Remember I told you about the roots on poison ivy?  Unlike other vines, poison ivy has hairy roots.  

 

We saw this growing on the big oak tree at the big right turn on Stonebriar, just below George and Priscilla's.  I'm not calling IT beautiful, but it is a beautiful example of poison ivy roots.  Even though I can't see the leaves, I know it's poison ivy.

 

Don't touch it!!!!!  All parts of the plant (including the roots) are covered in a heavy oil, Urusheol, that causes a dermatitis reaction in most people.  EVEN IN THE WINTER!!

 

So, look but don't touch!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

Have you ever noticed this tree on Five Forks Drive, in front of the Geene's house?  It is a very special oak tree.  We believe it is an Indian trail tree.  There are lots of them in the mountains, especially in North Georgia.

 

We've been reading about them:  fascinating!!  

 

Long before road signs and highways, native people needed ways to mark their paths through the woods;  to find their way home, to find sources of water or danger.  Some clever, unknown person decided to bend young oak saplings in a particular direction to send messages to their fellow travellers.  And these trees became known as "Indian Sign Posts."

 

Most trail trees are bent about 3 feet off the ground, with a horizontal section, and an upright trunk coming off of it.  At the corner where the tree grows upright there is a "nose," and this is what points the way.  Later, trail trees needed to be seen by people on horseback, so there are also trail trees bent 8 feet off the ground.  They are known as "Horse and Rider" trail trees.  These trees also send messages, just higher up to be seen from horseback.

 

Trail trees were bent for many reasons.  They point out direction of travel, sources of food and water, caves or safe areas to hide, or even to give false messages to an enemy, leading them away from a village or campsite.  Before bridges were built, people needed to know where they could safely cross rivers or streams.  Trail trees were bent to point out shallow crossing places.

 

I'm not sure if anybody still bends oak saplings to send messages, but, fortunately there are many survivors of the practice.  They are historical monuments now, and national treasures.  (My opinion.)

 

Now that we know what they are, we are always on the lookout for Indian Trail Trees.  We know of at least one in Meeks Park on the hiking trail.  I can't remember if it's low (to advise walkers) or high (to be seen from the back of a horse.) I'll look next time we're there.  I hope you will discover some too.

 

If you'd like to learn more about Indian Trail Trees, go to:   Mountain Stewards

 

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Boy, were we surprised to see four Monarchs and a bunch of American Painted Ladies fluttering all over the Chrysanthemum.  I thought they had all migrated south by now.  Well, they probably have by NOW, but this was last week before the cold front.

 

We love seeing Monarchs in the garden.  They are so floaty, and pretty.  They have been feeding on zinnias, marigolds, and this chrysanthemum.   They don't use these plants for their caterpillars, though.  They lay their eggs in milkweed, Asclepias spp.  There is a huge patch of orange butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa, down in the meadow near the gate.  It blooms June - September.  I have a good size plant in my garden just for the Monarchs, but the deer keep pruning it!!  Oh well.  Apparently, they are still reproducing, because we see them in the garden late summer and early fall.  

 

Keep looking, they may not ALL have flown south.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

My friends who love "leaf peeping" on the Blue Ridge Parkway sent me these two pictures with commentary.

 

This is the night we arrived.  Picture taken from our balcony at the Lodge in Peaks of Otter.  You couldn't see anything!! The next morning we took this picture from the same place.  What a difference 16 hours can make in the mountains!!

 

 

We KNOW that's true!!!!  Thanks for sharing!

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

 

 

Early in September, I posted this picture of Sourwood, Oxydendrum arboreum.  It was pretty then, but look at it now!!!  Many sourwoods in our neighborhood are showing fall color.   My Peterson Field Guide calls the color "crimson" but I see lots of colors and they are all kinda different:  some orange, some red, some showing pink.  But you can tell it's sourwood by the seed pods still on the trees.  They are ivory and quite showy right now.

 

 

I love fall colors in the mountains!!  It changes every day.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

 

It's a good thing this time of year to be able to recognise trees by their bark.  This very distinctive bark belongs to Black Locust, Robinia pseudo acacia.  The bark is thick, dark brown, and deeply furrowed.  It has feathery compound leaves, that are dropping as we speak. 

