Intrepid Volunteers

Every year, usually in February through May, my wife and I notice flowers that have volunteered on our property.  This year there were three special events I’d like to begin with.

The Sprouting Acorn

First, I found an acorn that was actually sprouting.  May sound trivial, but I’ve never seen that before and it was wonderful (in fact, there were several around the property).  I don’t know why this happened this year and was not visible in previous years, but it was quite lovely.  Here is a pic of one of these sprouting wonders.

Acorn Sprouting

Acorns and Oaks are fascinating creatures.  ”In Celtic mythology, [the oak] is the tree of doors, believed to be a gateway between worlds, or a place where portals could be erected.” -Wikipedia.  ”It represents determination, truth and knowledge and it draws a parallel between the tree’s endurance and the trials that a person undergoes in life in order to become what he or she was meant to be. The Oak, in Celtic terms, represented the soul or the ‘Eye of God’.” -Alexandra Lupu

I found the following verse online, but haven’t been able to discover it’s source as of yet.

“The fairie folk live in the oaks, and the acorn will bring you good luck.”

It’s always wonderful to gaze at the fabulous oak trees on the prairies while driving around in this area of Northern California (Sierra Foothills).  They are magestic, enduring, powerful, and even graceful.  I’m really thankful that we still have some of the oak and grass prairies around here!  Here’s a photo to illustrate why I love these oaks so much.

Majestic Prairie Oak

For anyone who feels similarly about oaks, or who enjoys the beauty and majesty of nature, you might appreciate the story by the French author Jean Giono, “The Man Who Planted Trees.”  You may find it here in English, and here in French.  There’s also a DVD set containing an animated version of that story, which I heartily recommend.

Calendula Flowers

In my wife’s rose garden, we found a number of calendula plants growing.  These are edible (make sure you know what you’re doing before you eat any wild plant) and make a fabulous addition to a salad.  The other day I stood amidst my wife’s roses and ate the petals from one of these flowers.  They have a spicey taste and seem very digestible.

Calendula Smiles in the Rose Garden

Here‘s a good article on calendula mythology and uses; and here are some further notes on the symbolism of calendula.  Also, see some very interesting information in “A contemplation upon flowers,”  By Bobby J. Ward (starting on page 259).  Read it in Google Books.

Spiderwort

Just outside the rose garden, along side a large bed of white Amanita mushrooms, we found a Virginia Spiderwort (tradescantia virginica) [update: if you go to this article, you can view this spiderwort plant reborn the following year].  The root “-wort” in the flower means that it was once viewed as a medicinal flower:

“In the case of spiderwort, the plant when crushed oozes a clear sticky fluid that was smeared on mosquito and spider bites to sooth the itch and pain. In addition, the Cherokee and other native American tribes made a tea from the plant used as a laxative and to treat stomachaches.” (Gail Compton, “Spiderwort in your garden won’t bite”, May 16, 2009, The St. Augustine Record)

Virginia Spiderwort

“Sparkling with dewdrops at sunrise, the delicate Spiderwort flower shrivels in the heat of day, releasing a fluid that seeps from its purple petals like tears.” -Richard Pemble, a field biologist and biology professor at Minnesota State (click here for article).

Pemble also states that the Native Americans viewed the flower as an aphrodisiac.

How about Spiderwort Soup! (caveat: again, make sure you know what you’re doing before you eat any wild plant! Read the author’s Disclaimer.)

Propagation Methods for Spiderwort (from this site):  By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets).

Click here to see what Wikipedia has to say about the Spiderwort.