July 31 2014 Readings

Two people contributed readings today, Rosemary and David.

June 12 2014 Reading

Our reading today was provided by Silvio Curtis and is from the Ursula K. Le Guin book Always Coming Home, pp. 51-52:

In our day the River of the Valley barely trickles through a drought year, when by September all but the biggest creeks are dry; but the Na will have been a bigger, though a shorter, stream. When the Great Valley as a whole subsides, the rifting along the fault lines and probably some magma pockets under Ama Kulkun will have sent the Valley's elevation up; 'the watertable under it would also rise; and what with the hot summers of the Great Valley much tempered by the Inland Sea and the vast marshlands, and the sea fogs flowing over the sea currents through a far broader Gate, the climate will have been modified. The dry season not so intensely dry; the creeks fuller; the river statelier, more considerable, more worshipful. But still less than thirty miles from spring to sea.

Thirty miles can be a short or a long way. It depends on the way you go them; what the Kesh called wakwaha.

With ceremony, with forms of politeness and reassurance, they borrowed the waters of the River and its little confluents to drink and be clean and irrigate with, using water mindfully, carefully. They lived in a land that answers greed with drought and death. A difficult land: aloof yet sensitive. Like the deer who live there, who will steal your food and be your food, skinny little deer, thief and prey, neighbor and watcher and watched, curious, unfrightened, untrusting, and untamable. Never anything but wild.

The roots and springs of the Valley were always wild. The patterns of the grapestakes and the pruned vines, the rows of grey olive trees and the formal splendor of flowering almond orchards, the sharp-footed sheep and the dark-eyed cattle, the wineries of stone, the old barns, the mills down by the water, the little shady towns, these are beautiful, humane, endearing, but the roots of the Valley are the roots of the digger pine, the scrub oak, the wild grasses careless and uncared for, and the springs of those creeks rise among the rifts of earthquake, among rocks from the floors of seas that were before there were human beings and from the fires inside the earth. The roots of the Valley are in wildness, in dreaming, in dying, in eternity. The deer trails there, the footpaths and the wagon tracks, they pick their way around the roots of things. They don't go straight. It can take a lifetime to go thirty miles, and come back.

May 29 2014 Readings

We had three readings today to commemorate Rachel Carson's birthday (May 27, 1907).

Bill Pierson read from his cell phone:

One way to open your eyes is to ask yourself, What if I had never seen this before? What if I knew I would never see it again?

Don Hunter and I (Dale Hoyt) chose selections from Carson's posthumously published book, A Sense of Wonder. 

Don's selection:

Those who dwell, as scientists or laymen, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. Whatever the vexations or concerns of their personal lives, their thought can find paths that lead to inner contentment and to renewed excitement in living. Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.

Finally, my selection:

A child’s world is fresh and new and beautiful, full of wonder and excitement. It is our misfortune that for most of us that clear-eyed vision, that true instinct for what is beautiful an awe-inspiring, is dimmed and even lost before we reach adulthood. If I had influence with the good fairy who is supposed to preside over the christening of all children I should ask that her gift to each child in the world be a sense of wonder so indestructible that it would last throughout life, as an unfailing antidote against the boredom and disenchantments of later years, the sterile preoccupation with things that are artificial, the alienation from the sources of our strength.

. . .

 I sincerely believe that for the child, and for the parent seeking to guide him, it is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow.

April 24 2014 Readings and Recipes

Four Ramblers brought readings this week: Emily Carr, Kittie Everett, Rosemary Woodel and Hugh Nourse.

Martha Walker shared some interesting recipes that she found on the internet; these feature Locust blossoms and Sweet Woodruff.

Emily's reading is from from Jane Yolen's Color Me a Rhyme: Nature Poems for Young People, pp. 8-9.

                   Green

Whichever angel had the task

of naming greens, squatting

on the hard new ground,

robe guttering at his perfect feet,

did not do his work well.

He gave us chartreuse, olive, leek,

emerald, ivy, beryl.

But they are not nearly enough

when the world is so much green.

Ferns, trees, grass, stems,

petals, limbs, leaves,

the soft mallow inside

each piece of greenware

deserve separate names.

Perhaps the world needed

a poet, not an angel,

because poets know

all the secret words,

some of which they make up,

all of which are

green.

Kittie's reading is from The Snow Leopard, by Peter Matthiessen, who died this past week. (This is the only book to have won two National Book Awards.)

Wind brings swift, soft clouds from the south that cast shadows on the snow. Close at hand, a redstart comes to forage in the lichens, followed soon by a flock of fat rose finches. I do not stir, yet suddenly all whir away in a gray gust, and minutely I turn to see what might have scared them. On a rock not thirty feet away, an acipitrine (ak-sipitrin) hawk sits in silhouette against the mountains, and here it hunches while the sun goes down, nape feathers lifting in the wind, before diving after unseen prey over the rim of the ravine.