 

Black Locust is native to North America, and believed to have originated in the Appalachian Mountains.  The wood is strong, and durable in the soil.  Early settlers valued this quality and used it for building timber.  Today it is widely used for fence posts.  I've read that Locust posts set in the ground will remain sturdy for 50 years!!!

 

They grow like weeds, sending up new shoots from the roots.  It's best to keep them under control in this new sprout stage, because they soon grow thorns all along the trunk.  They are really hard to pull out then!!

 

Black Locust blooms in May and June with showy, white, fragrant blossoms in clusters.  When it's blooming, it's easy to see that it is a member of the Pea family.  And the seeds are encased in 2-6 inch flat brown pea-like pods that remain on the tree from September to April.  The seeds are eaten by bobwhite, mourning doves, rabbits, and deer;  but the roots, bark, leaves, and seeds are poisonous to humans and some livestock.

 

At one time the bark of Black Locust was used by American Indians as remedies for headache, stomach pains, and nausea, but because the tree contains toxic substances, it is no longer used medicinally.  Today the wood is used for fence posts, railroad ties, and mine timbers.  And since the trees grow so fast, they are favored by conservationists for erosion control.

 

So, what may be a weed to one person may be building materials to another.  I think it is beautiful when it's blooming, so I'll post Black Locust again in the spring.  Maybe I'll learn more about it by then.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

Sandy's eggplant reminded me about seed saving.  And NOW is a good time to do it.  

 

When you have a plant like that: strong and healthy, happy in its environment, and producing fruit like crazy, you NEED to save those seeds for future planting.  The plant is telling you that it is well adapted to your climate, your soil, and your style of gardening.  

 

Eggplant seeds are really easy to save.  When you cut into the fruit to use for a meal, just scrape out some seeds onto a plate and let them dry for a day or two.  Remember to label your seeds, lest ye forget what they are (when you finally get around to planting them. Seeds tend to look the same after a couple years.)   Make sure they are very dry before storing them in a glass container.  We use pimiento jars, because they're a good size and they're free.  We also add one of those little desiccant packs that come in our vitamin bottles.  That seems to help keep them dry.  I've read that eggplant seeds will still be viable after 6 years, if stored properly.

 

Not all seeds last that long, but are still worth saving.  Like heirloom tomatoes, or those beautiful blue pumpkins.  When you cut into them, save a few seeds to plant in the spring.  Heirloom seeds will reproduce true to the variety.  Hybrid seeds, like Better Boy tomatoes may not.  They usually revert to the characteristics of one or the other parent plant, so don't bother with them.  But do try to save seeds from heirloom plants.  I've had good luck with butternut and spaghetti squashes.  And I've been growing pineapple tomatoes for the last 4 years, just saving my own seeds.

 

So, you see it's a good idea to reuse what Nature has given us, not just the gift of food, but the ability to grow it again for free.  Besides, it's fun to know that you did it.  Gardeners love "bragging rights."

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

This is proof of the "never ending eggplant" grown by Sandy Bradley.  Not here in North Carolina, but in Florida.  She told us about this thing:  it's 2 years old, has survived a couple hurricanes,  and is still producing eggplants.  Yeah, well, I wanted proof!!  Not calling her a storyteller, but you know fishermen and gardeners...

 

If you enlarge the picture, you can see lots of purple babies.  THAT is an amazing plant, or maybe the case of an excellent gardener.  Really, Sandy, that looks more like a tree than a garden plant. 

 

I hope she will share some of her gardening secrets with us.  I'll get back to you.

 

HAPPY GARDENING!!

 

This was at 4 o'clock yesterday afternoon, on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  My friends are travelling from Yorktown to Peaks of Otter, on the Parkway.  They do it every year in the fall to enjoy the fall color in the mountains.  Not quite OUR mountains, but the next best thing.

 

I do hope they send more pix so we can enjoy the scenery too.  

 

We ALL wish you safe and happy travels.

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!

 

Have you seen the Hickory tree in the meadow, near the gate?  It's starting to change to its fall color.  Be sure to notice it every time you go by, because it changes almost daily.

 

I don't know what kind of hickory it is, just that it is beautiful now, and will be for the next however long.

 

HAPPY FALL Y'ALL!!