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No matter how many times I read the scientific explanation of why leaves turn colors in the fall, I always come away feeling that science falls short of pure magic when it comes to colored leaves.

Walking through autumn woods reminds me of being in an ice cream shop with an endless variety of flavors.  All the colors are there – tangerine, black cherry, lemon, mango, peppermint, milk chocolate.  And each leaf, with it’s unique color and shade, is a delight for those of us who love the woods.

Even though I often prefer magic to science, it IS nice to have a reason for why all this occurs.  It’s not exactly complicated science.

Green leaves get their color from chlorophyll.  Chlorophyll LOVES warmth and light so it can do its job of absorbing sunlight and transforming carbon dioxide and water into sugars and starch that provide nutrients for the tree.  When the days get shorter and cooler,  deciduous trees stop growing and become somewhat dormant, meaning they no longer need these nutrients.  Chlorophyll begins to break down and disappear from leaves.  Without this green pigment, the “true colors” of the leaves begin to show – generally yellows and oranges (from carotenoids).  Leaves that turn red have additional pigments called anthocyanins, which only begin to develop in the fall

Scientists say that the best fall color occurs when there is a warm, wet spring, a summer that is neither too hot nor too dry and a fall that is long with warm days and cool – but not freezing – nights.

We’re not having a particularly spectacular leaf season this year, probably due to prolonged warm weather, but it doesn’t matter.  Individual trees are catching fire and turning into molten plumes of glory and the woods become cathedrals with colors that outshine the most beautiful stained glass windows in the world.  Do yourself a favor, take a walk through the woods this fall and celebrate the wonder of nature.

 

 

 

In celebration of Halloween, I’m writing about some of the creepy crawlies around my house and garden, in particular, spiders.  This time of year, spiders are abundant as females lay eggs before cold weather settles in for good.  Spiders vary tremendously in size and potential danger.  Though there are a lot of people who are terrified of all spiders, for the most part, the common spiders in our area will not cause any serious harm.

One of the most beautiful and non-threatening spiders is the yellow garden spider.  This one is easy to identify as it will weave zig zag lines in the center of the web.  For this reason it’s also called the “writing” spider.  Although it’s startling to come across this large spider on a deck or in the garden, it’s relatively harmless.  It will bite you if provoked, but that’s an unlikely scenario.  And, it is not true that if a spider writes your name in its web, you are the next to die.

A little more startling to see but equally as benign is the very large huntsman spider.  This large, leggy spider is originally from Asia but is now found in southern regions throughout the world.  It might look a little like the venomous  brown recluse, but it is quite different and is not nearly as dangerous.  The huntsman is also known as the giant crab spider or the banana spider.

I searched the World wide WEB for more information on spiders and came up with these facts:

• Most “Daddy long legs” are not really spiders
• Jumping spiders can jump 50 x their own body length
• Most spiders have 8 eyes.
• The Goliath Birdeater spider from South America has a body 4 1/2 inches long and leg span up to 11 inches long.
• Though a black widow spider has venom more poisonous than that of a rattlesnake, they rarely bite humans and even more rarely inject their full venom load.

I hope that you and yours have a fun and happy Halloween!

Laura

 

 

Sometimes the best part of a major project is finishing it. Sometimes it’s what happens in the process and so it was with the “1,000 brownie challenge“.  My 11 year old grandson, Rivers, decided in July that he wanted to make 1000 brownies for “people who serve our community and for people who never get home baked goods.”  I thought it was an excellent community service project and promised to help him achieve his goal.

But 1000?  Wow, that’s a lot of brownies.  But once we began, we knew that there was nothing else to do except see it through.  We made the first couple of hundred and headed down to the Outreach and Advocacy Center, an organization that helps the homeless in Atlanta.  It was an amazing experience, both for me and for Rivers and his sister, Ellie (who deserves a great deal of recognition for her help in this project.) We handed out brownies and people received them saying things like “You have made my day!”  “This is the best thing that has happened to me all week!”

