The Jewel on the Forest Floor

  A few months back, I was lamenting the fact that I could find no sundew plants down in the creek behind the house.  There were tons of them in my daughter's bog but nary a one in ours.  It saddened me since I truly love these little plants.  Their bejeweled leaves sparkle and shine with each sunbeam.  The "jewels" are droplets of sweet mucilage (think glue here...yep, glue!) and are designed with one thought in mind...attracting bugs.  Once a critter climbs on board to take a sip, they become ensnared in the sticky stuff and WHAM!, they are caught.  The plant has supper.  The critter is absorbed as nutrients by the plant. Sundews can grow in the poorest of soils due to the fact that they "eat" to gain nutrition.  I like them, not only because they are beautiful, but because they do catch bugs.  One thing we have plenty of here on the Bayou, is BUGS!

 Earlier today, I meandered back behind the canebrake, down the hillside to the creek area.  I could not go deep into the creek bed since a storm is brewing and has the tide in the Bay quite high.  This water pushes into the Bayou and eventually into the creek.  Today, the creek was swollen to the point that it was a bit treacherous to enter.  Snakes would be seeking higher ground and might be on my usual path.  While most would be water snakes, there is always the outside chance that a moccasin might be among the ferns.  It was best that I stick to higher ground myself.  I chose one spot where the sun filtered down between the leaves of a poplar tree dappling the ground below.  Making myself comfortable to listen to the rails chattering their conversations between nest sites, I spied a sparkly red object and had to investigate.  A small patch of sundews was shimmering in the sunlight!  I was elated!  The seven small plants were nestled in a patch of peat moss (which was also a pleasant find!).  Since Hurricane Katrina dumped a couple of tons of debris in my creek, we have been hard pressed to find any such plants and, now, I found a fresh start! These were on higher ground than expected but seemed to be doing quite well.  The sundews were thriving on the many insects already creepy-crawling about the place.  Curious fact...our sundews are not nearly as vivid as those in my daughter's bog.  There are at least 194 species of sundews with some looking quite different than others.  Hers are brilliant ruby red while ours have a good bit of green in the leaves.  Seems like a bog garden needs to be in the works during the near future!  There are so many unique plants that not many folks ever get the chance to see.  It would be fun to share the beauty.

Calm, Cool and Collected

  While out and about the hillside, I always take the camera.  You never know what might pop up as a chance to get a great photograph.  Plus, I am still on the search for "hidden" critters to send to my grandlittles. Sometimes, however, those critters refuse to hide.  Recently, a warbler kept trying to perch on my camera.  I had to shoo that one away several times before it got the idea that perhaps I was a bit protective of my gear.  Then, there was today.....

  This afternoon, the sun made it a tad too warm to do much gardening so I headed back to the creek.  Being in a bog is relaxing and far more cool than the sun drenched yard.  I found a spot to rest on a leaning tree as I waited for critters to become accustomed to my presence. Other than an occasional gnat, the area was rather peaceful.  I could watch for visitors to the sun dappled clearing, yet, be comfortable at the same time. The trunk of the tree where I was sitting was only about a foot off the ground so it gave me a good view down under the small brush. As I was sitting there, I heard the slightest of movement to my right. It was more of a slithering than a footstep making me think a large skink had come to say hello.  I turned ever so slightly to find not a skink but a small snake.  

   A tiny, fifteen inch black racer eased its way closer and closer to me.  It must have been curious as to why I had invaded its territory but was not acting like a predator.  About six inches from my leather moccasin, the snake stopped.  It curled up and eyed me cautiously.  After about ten minutes, it seemed to be satisfied that I meant no harm so it relaxed enough for me to gently move the camera in range.  The snake was almost too close to get clear pictures.  It did not even attempt to move even though I had to change the camera lens to get a better shot.  

  The little black racer was such an adorably sweet snake and I felt truly blessed to have gained its trust.  Even when I stood up to head back to the Little Bayou House because of pending darkness, the snake remained.  Only after I took a few steps did it slither back into the leaf mulch to hide for the night.  Tomorrow, I will visit the leaning tree again to see if my new found friend will return.  Oh, the things you find in bogs!  Such happy places!

Only In A Bog

  Occasionally, a hike can provide some pretty thought-provoking finds.  On our recent tromp through the bog, Darling Daughter and I found one small area that was covered in some pretty unusual looking plants.  We had never seen these before and pondered just what we had discovered.  After photographing the twelve to fifteen inch tall plants, the challenge was on to identify them.  We just knew that the things had to be special...after all, they were really weird.  Anything weird and wonderful captures our curiosity to the point that we cannot rest until we are fully satisfied that we know what we have stumbled upon.  