Then the great Lammergeier (Iam-mer-gei-er) (a vulture) comes, gold-headed and black-collared, a nine-foot blade sweeping down out of the north it passes in the shadows between cliffs. Where the river turns, in a corner of the walls, the late sun shines on a green meadow, as if a lost world lay in that impenetrable ravine, so far below. The great bird arcs round the wall, light glances from its mantle. Then it is gone, and the sun goes, the meadow vanishes, and the cold falls with the night shadow.

Rosemary brought a seasonal quote from Red Skelton:

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz. I wonder where the birdies is.

Hugh's reading is from A Thousand Mile Walk to the Gulf, by John Muir, whose birthday was April 21.

I think that most of the antipathies which haunt and terrify are morbid productions of ignorance and weakness. I have better thoughts of those alligators now that I have seen them at home. Honorable representatives of the great saurians of an older creation, may you long enjoy your lilies and rushes, and be blessed now and then with a mouthful of terror-stricken man by way of dainty!

Black Locust is either blooming or about to do so and Martha found this Locust Blossom Celebration that tells you how to enjoy the flowers as either food or drink.

Martha also located a recipe for May Wine with Sweet Woodruff. Those of you who have access to this herb will enjoy this.

April 10 2014 Ramble Report

Today's Ramble Report is the joint effort of Hugh Nourse and Don Hunter. Don's photos can be found here.

Twenty-three ramblers met at the arbor today for a ramble through the Garden to the Orange Trail, up the Orange Trail to the Upper Parking Lot, onto the White Trail spur to the Dunson Native Flora Garden and back..

Don Hunter read a wonderful discussion of weeds from The Nature Connection, an Outdoor Workbook for Kids, Families, and Classrooms by Clare Walker Leslie, Naturalist, Artist and Educator:

"What about weeds?

“Weed” is not a botanical term, as weeds are really wildflowers.  We call them weeds because they grow happily even though we don't plant them and often show up in places where we don't want them!  Humans are weeds, too, in the sense that we can live just about anywhere, we can survive under all kinds of conditions, and we are hard to get rid of!

"Many so called weeds are just as beautiful as any cultivated plant (that's what we call plants we grow on purpose), as well as being tough, adaptable, and often quite useful.  When I look at “A Garden Guide to Weeds” or “The Peterson Field Guide to Wildflowers”, I discover that most of the plants I know are weeds."

Hugh read a short quote from Edwin Way Teale, collected in Environmental Writing Since Thoreau, American Earth, edited by Bill McKibben, p. 313

"The difference between utility and utility plus beauty is the difference between telephone wires and the spider's web."

Our first stop was noting that the Florida Azalea (Rhododendron austrinum) on which we had  observed lichens several weeks ago, looked dead.  The adjacent plant was in full and glorious bloom.  The lichen covered one looked dead.  We wondered which came first, plant stress, lichens, and death.

In the Endangered Plant Garden we noted that the golden ragwort (Packera aurea) had invaded the plot.

In the Indian Garden we noted the rue anemone and remarked on how long it lasts.  Blooming were lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis), and a wild hyacinth or Quamash hyacinth (Camasia leichtlinii).  The latter was like the one in the northwest that the Lewis and Clark expedition learned from the Indians.  Also present was a leaf from the deciduous wild ginger (Asarum arifolium) along with Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum), the first of many we were to see.  Above the Indian Garden a shrub was showing new leaves, and someone thought it was a bloom.  Wanted to know what it was.  She read the label, Kalmia latifolia, which is Mountain Laurel.  There were also a lot of leaves from a number of plants that were black cohosh (Actea racemosa) that will not bloom until summer.

As we entered the Physic Garden we noted the high bush blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum), but the sign below said it was a Gaylusachia procumbens, but it was not procumbent and did not have the leaves of tea berry.  The Gaylusachia genus have gold glands on the underside of the leaf that can be seen with a hand lens.  We could not see the gold glands on these leaves.

Once again we stopped to admire the PawPaw (Asimina triloba) patch. 

Our next stop was at the cultivar, white Loropetalum.  Crossing a bridge to the Thinking Lady statue, or is it the one with a headache, we admired the blooming black cherry (Prunus serotina).  There was some discussion as to whether it was Cherry Laurel.  Black cherry is a deciduous tree, whereas Cherry Laurel (Prunus caroliniana) is evergreen.

On the path through the deer fence gate and down to the creek along the Orange Trail there were new leaves of Solomon Seal (Polygonatum biflorum) and wild ginger (Hexastylis arifolia).  Yellow Three parted violets (Viola tripartita) were in bloom, and bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) had gone to seed.  The seed was beautifully cradled by the leaf, which was continuing to get bigger to absorb energy for next year. Mayapple (Podophyllum peltatum) requires two joined leaves to have a blossom, and we did indeed find one just opened.  It was so beautiful!  Fresh hepatica (Anemone americana) leaves were very attractive. We have been following the beech trees (Fagus grandifolia) to see when their leaves drop and the new ones appear.  Today at this point we found a tree still with leaves on it, but the new lovely brown sharp leaf buds were also bursting with new leaves.  The leaves of poison ivy (Toxicodendron radicans) have started to appear.