A brownie? The best thing that has happened all week?  It was an eye opener for Rivers and Ellie.

Another few batches went to different fire houses in the city.  The firemen (and women) were grateful for the brownies but even more grateful to be recognized for the work they do to keep us safe.

The next bunch of brownies went to the Women’s and Children’s shelter in Atlanta.  When the kids asked me how many people stayed there, I shrugged and guessed maybe 50?  When we delivered our small box of brownies, I was astounded to find out that 268 women and children call this wonderful organization home.

So, we returned home, inspired to finish the goal of making 1000, which would also mean that we could make two brownies for each of the residents at the shelter and yesterday we baked that 1017th brownie! The kids finally got to taste the fruits of their labors, eating a few of the extras.

We will put this last batch in the freezer and deliver them to the Shelter right before Thanksgiving and, hopefully, provide a little “love” for these women and children.

I’m super proud of Rivers for persevering and seeing this through to the end.  Perhaps the biggest lesson was in realizing that everyone can do something to help someone less fortunate.

I’m attaching Rivers Brownie recipe in the hopes that you, too, will spread a little love.  If you need some help – call Rivers, he’s an expert now!

Rivers “Snowflake” Brownies

• 1 stick of butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Mix eggs, vanilla and butter together.
2. Mix dry ingredients together.  Add to wet mixture.
3. Mix well and pour into 7″ x 9″ pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.  Makes about 35 brownies.

Long-leaf pines, Pinus palustris, are among the most beautiful, important and threatened of all southern trees.  At one time long leaf pine ecosystems covered the southeastern United States, roughly 90 million acres.  Today, a mere 3 1/2 million acres persist, mostly in South Georgia, Alabama and northern Florida.

This species has shown amazing resiliency and has been able to withstand many of the adverse effects of climate change.  Neither windstorms, pests, wildfires or drought can kill these trees.  So what’s happening to them?

It’s the usual culprit, a loss of land due to urbanization.  But another suspect is guilty as well – fire.  This is not the destroying kind, but the life giving kind.  Long leaf pines are dependent on fires for seed germination.  The seeds of this tree have to come into contact with the soil to germinate and frequent fires burned off leaf litter and understory plants, allowing this to happen.  The fire suppression which occurred with the change in land use had a adverse effect on the ecosystem.

So who needs long leaf pines?  The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service estimates that over 100 different species  coexist in these ecosystems, making it one of the most diverse  in the world.  Today, long leaf pine forests support thirty species that are considered endangered or threatened.  In addition, long leaf pines have the capacity to “clean the air” by absorbing harmful carbon pollution from the atmosphere.

Unlike other trees, long leaf pines spend the first several years in a “grass stage” where there is little above ground growth but tremendous  growth of the taproot, which eventually can measure up to 12 feet long.  After this incubation period, the trunk grows quickly and can reach 80 – 100 feet tall and live 250 years.  The tree almost always has a straight trunk and thick bark that helps protect it from fire and from damage from the southern pine beetle.

The long leaf pine ecosystem is considered so important that several different organizations from many different states have banded together to protect and nurture the remaining ecosystems.  Steps to success include planting seedlings, prescribed burning, managing native ground covers and controlling invasive species.

It’s worth a trip to the South to see this beautiful, fragile ecosystem.  Stop by and say “hi” when you do.

 

We were in Birmingham, Alabama for a family wedding this past weekend and had the opportunity to visit Birmingham Botanical Gardens (beautiful AND free!). At the entrance to the garden, a series of reflecting pools held both stunning reflections – and a collection of lovely water lilies.

I think water lilies are some of the most spectacularly beautiful plants in the world  With roots in the mud and  stems reaching toward heaven, water lilies and lotuses have always held particular symbolism and meaning for people of all cultures.  But even without this, they are simply beautiful to look at.

