Anne Diestelkamp
cultural programmer, artistic researcher/ editor and translator
The Perennial Reading Group reconvened: On Friday November 14 we gathered at Buurtwerkplaats Noorderhof to read from Derek Jarman’s memoir Modern Nature. In 1986, after learning of his HIV diagnosis, Jarman began cultivating a garden around his cottage on the desolate shingle shores of Dungeness. „The boundaries of my garden are the horizon“, Jarman writes in Modern Nature. The diary, poetic and unapologetic, chronicles his efforts to grow plants amidst sea-spray and wind, while reflecting on his life – his childhood, his years as a young gay man in the 1960s, and his career as a filmmaker, artist, and writer.
The Perennial Reading Group is a nomadic, ongoing gathering for those drawn to sharing plant wisdom—eco-feminists, gardeners, cross-pollinators, and all who feel kinship with the more-than-human world. We come together to read books that sharpen and expand these commitments. The Perennial Reading Group meets up irregularly and unpredictably.
Workshop
Zakia el Abodi & Anne Diestelkamp
I Can Change the World With My Two Hands, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
On Sunday, October 26th we gathered in the garden of I Can Change the World With My Two Hands in Amsterdam to dive into the depths of burdock (Arctium lappa). Burdock is a biennial plant known for its deep taproot, traditionally used in herbal medicine to support liver function, detoxification, and skin health. As the colder season approaches in Amsterdam, the energy of the natural world begins to turn inward. Plants slow their growth above ground, drawing their strength down into their roots — storing nourishment and preparing for the stillness ahead. This season invites us to do the same: to ground ourselves, conserve energy, and tend to what supports us at the deepest levels. Root medicines become especially important now, offering warmth and connection to the steady rhythms of the earth.
During the gathering, we collectively harvested the roots, drew the leaves and seeds, tasted the root, shared knowledge about the plant’s medicinal qualities, and cooked a broth made from burdock root and other gut-healing weeds.