Become a herbalist

What I mean with "herbalist" is knowing about the qualities and properties of the wild plants around me, knowing about herbs and garden plants in my garden, being able to use the plant world, both wild and domestic, as food, medicine and for other purposes.

I'm not too interested in becoming a professional, registered herbalist. I just want to be able to herbal a little for my own needs and purposes. Also, as I am a witch, I want to know about the magical properties of herbs.

How do I plan doing that?
Just studying. Take my herb books and learn them by heart, learn to recognize all the plants in my environment, have a herb garden, forage and make food and potions of the herbs.

I plan learning 10 plants in a week.

I'll start 1/5 and finish 23/9. That gives me almost exactly 21 weeks. (1st is thursday and 23rd a tuesday), so in the end of summer 2014 I'll know 210 plants and their use, and have actually used them all, not just "know", but KNOW them.
And I want to learn to know the use of LOCAL plants and herbs.
You know, like 100 species challenge

I will have a herb journal, where I write notes... it would be nice if I could be bothered to also illustrate the journal, by drawing, photos or pressed plants.

I plan writing in the journal the 10 plants for the week on previous Sunday, finding the information of use, some recipes to try, and then spend the next week hunting the plants and cooking and experimenting.