Blue Ridge Dreaming

Wordless Wednesday: Around the neighborhood

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Wordless Wednesday--Trillium

Trillium cernuum

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Mayapples Blooming, Fiddleheads Unfurling

Spring progression...

Wordless Wednesday--Fiddlehead

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Sunrise

One day last week, as I was getting in my car to go to work, I had to stop a moment and take this photo.

And another...

Aren't you glad I did? I know I am. Happy Weekend.

Mayapple

Our community is named for the creek that marks its way through the valley floor. The road runs alongside the creek and shares its name. For me, this is the way home.

After nearly two years of living here I am now beginning to note the features of this path, the seasons of this valley. The changing corn field, the bend in the creek that is highlighted in the evenings by the setting sun, where the early morning light dances on the surface of the water. I like to imagine a large brook trout lives there.

Then there is the copse of mayapple in the corner just before the crumbling red-painted shed that marks one border of the corn field (the other boundary of which is our neighborhood). I like seeing them in spring--the mayapple, their umbrella leaves, hiding, I know, a small white flower or a green berry.

On the wooded hill behind our house, out by the bird feeders, there is another group of mayapple, this one convenient enough for me to observe more closely. To monitor its growth and flowering.

I take my guidebooks down. I read: "Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum); Barberry Family. Solitary, nodding flower borne in the crotch between a pair of large, deeply lobed leaves. Flowers: 2" (5cm) wide with 6-9 waxy white petals. Leaves: to 1' (30cm) wide. Fruit: large, fleshy, lemon-like berry." (from The National Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers).

The text continues:

The common name refers to the May blooming if its apple-blossom-like flower. Although the leaves, roots, and seeds are poisonous if ingested in large quantities, the roots were used as a cathartic by the Indians. The edible ripe golden-yellow fruits can be used in jellies.

[An online source says that the name refers to the apple-like fruit, which is really a berry.]

Peterson's Field Guide to Edible Wild Plants for Eastern and Central North America says this for its use:

Fresh fruit, jelly, cold drink. The large pale yellow berries ripen as the plant begins to wither and die. The pulp surrounding the seeds can be eaten raw, or cooked and made into jelly (add pectin); the juice can be added to lemonade. Warning: The roots, leaves, seeds, and green fruit are strongly cathartic and should not be eaten.

These mayapple plants--the family on my hillside--are just now budding, flowers still tightly closed, as you can see. In the next month they will open and I will climb through the undergrowth again to peek under the leaves and photograph the flowers. Then another month, and I will look for the fruit. You'll forgive me, I hope, if I don't make any jelly. The words "strongly cathartic" make me a tad wary.

Wordless Wednesday--Trying out the new camera

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Lilac

When we lived in Raleigh, we had a fairly mature landscape around our house, which was built in 1980. At the end of our driveway, there were two large crape myrtles, which bloomed every fall. In the side area, a line of 6-8 camellias 10-12 feet tall displayed large fragrant blossoms twice a year. Rhododendron hugged our back deck. More camellias, winter blooming. Nandina, Japanese maple, azalea. It was a lovely yard.

Here, our house was new construction, so very little landscaping was in place when we moved in. My dad, bless his sweet soul, has spent the last year and a half planting for us. He plants what he finds on sale. He plants what friends give him. He plants what he likes. And he plants what I like.

One of the plants I miss the most from our Raleigh house is the lilac. Next to the driveway we had a large lilac--nearly 5 feet in diameter--which would bloom for about two weeks every spring. For the seven years we lived in that house, I treasured that two-week bloom, soaked in that heavenly scent (it would hit me as I drove up and down the driveway, so every morning and evening). I would bring cuttings and place them in water around the house so to enjoy their perfume a little longer. The cuttings, of course, wouldn't last more than a day. Oh but the pleasure I received from them...

I loved those lilacs, and when Dad asked me what kinds of plants I wanted, I said unequivocally: lilacs. I want some lilacs.

And so he found a lilac bush and placed it near the bird feeders in the area I think of as my bird-and-butterfly garden.

It's not the same variety as we had in Raleigh, and it's much younger, so considerably smaller. And last year the late freeze stunted its blooming period. So, quite frankly, I had forgotten about it.

Until this evening, when I decided to check on the mayapples on the hill (they have buds, no blooms yet), and I saw it. The lilac, beginning to bloom.

The perfume may not be the same as I remember, but the color is simply perfect.

Wordless Wednesday: More Spring Flowers

Note: These colors are exactly as they are. I did no enhancement whatsoever. Didn't need to.

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The fickle ways of Spring

Spent some time this weekend photographing flowers, mostly my mom's beautiful orange tulips, but also some others. [You'll have to wait for Wordless Wednesday for any more than the above photo--it's just a teaser. Or you can preview them on my Flickr page, if you just can't wait until Wednesday.]

Tonight, however, they're predicting temps below freezing. That fickle Spring weather.

This year I'm determined not to lose my potted flowers. I brought in the geraniums, the dahlia, the pincushion plant, the potted bulbs that are sprouting (tulips?). I covered the hydrangeas, pulled the herbs under the covered porch. I think the garden plants with weather it okay--we've only planted the hardiest plants so far. Except for maybe the peas, we could lose the peas.

I think I'm ready.

Emotionally, I'm a little annoyed. I was enjoying the warmth. I want to be able to leave the heat pump off, to open the windows, to play outside.

But I guess that's the deal with Spring. It's sure to be warm again soon.

Wordless Wednesday. Local landscape: Spring corn field

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Observations of the day

The feeder and ground around it were full today. Finches. Mostly goldfinches, but some house finches and purple (really red) finches, too. A cardinal or two. The occasional junco. They were so numerous and loud, I could listen to their chatter from my bedroom.

Rained off and on. Temperature in the low 60's.

The fields are green and a few trees hint of new leaves, but we are not yet at the "greening up the mountain" stage (as it is called around here, very accurately I may say).

In the garden: radishes are coming up, lettuce and spinach sprouting, onions doing well. Besides the daffodils and grape hyacinths, a few tulips, phlox, even azalea blossoms. The hydrangea leaves are pushing through the ground. Rosemary and thyme returning.

Tonight, watching the light fade on the ragged, rain-clouded mountains and listening to the peepers, I feel the need to record these trivial matters of the day. Call it my gardener's journal. Call it a personal almanac. Call it what you will. It calls to me to write it down.

And so I have, for you.

Wordless Wednesday--Around the house

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In the garden and a Friday Fact

Dad worked in the garden yesterday (and the day before, and over the weekend). He planted new azaleas (on sale this week), plus radishes, onions, salad greens, beans. It's a good thing he did, too, because according the the Farmer's Almanac's Planting by the Moon calendar, March 26-27 was "an excellent time for planting root crops...and for starting seed beds," but this weekend, March 28-29 at least, are "poor planting days." Not to mention it's supposed to rain all weekend.

Also, according to the Farmer's Almanac this weekend will be the best days for: cutting hair to retard growth, castrating farm animals, picking apples and pears, weaning, quitting smoking, potty training (we need a that one to go well for a few days, boy howdy we do), demolition, washing wooden floors (thank God--mine need it badly), washing windows (ditto on this), and starting a diet to lose weight.

Why is this weekend especially propitious for these tasks, you ask? Again, according The Farmer's Almanac:

It's widely believed by many long-time Almanac followers that when the Moon occupies a particular place in the Zodiac each day at 7:00 a.m. EST, it can play an important role in achieving the best possible results for certain activities.

Looks like I have a busy weekend ahead.

Beach Treasures

Follow this link to read my story of how I discovered beauty in the not-so-perfect shells.