There are about 46 species of water lilies in the world, most of which are most at home in the warm and humid tropics but some of which are considered hardy and can withstand temperatures far below zero F.

The most common waterlily in our part of the world is the North American white water lily, Nymphaea odorata.  This is a hardy water lily and generally blooms from May through September.  As cold weather approaches, it goes into a dormant state and sinks to the bottom of the pool or pond.  If you use this in a water garden, be careful that you don’t plant it where the water spills into ponds, lakes, creeks or other natural water system as it can become invasive.  When water lilies cover too much of a water system, they shade out the sun, creating water that is too cold for many native plants and fish.

Probably the most interesting water lily is Victoria amazonia, named for Queen Victoria in 1837.  Originally found growing in Bolivia in 1801, it is a remarkable plant.  The leaves can grow up to 6 feet across and are composed of a series of ribs and air pockets, making each leaf surprisingly buoyant and strong.   It is said that a leaf can support up to about 66 pounds.

Water lilies are essential for those fortunate enough to have a water garden.  Hybrids come in white, yellow, pink and blue.  Some open in the morning and close in the evening, and others do just the opposite.

Many parts of the water lily are considered edible, including the young leaves and buds, seeds and tubers.  Take care though, a Roman superstition suggested that boys who drank a tea made from the crushed leaves of the water lily would turn into eunuchs in 10 days.  Consider yourselves warned…..

 

Have you ever noticed?  People “grab” a drink at the end of the day, or “run out” for a cup of coffee but always “meet” for a cup of tea.  Tea, the most consumed beverage in the world (other than water) has always been surrounded by a mystical aura.  My fascination with tea is decades old and resulted in my writing and publishing the book, Tea, The Drink that Changed the World in 2007. I am thrilled to announce that I have just updated this book and it has been reissued by Tuttle Publishing with the new title, A History of Tea, the Life and Times of the World’s Favorite Beverage.

Tea has a long and interesting history.  All true tea, white, green, oolong, and black come from the same species of shrub – Camellia sinensis.  All the other “teas” are more accurately called tisanes and include popular herbals such as mint or chamomile,  roobois (pronounced roy-boss) and Yerba Mate.

Archeologists believe that the first tea was consumed during the early Paleolithic Period in China about 500,000 years ago.  For thousands of years the Chinese were the only ones in the world who knew of and grew the magical Camellia sinensis.  With the development of trade routes such as the Silk Road, tea became an essential trade item.  It was pressed and baked into bricks and used as currency. 

Japan’s obsession with tea began in the sixth century when Buddhist monks brought it back from China, but it wasn’t until the fifteenth century that Japan began to develop the Japanese Tea Ceremony.  The importance of tea in Japan cannot be overstated.  As the Japanese tea master, Kakuzo Okakura stated, “Tea with us, became more than an idealization of the form of drinking; it is a religion of the art of life.”

The history of tea has its dark side as well.  Once Europeans, and particularly the English, developed a taste for tea early in the seventeenth century, the demand for tea could not be stopped.  The result?  Wars, opium addiction, forced labor …..well, you’ll just have to read it yourself.

The love of tea continues today throughout the world. Who drinks it?  China is first in consumption, followed by India and then Turkey.   Though the United States’ love of tea is increasing annually (Thank you Teavana!) our relative consumption is miniscule but for tea lovers, there’s really nothing else that compares.

I love to meet a friend for a cup of tea, to slow down, and give my full attention to the moment at hand.  I’m not sure if it’s the tea itself or the history and aura of this “most popular” beverage, but sharing a cup of tea remains one of life’s greatest pleasures.  I hope you’ll join me!

Laura

If you would like to buy a signed copy of my book, just email me and I’ll send you one.  It makes a great gift for the tea lovers in your life.

 

 

I found Naked Ladies in my garden – but not in the Virgin’s Bower.  I offered them Ladies’ Slippers and Blue Bonnets and even Indian Blankets!  but they just shook their petals and said they were waiting for Bachelor Buttons.

