Old bottles and Turk's Caps

I found a rather interesting old bottle and was curious about the color. It has a purple tinge to it and I had heard that old glass would turn different shades of purple over the years. Why? Just curious as to why? I remember my grandfather telling me that it had something to do with ultraviolet rays of light..is this true? Granddad was a wise gentleman but did he know about ultraviolet light? My curiosity was truly piqued by this time so off to do a little research. It happens that the sun turns glass made with manganese a purple color if it is exposed for a number of years. Imagine that! Being as UV (ultraviolet) light is found in sunlight, Granddad was right! Wise man! All of this started me wondering..are all pieces of purple glass formed this way? And is this a sign that purple glass is old since it takes years and years to turn? The answer to both of these questions is a firm "NO". There is a true amethyst glass which is made by adding manganese to the molten glass and then there is the "sunglass". The sad part is now some unscrupulous dealers are "making" sunglass and passing it off as the "real" thing. They merely stick in under a UV lamp and in a few months..like magic!..purple glass! So this means that not all purple sunglass is the real deal. Just as an added note..in the antique world most natural sun purpling is considered a flaw and it devalues a piece. Who would have ever thought?? Anyway..it does not really matter to me since the bottle happens to have a enormous piece broken out of one side. My bottle is worthless! It is purple but worthless..at least to everyone else but me. I plan to find a way of using it..somehow!

After the bottle discovery and much work of the day, I noticed that the Turk's Caps are blooming! This is a rather nifty plant as it grows well in full shade. The blossom resembles a hibiscus that refused to fully open, hence the nickname of "Sleeping Hibiscus"! I love this plant just because the bright red blooms remind me of a brilliant jewel, perhaps a ruby, hidden in the shadows among the emerald green leaves. (There goes that active imagination, again!) After the bloom drops a red fruit about the size of a marble appears. These are readily eaten by birds and some animals. The leaves of Turk's Cap are used as an emollient and the flowers are used in some cultures to heal digestive tract disorders. Both the flower and the fruit are used in herbal teas and one person told me that they taste like watermelon while another said it was more like apples. I will have to try some and then will let you know!