  The plants in question were quite soft to touch, tall, leaves up the entire stalk and were connected by runners.  They grew in a moist soil under the shade of trees.  The plants were still bright green regardless of the fact that the area had just endured temperatures down into the teens for several days. (So far, winter has been for four days...only.  Hoping for more before spring arrives.)  Their fresh look told us that the plants were relatively cold hardy.  So armed with that information and the photographs, we started our research.  While Elizabeth perused the plant guides, I took the much easier route and asked my cousin.  This guy knows most everything!  Just about the same time Elizabeth announced her find of a possible identity, I got an message with the same information from my cousin!  Lycopdeiella appressa or Southern Bog Clubmoss.  Well now!  That is pretty exciting, right?  I thought so.

  Now that we knew what the plant was, we had to look for possible uses other than it just sitting there being pretty.  (Although, that is a rather neat thing for a plant to do!)  It turns out that this plant has been used for centuries as a medicinal aid, in dyes, during ceremonial rituals and for decorative purposes.  Of all of these, it was those decorative uses that nearly was the bane of the plant.  Many folks were ripping the poor plants from the ground to use as garland greenery.  Tons of the plants were uprooted, used on doorways, stairs, etc. then tossed aside.  Being as the roots were stripped from the ground and that the plants are slow growing, many bogs became devoid of the clubmoss. 

  Well, Elizabeth and I decided that cannot happen to "our" clubmoss!   Between the two of us, it has become a goal to root many of the plants to replenish the bogs of the area.  That comes from being Wildcrafters of a sort.  We believe that you do not take without giving back.  Harvest only what you need, leave some to regrow and replant whenever you can.  It is a shame that folks take until all is gone but that comes from the fact that we all now live in a "throwaway" society where folks have a tendency to not think beyond their own whims.  Whether it be robbing the land of all that is good or wasting things that can be reused, this attitude is shameful.

The Bog Calls to Us

  It was a good day.  Any day outside seems to suit me fine but today was special.  Darling Daughter and I spent the day traipsing about a creek and wooded area.  Down behind their property is a low area that is almost magical.  The trees block out the sky leave you feeling completely secluded from the world.  Once you head down under this canopy, things change.  It is the perfect place to escape reality for a little while.  As she and I slipped quietly down the embankment to where the creek was still overflowing from the recent rains, we both felt a peace around us.  We looked at each other and had the same thought of deja vu.  It was as if we belonged spiritually among the mosses, ferns and critters that inhabit the bog.  Something felt as if it was drawing us deeper and deeper into the depths of the fen.  

  While we were marveling over the intense feeling of belonging, we began discovering life that most overlook.  Our vision adjusted from the bright sunlight of the open field to the dim lit understory of the creek. The mystical, magical place began to open up to us.  We were enthralled.

  Mosses, fungi, lichens, ferns...all could be found among the fallen logs and crawfish mounds. Some, we recognized.  Others were unknown to us.  All were fascinating.  We pushed deeper into the swamp.  The further we went, the more entranced we became.  Then, an idea! Wouldn't it be wonderful to build a tiny house way back in the bog that was only accessible by means of a footpath and a swinging bridge? Just a tiny hut of a place to commune with nature and sort of "nest" while escaping the "real" world.   A place where we could feel at peace.  The bog calls us.  We shall return.

The Beauty of a Bog!

  So many folks take things for granted.  "If it is in a store, we will always have it!" is the understanding of a lot of misguided people.  Buy, buy, buy!  Yep, it matters not where the thing originated...just buy!  We have got to have it!  Take, for example, all of those lovely garden helps that we just NEED!  Even things as lowly as peat moss.  Yep, peat moss actually did originate somewhere besides that plastic bag sitting on the shelf in the garden center.  Somewhere, that moss started out in a lovely bog as a living plant.  Once it is in that bag, it has been harvested, killed, sprayed (with who knows what?) and bound into bales.  It sits there waiting for someone to snatch it up and use as a wonder nutrient for their gardens.  I know.  I use it, too.  It is good stuff.  But...

  If you have ever had the inclination to take a hike back in some wooded area where there is a creek or even a boggy area, you might see the loveliness of peat moss before it is peat moss.  Sphagnum moss is a most interesting plant if you do not mind getting your spiffy shoes a bit muddy.  It is different than other mosses as it has branch clusters that sit up like leaves.  Sometimes the mounds look a lot like a soft, mushy pillow! (At least to me!  Not that I recommend taking a snooze in a peat bog but the stuff is rather soft and cushiony.  A bog might also be home to a few snakes and a bunch of bugs that might make your nap a bit uncomfortable!)

