Collections...Photographs and Seeds

   One of the perks of wandering about the marshline at the break of day is that I get to see all sorts of wondrous things that most other folks miss.  This brings to mind that old adage "You snooze, you lose!"  While it probably does not amount to a hill of beans to others, it is highly important on my "to do" list.  In about the upper third of that list is "Find, view and photograph everything about the swamps, marshes and waters."  If nothing else, my kids and grandkids will have a photographic assemblage to pilfer through after I am dead and gone.  Not that any of the pictures will be worth a dime but, at least, they will be able to see the wonders of the place through my eyes and before it is fully ruined by "progress".

  This morning's bit of loveliness was a Saltmarsh Morning Glory.  This, like all other morning glories, blooms at dawn then usually withers before noon.  This, unlike most other morning glories, is salt water tolerant which gives it the name.   Here, it flourishes.  The vines trail upwards of ten feet, has arrowhead shaped leaves and five inch blooms.  It does best when allowed to climb wherever it wishes without curtailment.   The blooms are pinkish purple with a deeper color throat.  Bees adore the nectar bearing blooms.

  Finding the Saltmarsh Morning Glories in bloom brought a smile to my face as this is one of the flowers that Pop always used to point out when we would fish along the shores.  Several times, he said he wished he could get a few seeds to plant along the old fish pond in the side yard but we never dared to traipse in the marshes to retrieve any.  Now, I find myself doing just that.  The marsh, albeit full of cottonmouths and gators, is not near so scary as when I was a kid.  My handful of seeds might be a sweet addition to the small gardens.  (Yes, I did go there.)

Looking Rosy..

  Just recently, my outlook on life was lambasted by an acquaintance.  "The world is in despair and yet you still go around looking through your "rose-colored" glasses.  That does not make sense.  It is stupid to always find something nice."  Huh?  Well, I beg your pardon but I would much rather be seeing niceties than gloom and despair.  Of course, I can do this as I have distanced myself from the naysayers of the world.  Now peace surrounds me and my eyes have been opened.  The world is nice.  People are not.  I can do without them.

  A few months back, I was in awe of the Saltmarsh Morning Glories that bloom near the pier.  These plants love to have their roots right in the brackish water and gently lay their 20 feet long vines atop the marsh grass or any bush that happens to be in their range.  The bright blooms open before dawn and fade with the heat of the sun.  Though fleeting, the blooms are favorites of mine as I get to see them with my predawn hikes.  Their beauty astounds.

  Come this morning, I found that, even though the blooms are scarce now, the vines are still providing beauty.  It takes someone that has the patience to find beauty among the briers but it is there.  The seed pods of the morning glory are stunning when seen close up. (The photo was taken with a macro lens.) The rosiness of the flowers still lingers in the pod.  Soon the pod will become hard and turn brown but for now, it is a mixture of greens, pinks, yellows and reds.  Yes, folks, there is beauty hidden in those marshes and all over this old world.  Perhaps it would be wise for some of you to borrow my rose-colored spectacles and take a look at how wonderful life is. 

I'm Free!

   So it was my first day to freely roam the entire yard...well, almost.  I did get to leave the confines of the Small Gardens and hike about the lower part of the yard and around by the canebrake.  Still, there was no wandering on the pier or creek bed but that will come soon.  After a bit more than a month of confinement, it sure felt glorious to stretch my legs and do some wandering!   While there was not a lot in the way of exciting events occurring during my hike, the escape was enough.

 While on the lower part near the pier, a beautiful bloom caught my eye.  A cluster of Salt-marsh Morning Glories had just started to open.  The buds had turned to the east and were bursting with beauty as the sun rose over the horizon.  I was excited as I have not seen these beauties in weeks!  It made me realize just how much I have been missing while my healing was taking place.

