Engelberg Magazin Nr. 27

SUMMER

and dandelion) or creams (for example marigold) that Martha’s daughter-in-law Helena Scheuber makes and then sells at the Christmas market. The two women complement one another perfectly. Since retiring, Martha has hadmore time for for- aging, while Helena can prepare the herbs at home alongside her work on the farmand looking after four children. Martha can’t always be as flexible with her time as she might like, however, so she isn’t always able to choose the optimal moment for pick- ing her herbs: “Ideally, you should pick wild herbs at around eleven in the morning after the dew has gone and before the plants have had toomuch sun,” she says. With a laugh, she adds: “Also, it’d be nice to consider the phases of the moon, but that’s not real- ly practical most of the time!” The most important thing is to be patient and to only harvest the plants once they are in bloom. Martha’s store of knowledge is vast and impres- sive. As we walk, she explains the appearance and properties of the plants we pass: lady’s mantle and Alpine lady’s mantle, monkshood, euphrasia, saxifrage, buckhorn, scabious, Alpine plantain, and more. Martha also loves to come across those plants that can’t be consumed but simply look pretty. For example, a rare and protected species of helleborine, which is a type of orchid. “It’s simply a beautiful flower,” enthuses Martha. An anthill at the side of the path elicits a smile, and her face glows with pleasure as she pops a ripe raspberry into her mouth. NATURAL BENEFITS Martha also grows herbs in her garden alongside her vegetables. For example, she cultivates laven- der, thyme, crimson bee balm, and peppermint. She doesn’t only make tea from them, she also uses them to season her everyday cooking and as decoration for the table or on gifts. She explains that these herbs grow very well on balconies and home gardens and are the perfect seasoning for many dishes. In late summer, Martha can also be seen out and about collecting mushrooms. On our walk, Martha shows me how easy it can be to gather and enjoy local, healthy plants that can be used as food and remedies – completely free of charge! Martha explains that sometimes she has a wasted trip as the plant she hoped to collect is not yet ready. But can you really call it a wasted trip when you get to spend time in this beautiful natural landscape?

Roter Holunder | Red elderberry On the way from Fürenalp to Dagenstal < Silberdistel | Silver thistle

see the gnomes in between the tree roots,” laughs Martha. The fun-loving grandmother isn’t only crazy about her grandkids, she is also passionate about her homeland and the treasures that can be found here. She grew up in Engel- berg with eleven siblings, and from a young age learnt almost everything there is to know about herbs and flow- ers, their properties and medicinal effects. “I gained a lot of knowledge frommy grandmother. With twelve children, my mother didn’t have much time,” she says. As a farmer, Martha has always worked in harmony with nature and its rhythms. These days, her son runs the farm with his wife, and Martha helps out where she can. She rarely comes back from the Zieblen alpine pasture without having col- lected several wild plants. “I always take a bag along with me, and I like to wear trousers with large side pockets,” confesses the affable Engelberger. THE PERFECT PICKING TIME Martha primarily uses the wild herbs and flowers she collects in her home-made tea blends. She forages from spring to autumn, when she starts mixing her own teas. She keeps her collection in a tea chest, and most of it is for her own use or that of her friends and family. The rest of the herbs are used as ingredients in honey (pine shoots

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THE UNIQUE WEATHER OF ENGELBERG