  Elizabeth and I were tromping through the woods the other day when we came to a creek bed.  As with any place that was relatively untouched, branches and logs crisscrossed the creek like a network of little bridges.  Under those "bridges" was an acre or so of the prettiest sphagnum moss.  The sun filtered through the canopy above dappling the moss with its rays.  I was down on my knees photographing the green layer.  When she queried my actions, I excitedly told her that it was sphagnum!  Peat Moss!  Her eyes lit up as well.  She is just about as bad as her mom when it comes to finds like this.  We decided right then and there that this peat bog should be protected.  No, bulldozers or tractors will ever plow through our bog if we can help it!  Why can't others see how important it is to leave some places just to Mother Nature?

Something Big Has Started!

  Yesterday, I wrote about the big plans that my daughter has about growing olives.  She wishes to have an olive orchard on her acreage so we bought two small trees to get her started.  Hopefully, these trees will do well and by the time her property is cultivated, we will have rooted many more trees from cuttings.  Now, I find something big happening right here on the Bayou!

  Today, I wandered back behind the shed to find Son digging a huge hole.  Well now, that is different?  He has not done that since he was a wee tot and the three kids decided to dig to China.  I admit that I was a bit bemused by their antics but it did keep them busy for days on end until the one day that they had dug so deep that they could not get out of the hole!  The hole that Michael was digging this morning was not so deep as it was wide....and long.  When questioned, he informed me that this was a bog.  Alrighty then!  A bog on the Bayou! Who would have ever thought that might be possible!  (A bit of sarcasm there, folks!  The Bayou is one big bog!)  Anyway, he furthered informed me that this was to be my long wished-for bog garden!  He was making the garden in a terraced style so the water would run from one level to the next before being pumped to the top again.  His idea is that the flowing water  and a few bull minnows will keep the mosquitoes at a minimum.  The minnows would also help by furnishing a natural fertilizer.  It sounds like his plan is a good one so I will just let him do his own thing here!

  I have had a desire to grow watercress and cultivate my water hyssop to a greater extent.  These, and perhaps a few Arrowhead Plants, would round out the more usable plants.  A few waterlilies might be tossed in just for appearance. I am excited to say that he is creating something far bigger and much better designed that I had ever dreamed!  (Yay for sons!)  Now if I can just keep the Cottonmouth Moccasins and alligators from claiming this bog as their home, I will be one happy camper!  A BOG GARDEN!!  Just imagine the possibilities!

Wildcrafting!

Wildcrafting is the is the practice gathering plants and plant materials from their wild state. These plants and materials are usually harvested for food, medicinal use or for crafts. By "materials", I am referring to any part of the plant that can be used..sap, seeds, leaves, roots, etc. What designates a true "wildcrafter" is one that never harvests the entire plant but leaves some behind to reproduce in their natural habitat and one that tries to disturb nature in the least way possible when gathering for crafts. If it is necessary to take the entire plant, seeds are left behind in the same hole where the plant was removed. It is a matter of protecting and preserving what is there, a matter of respecting nature not abusing it.

Herbs are abundant in the wild and if properly identified can be harvested year round. This in mind, I was delighted to find quite a large patch of Water Hyssop in a boggy place behind my house. Granted Water Hyssop grows rampant and will take over if you allow it to do so, it still thrilled me beyond measure to be able to recognize this plant and have it so near. This herb is used as a medicinal herb than in the culinary sense. Water Hyssop is frequently used in herbal medicines to improve memory and is being tested as and anti-anxiety medicine. I have not tested either of these so I cannot attest to either's veracity. It tastes rather bitter so I am thinking it would be a good idea to mix it with something to improve the taste if it is used whole.

Water Hyssop is a pretty little plant that has thick succulent leaves and stems. It will bloom most of the year (at least in the South) making a tiny, bluish white flower. I have noticed that the butterflies seem to love this plant as do the honeybees and bumblebees. For that matter, the rabbits seem to enjoy being near this patch even though, as I said before, it has a bitter taste. (Maybe they are trying to improve their memories! Smart bunnies!) Water Hyssop is also grown as an aquarium plant and is used in ponds to provide hiding places for fish. Personally, I like the idea of using it in this method!

Try Wildcrafting. This can be done in your own backyard. Start by gathering things that you can use in crafts and then branch out to herbs and foods. Be sure to do research so you are sure of what you are harvesting. Do not eat anything until you have made a positive identification. Also, make sure to leave some behind to continue growing. It can be interesting to discover what is growing naturally underfoot or above your head. This would also be a very good lesson to teach children. Respect nature! It is there for all of us to enjoy as long as we take care not to destroy it.