  

  The Salt-marsh Morning Glories are rather interesting plants.  As many times as I have tried to plant the seeds along the garden fences, they have never done well.  It takes having their "feet" wet to make them flourish.  Salt-marsh Morning Glories grow right in the brackish waters of the marsh.  In times of storms, flood waters can completely cover the vines but, once the water recedes, the vines go right on living and blooming.  The saltwater does not kill the roots. The blooms can be the pinkish color like the ones near the pier or almost blue.  There is even one beautiful white type that blooms on the other side of the Bayou where I cannot roam.  

  Yep, it does not take much to bring smiles when you are free to roam.  I can hardly wait until the ban on the pier visits is lifted.  I really NEED to get back to that water!  Happy hiking, folks!

Not Too Sure....Nope!

  Being as I tromp around the marshes and woods a good bit, I have often wondered just how I would react if I ever met a foul tempered snake.  If bitten, would I go off the deep end and panic?  Would I calmly make my way back to the Little Bayou House and seek a ride to the hospital?  Or would I try some harebrained home remedy and hope for the best?  Unless it was a known venomous snake, chances are, I would opt for that home remedy.  Not that the idea is the best but "when in a pinch", you make do.  

  Stories abound of how different plants can fight the venom but logic tells us that it is not the wisest move to mess around with a venomous snakebite.  With that, definitely go to the hospital.  You would be stupid to try any purported home remedy.  However, with nonvenomous snakebites being non-life-threatening, I would be tempted to give some of the reputed remedies a go.  That said, I found yet another "cure-all" that supposedly heals snakebite.  Tales have been told that the Saltmarsh Morning Glory has healing powers.  Hmmm...well, maybe...who knows.  I really don't think this would be one I would try.

  This morning, I pondered about that healing power as I sat and admired the beauty of the morning glory blooms dotting the marsh.  Maybe our ancestors knew something about the medicinal powers of the plant but, it also occurred to me, that this plant is always growing IN THE MARSH!  Now, lets say I get bit by a snake...do you really think I would immediately have the thought "Let me traipse out in that moccasin infested marsh to fetch a posy!  It will heal me!"  Nope, I would be more inclined to say "Let me get away from those snakes!"  My brain would not even be thinking of Saltmarsh Morning Glories at all!  I think I would be more inclined to focus on identifying the snake that bit me.  Oh, and just so you will know, I have been bitten by a rat snake and a black racer years ago.  They do not really hurt.  The bites can maybe can be compared to a cat scratch.  Best bet?  Learn how to identify snakes and just be careful!  Avoid being bitten in the first place is always the best course of action.

Seeds for Thought....

  Part (the best part!) of the thrice daily hikes about the place takes me to the pier.  Here, there never seems to be a lack of things to interest me.  Whether it be a cottonmouth on the marsh mats, an otter pup sliding in the mud or a snapping turtle wallowing a hole to trap minnows, the critters are fascinating.  Equally interesting, however,  is the variety of plants.  Duck potatoes, reeds, fleabane or salt-marsh morning glories can cause my brain to flit into a frenzy of wild thoughts.  Sometimes, a simple bloom can bring back a memories of a faerie tale from long ago (such as Grandmother's tale of Morning Glory that I wrote about years ago) or duck potatoes can make me ponder the edibility of the things.  Son says I am far too easily entertained and amused which I suppose is true.  These things all occupy the mind which..in itself..is not a bad thing.  Keeping the brain active is supposedly healthy.

  This morning's hike to ended at the pier as a thunderstorm threatened to dump a couple of inches of rain on my head.  I did have time to study a few seed pods that dangled precariously on thin whorls of a vine.  The wind whipped the vines causing seeds to fly everywhere!  As I studied the vine and pods, a memory of just what this was struck me. These were the seeds of the Saltmarsh Morning Glory that blooms so beautifully during the summer and fall months.  The rich pinks, blues and purples fill the marsh with an early morning burst of loveliness!  There it stays until the heat of the day causes the blooms to wither.  

  As I pondered the seed pods, I reached out to gather a few of the hard, black seeds. Hopefully, I can get a few to grow up closer to the house!  At this point, a giggle burst forth.  Pop would have shook his head in wonderment at his crazy daughter.  He worked tirelessly to rid the fields of any morning glory vines as they would choke out other plants and here I am trying to transplant a few in the gardens.  Poor Pop.  He is probably looking down at me and wondering where in the world he went wrong!  But they are pretty, Pop!