Crossing the bridge at the river edge a vine climbing a muscle wood tree (Carpinus caroliniana) was leafing out, revealing by its paired leaves that it was climbing hydrangea (Decumaria barbara).  Along the creek were lots of wildflowers:  rue anemone (Thalictrum thalictroides), blue violet (Viola sororia), the leaves of violet wood sorrel (Oxalis violacea) with their purple margins, leaves of river cane (Arundinaria sp), leaves of yellow root (Xanthorhiza simplicissima), and blooms of wild geraniums (Geranium maculatum).  Another bloom was perfoliate bellwort (Uvularia perfoliata).  Hugh discussed how to tell it from the other perfoliate bellwort (U. grandiflora). The inner surface of the tepals in P. perfoliata have orange granular surfaces, which P. grandiflora does not have.  A sweet shrub (Calycanthus floridus) was just budding.  Someone asked about a sprout with just a whorl of fresh leaves, which turned out to be wild yam (Dioscorea villas). Several ferns have now popped out:  broad beech fern (Phegopteris hexagonoptera), Southern Lady Fern (Athyrium asplenioides) and ebony spleenwort (Asplenium platyneuron).  As was conjectured by ramblers, the name Asplenium was given because it was thought the plant was supposed to cure diseases of the spleen.  Another find was blue star (Amsonia tabernaemontana).  It was actually in two place:  once early along the creek, and once by a nice patch of rue anemone. On the slope heading away from the creek another fern appeared.  Just the three basic leaves of the rattlesnake fern (Botrypus virginianus) appeared.  Its fertile frond has yet to come up.  All along the trail the leaves of Christmas fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) was unfurling, the beautiful fiddleheads. Rounding a tree that hid it from view, the Kidney leaf  buttercup (Ranunculus abortivus) was quite robust.  Hugh had the scientific name right, but the common name was not early buttercup (Thank you Don).

On the white trail spur two more black cherry trees were blooming. Five fingers, Cinquefoil (Potentilla canadensis) with its bright yellow flower made this walk to the Dunson Native Flora Garden more interesting.  We talked about the two species of Cinquefoil:  P. canadensis and P. simplex.  The difference is that in P. canadensis the first flower is in the axis of the first well-developed stem leaf, whereas in P. simplex the first flower is in the axis of the second well-developed stem leaf.  The appearance of dogwood  (Cornus florida) in bloom in the forest is different than what you see in yards.  It is a more delicate wafting scene of the white flowers, a truly wonderful sight in Spring.  I can still remember the beauty of seeing it for the first time in the woods of North Carolina on a trip from the airport to UNC to give a paper. All along this trail were the leaves of muscadine grape (Vitis rotundifolia) Amazingly, trilliums were popping up along this spur.

Just before entering the Dunson Native Flora Garden the Piedmont Azalea (Rhododendron canescens) was in bloom with its pinkish flowers. below it the leaves of Black Cohosh were up. but Dwarf crested iris (Iris crostata) was hidden in vegetation.  But the flowers of columbine (Aquilegia canadensis) were not hidden.

In the Dunson Native Flora Garden trilliums were everywhere, as were Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginiana).  More dwarf crested iris, green and gold (Chrysogonum virginianum) were blooming.  The wonderful shooting stars were in full bloom.  The sign called them Dodecatheon meadia, but they have just been moved to Primula meadia.  Some botanists have told me that they do not agree or like this change at all.  Across from the mass of blooming decumbent trilliums (Trilllium decumbent), a lone but quite beautiful yellow trillium (Trillium lutea) was blooming.  The tiny trillium (Trillium pusillum) had turned red.  The medicinal plant with its very small flower, goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) was also in bloom.

But the joy of the day was to walk up the rocky dry stream behind the golden ragwort to see two amazing trilliums.  One was Catesby's trillium (Trillium catesbaei) and Wateree trillium (Trillium oostingii) that has only been named by Chick Gaddy in 2008.  Its distribution is limited to South Carolina.  It grows under a canopy of deciduous trees, such as butternut hickory, black walnut, slippery elm, box elder,  in rich floodplain soils forming large colonies alongside mayapples. It has three broadly rounded, mottled leaves and its flowers have three green-yellow petals and three green to maroon sepals.  Cliff, a new assistant in the Dunson Native Flora Garden planted it.

Blue phlox (Phlox divaricata), wood poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum), and halberd leaf yellow violet (Viola hastata) were in full bloom.  But at the end of the lower circle we showed everyone the Cherry laurel (Prunus caroliniana) and how different it was from the black cherry.

Two other flowers to comment on are foam flower (Tiarella cordifolia) and the fact that the petals of Edna's trillium (Trillium persistence)  had turned red with age.  We do not think the PawPaw tree along the trail is Asimina triloba),  as the sign reads.  Ellen Honeycutt, who was on our Bot Soc ramble alerted us to the characteristics of the plant that would suggest it should be dwarf pawpaw (Asimina parviflora).  We have pointed this out to the curator.

It was time to retire to Donderos for coffee and snacks.

Hugh Nourse