Naked Ladies, i.e. Lycoris  squamigera are wonderful, magical plants that begin to bloom in early fall.  There are no leaves, just naked stems (thus the common name) coming out of the ground to expand and bloom into coral colored wonders    The strap like leaves (they are in the Amaryllis family) actually appear and begin to grow in early spring but disappear by July.

My particular “Ladies” happen to be a gorgeous coral red color but they also come in a whole chorus line of colors, including  yellow, white and even an “electric blue” which is actually mostly neon pink with blue edging.  They are definitely a southern plant and are hardy in growing zones 7 – 10.  If you garden in colder areas and want to grow these, be sure to provide a nice thick cover coat for the bulbs.

I didn’t plant these Ladies in my garden.  Apparently, were planted by someone else who gardened in my back yard decades ago.  Since the leaves come out at the same time as things I’m trying to get rid of (spiderwort and a large patch of rogue daylilies)  no telling how many times I pulled up and discarded the Lycoris leaves before I realized what they were.  I noticed the flowers for the first time last year and was ready and waiting for them this year.  If you decide to include these in your own garden (and I heartily recommend that you do) be sure to mark them so you’ll remember where they are .

Fortunately,  fall is the best time to plant these bulbs.  I  found them at High Country Gardens (www,highcountrygardens.com)  and at  k. van Bourgondien (dutchbulbs.com)   and am eagerly waiting for them to arrive so I can add to my harem.

They are fun and offer a frilly, splash of color at a time when everything in the garden seems to be turning golden brown.  Besides, who can resist a naked lady in the garden?  One note, though, if you google “Naked Ladies in the garden”. you might be a little shocked at what comes up.

Happy Gardening

Laura

 

Last weekend all the grownups in our family (except for the ones in Oregon and China)  went to western North Carolina to stay at the incomparable Snowbird Lodge.  I love my grandchildren without measure, but it was lovely to spend some adult time with our grown children.  What treasures!

Perched high in the peaks of the southern Appalachians, the lodge has easy access to both the Cherohala Skyway and the Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, providing us hours of hiking through the woods and driving over a mile high to view the surrounding National Forest.

Though I loved the exciting vistas from the Parkway, it was in the woods that I felt most at home and happiest. Most of the wildflowers I had seen here in spring have disappeared into the forest floor.  Acres of trilliums were no more than a few dry, dusty leaves. But a few of the flowers produce fall berries that rival the beauty of their spring flowers.

I was thrilled to find Indian Cucumber root, by no means rare in our neck of the woods, but it can be considered unusual.  I first noticed it because of the splotch of red in the upper whorl of leaves, which is characteristic when the plant develops berries, almost as if the berry leaked out onto the leaves.

We passed a small Euonymus shrub with it’s startling purple / orange / pink seed pods.  With a name like “hearts a bust’in with love” how could you not love this?  My mother used to say that it was the only plant in nature that had colors that clashed with one another.

 

 

Pokeweed lives up to its name, at least the “weed” part.  It pokes its way into all kinds of open and empty spaces but in the woods, the bright magenta stems and the dark, shiny berries look pretty.  Although the new spring leaves are considered edible and tasty, the berries are toxic and should be left alone.

False Solomon Seal is of minor interest in spring, with a terminal raceme of  white flowers, but now in the glory of fall, the bright red shiny berries make it an exciting and beautiful wildflower.

Partridgeberry, in the madder family, and forms a carpet of tiny green shiny leaves interspersed with small red berries.  It is also known as squaw berry, two-eyed berry, and running fox.  It makes a lovely ground cover.

 

 

Although in spring,  I am down on my knees looking for flowers on the woodland floor, when it comes to the wildflowers of fall, I can see a startlingly brilliant display from the comfort of the passenger seat of the car.  (Botanists / wildflower enthusiasts make terrible drivers.  Flowers are more distracting than texting!)

