great depression was in full bloom as were the patches of Yerba Santa that dotted the hills of Lake County. A young couple and their young children were living on great-grandfather’s 160-acre homestead in High Valley. An old run down shack, broken down Model T Ford, no coal oil for the lamp, well water a bucket at a time, no jobs or money, they lived off the land. It was a hopeless time for a young couple with dreams but Dad used to say “at least we have a roof over our heads.
One day dad came back from a rare trip to town all excited. He said that some darn fools from back East were paying good money for dried and sacked Yerba Santa leaves — they say it’s an herb used to make cough medicine. Let’s go to work. Morning after morning we tramped up the hill to that Yerba Santa patch picking and sacking leaves. Leaves that filled gunny sacks stored in an old granery. Leaves that gave hope when needed but not riches.
Learn more about medicinal herbs and amending soil with sea weed as presented by Veronica Cruz and Trish Gallager certified herbalists at a meeting of the Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club, April 21.
The garden club meets the third Tuesday of every month (except July and August) in the Scotts Valley Women’s clubhouse at 2298 Hendricks Road in Lakeport. For more information call Marva Brandt at 279-1625 or visit www.clttgc.org. Clear Lake Trowel & Trellis Garden Club is a member of Mendo-Lake District, Pacific
Region, California Garden Clubs, Inc. and National Garden Clubs, Inc.
