Back at Home and Camp McDowell Musin

At home, my new little succulent garden.  It contains hen and chicks, a creeping sedum, one of the little steppable succulents and now the autumn joy sedum.  Of course, most of what is visible at the present moment is rocks, but if it survives winter, I think it will look pretty next summer.

I returned from Camp McDowell Sunday, but not before going on a sensory awareness hike with Maggie Johnston as leader.  Maggie is the director of the environmental education center at Camp McDowell, and I have known her for many years.  We first met on a trail  m aintenance trip in the Bankhead Forest when I was a member of the Alabama Trail Association.  She led us up the trail in a group, and then had us wait while she went on ahead to put somelaminated cards out on the trail.  One by one we went on and followed the directions on the cards.  When we got to a  hollow, she was waiting with paper on little clipboards so that we could write or draw about our experience.  Here is what I wrote:  


11/18/2012

I am sitting on a fallen log in the sun at Camp McDowell. I just ended  a short, solitary sensory hike.  I hugged trees, enjoyed the soft brilliant green moss along the trail, felt the texture of bark, listened to the sound of the wind in the trees and danced to thank the sun.  I listened to the sound the wind made in the trees and sounds my footsteps made in the leaves on the trail.  I thought a lot about my friend, Joe, who taught me so much of what I know about the flora in Alabama.  It was a whole new world for this transplanted Northerner.  I am thankful for Maggie who spends so much of her life teaching what she knows about this beautiful treasure so that others will appreciate it and want to preserve what is here.

As the sun hits the branches over to my right I notice a spider web sparkling between some branches and then as I look again the sunlight catches many many single strings of spider web connecting branches of the shrubs.  There are many small flying insects everywhere as well.  Does the spider know are here?  Are some of them its next meal?

Looking around some more, I see a tangle of green thorny vines growing up over the oak leaf hydrangeas.  There  are a few reddish leaves left on the hydrangeas, and looking up, the evergreen hemlocks provide a soft background for the scene.  There is a puzzle of straight trunked, leaning trunked, and and windy and bending trunked deciduous trees in front.  the small new oak behind me has some brilliant red leaves left on it that look too big in relation to its tiny trunk and branches.  The gray, fallen leaves of the big leaf magnolias look like old used rags scattered across the forest floor.

Maggie tells us there are only 3 more minutes for this contemplative time.  I do not want to leave.



  

Back at home, our snow peas are getting ready to produce. (left) We may have some for Thanksgiving dinner, or at least by the weekend.















We have many more leaves left on our oak leaf hydrangeas than were left at Camp McDowell.  They are about an hour north of where we live.Oak leaf hydrangeas are beautiful all year round.  Even when the leaves are gone they have a beautiful shaggy bark, and they are one of the first plants to start leafing out in the spring.  They have large white flowers at the end of May and into June, that turn pink and then papery and can be used in flower arrangements fresh or dried. 

(left) One of our heirloom roses that flowers in the spring and then again in the fall.  In the summer it tends to get black spot, and most of the leaves fall off.  I always think it is dying and then it bounces back like this.  The buds change color as they open.  Unfortunately I have no idea what variety this is.  Maybe next time I go to Petals From The Past, I can find it again  and this time I will keep a record of what it is.       www.petalsfromthepast.com/map.htm.
Dried rose hips from roses that have not  been sprayed with poisons may be used to make a tasty tea, and they are a good source of vitamin C. They can also be used in wines and jams. The scented petals can be used in salads, pies,syrup, vinegars, sorbets and other sweets.  Just be sure use only organic plants.  Petals From the Past is a good source for heirloom roses.

If you live in the Birmingham area, make sure to go to Petals From the Past for their open house On Saturday December 1 from 9 to 5 and Sunday December 2 from 1 to 5.  I try to go every year.  They have delicious food and drinks to try and many of the garden accessories are on sale and make great gifts for gardeners.

Their next workshop is Saturday January 19 when Dr. Arlie Powell will discuss Small Fruits in the Home Vegetable Garden.  from 10:30 AM to noon. Check it out on their website.

On Saturday January 26th, 2013 the workshop is basic design principles for creating an edible self-sustainable garden. 

I have rambled on long enough.  Happy planting and Happy Thanksgiving!
Gma Susie