Stars of the Marsh

  If you arise at dawn and make your way down to the pier, it is a common sight to see some pretty amazing blooms.  Saltmarsh Morning Glories abound in the brackish waters of the Bayou.  The brilliant purplish pink blooms are a good four inches across and have arrowhead shaped leaves.  While the blooms closely resemble all other morning glories, it is those leaves that distinguish one from the other. Most morning glories have heart shaped leaves while the Saltmarsh Morning Glory has arrowhead shaped leaves.  But it is not the leaves that caught my eye this morning.  When Mark pointed out a bloom that was right against the pier post, I was enthralled by the "star".  In the center of the bloom was a perfect five point star!  This star was created by the way the bud is whorled around during growth.  When the bud opens, it sort of swirls until the flower has fully bloomed.   Like all morning glories, the Saltmarsh Morning Glory is a tube blossom.  Although it appears to be one large petal, there are actually five united petals that unravel when the bloom opens.

  The star leads to the center point of the bloom.  The purplish pink coloring deepens as the throat of the bloom narrows.  The intense color contrasts drastically to the white center which draws bees, butterflies and hummingbirds in to collect nectar.  Critters seem to love the plant but many parts of it are toxic to humans.  It seems that the seeds present the largest danger.  

  So perhaps it is best that my beautiful "Stars of the Marsh" stay in the marsh.  Not that I have any plans on eating any seeds but it is best for folks to admire these from a distance, I suppose.  Although a lot of our garden plants have toxic parts to them, no one thinks twice of planting them.  Potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, azaleas, oleanders, irises and philodendrons are on the list of toxic plants.  Parts of each of these plants (and many more) are toxic to humans and pets! (Just so you will know, oleanders are the worst!  All parts of that plant are deadly!)  Wait now!  My Saltmarsh Morning Glory is not looking so bad, after all!  The Star of the Marsh....a beauty!  (Not a beast!)

A Bright Spot of the Morning!

It feels good to be back on the Bayou after a week long trip to Georgia to visit our daughter-in-law and grandbaby.  While it was most delightful to be with them, there is honestly no place like home.  This morning at daybreak, I was back on the pier again.  Back in my little "feel good" place. When I first stepped on the pier, I noticed a splash of bright pink in the marsh.  Ahh, Saltmarsh Morning Glories!  Never before have I had any growing so close to the pier.  I have always admired these beauties from a distance but now had the opportunity to view them up close.  This excited me although the plants can (and do occasionally) take over an area.  They have a tendency to reseed quite prolifically and can intertwine with any and all plants..sometimes choking the less sturdy.   Still, since this one was wrapping itself around a undesirable scrubby bush, I had no problem with it staying right where it decided to grow.  I viewed it as a little bright spot among the otherwise drab greens and browns of the marsh.

Saltmarsh Morning Glories are especially salt tolerant which is why this one can flourish while its roots are literally submerged in the brackish water of the Bay.  The plant, with its three inch blooms, can be found in most of the saltmarshes of the southern states.   It is a perennial that will die when the temperatures drop below freezing but will bounce right back come warmer weather.  The leaves of this morning glory are quite distinctive compared to the glories in the garden up the hill. These are more "arrowhead" shaped than the typical "heart" shape that the garden type glories have.  Both do make the typical round seed pod that will darken and then burst to release the small seeds.  These seeds will either sink under water to take root or will wash to a new destination.

Although the Saltmarsh Morning Glory is quite beautiful, I have never seen it being grown in any gardens. It would require a lot of water and can grow to massive lengths which might make it undesirable to have in home garden plots.  I had difficulty with my regular morning glories strangling out other plants so I suppose the Saltmarsh Glories will stay in the marsh.  Perhaps it is a good idea to leave well enough alone and just enjoy these where I find them!  It is nice to be surprised by their sudden appearance.  The bright pink splash does indeed brighten the morning!