Country roadsides these days have turned a kaleidoscope of colors.  Waves of goldenrod are interspersed with tall stalks of magenta ironweed and towers of mauve Joe-Pye weed.  If you stop the car and get out to look a little closer, you’ll undoubtedly see a half dozen different kinds of yellow daisy like flowers.  In the botanical world, these are all affectionately known as (DYCs – damn yellow composites)  due to the difficulty in identifying them down to a specific species.

Goldenrod was at one time considered a powerful healing herb, as evidenced by  the genus name, Solidago, which means “to make whole” or “to heal.”  Both Native American and early Colonial healers used the native goldenrod to treat urinary infections and colic.  A poultice made from the leaves was put on cut and bruised skin.  Goldenrod tea became popular during the Revolutionary War when drinking imported tea became politically incorrect.  One more note about goldenrod:  it does not cause hay fever.  The real culprit is ragweed, which blooms at the same time.

Ironweed is easily identified by its profusion of rich, magenta flowers.  These plants bloom along southern roadsides from August through October.  Ironweed was also valued for its medicinal qualities, particularly by the Cherokees.  Both the leaves and roots were used, most often in a tea given during pregnancy and childbirth.  The tea was also given to those suffering from stomach ulcers.

Joe-pye weed was named for an Indian medicine man who lived in colonial New England and was most famous for his use of this plant for treating typhoid fever victims.  Joe-pye weed was also used to treat coughs, colds and fevers.  Known as “Queen of the Meadow” in southern Appalachia, Joe-pye weed is much beloved by both wildflower enthusiasts and bumblebees who will gorge themselves on the nectar until they become groggy.

So, among the weeds and grasses that line our country roads, there are wildflowers of great beauty and splendor.  Take a road trip and see what you can find,  just let someone else do the driving!

 

 

We just got back from a spectacular week in Oregon, visiting family.  The weather was perfect and the grandchildren?  What can I say?  Absolutely adorable.

I was lucky enough to pick up Davey after his first day of kindergarten.  He was all smiles and full of energy and wanted to DO something or MAKE something or just MOVE.  When we got to his house, he went directly to the kitchen, climbed up on the counter and announced he was going to make a cake and he had his own recipe and didn’t need me.  After I watched him pour both cayenne pepper and garlic powder into a bowl I decided maybe he did need me.  I asked him if he had any blueberries and he answers, “millions!!!!”

And he was (almost) right.  Their freezer was full of bags of frozen blueberries that he and his family had been picking all summer.

Hood River, Oregon is Mecca for the fruit enthusiast.  Along the Columbia River and up into the hills and mountains on both the Oregon and the Washington side, there are acres and acres of orchards and farms.  So much emphasis has been placed on growing berries throughout the state that Oregon has been referred to as “the Berry Basket” of the country.

Blueberries are one of our few native fruits.  American Indians have been eating and enjoying them for centuries and were very aware of their health value.  The first blueberries were cultivated in 1916.  Today, blueberries are grown on five continents and production is about one billion pounds annually.

So what did Davey do with his “millions” of blueberries?  He (with the help of his Mom) made the family favorite – blueberry brunch cake.  You can use either frozen or fresh berries for this and it always turns out great and it’s not just for breakfast!  You should try it yourself.  The recipe is below.  One word of advice – I’d leave out the cayenne pepper and the garlic powder!

Blueberry Brunch Cake

Cake:

• 1 cup flour
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup light olive oil
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix dry ingredients together.  In a separate bowl, mix the olive oil, egg, milk and lemon juice.  Mix in with the dry ingredients and pour into a greased square 8″ x 8″ pan.

Topping:

• 1 1/4 cups blueberries
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 tablespoons butter

Mix all topping ingredients and pour evenly over the cake batter.

Bake at 350 degrees until cake has set, about 30 minutes.  Enjoy!