It Is Working!

   I find it sort of funny how there are those who will profess to do all they can to protect wildlife and, yet, have no qualms about using toxic chemicals on their lawns, around their homes and in their gardens.  To be honest, it is perplexing.  Either you do or you don't.  Simple fact.  There is no "I like honeybees but not lizards.", "I like flowers but not weeds (wildflowers).", "I like birds but not 'possums." and there is definitely no "I protect wildlife but want to spray fertilizer, weed killer and insecticides over my entire place." (Wow! That sentence probably just sent all grammar experts into a tizzy! I apologize but I write like I talk.)

  I admit to not being too choosy when it comes to killing things that create mass destruction (termites) or can cause bodily harm (yellow jackets if near the house) but I do not randomly use any chemicals on a broad range.  This method is starting to show some promise!  For a number of years, I noticed a mass decline in the number of bees about the place. (Not wasps, bees...bumblebees, honeybees, etc.)  It was saddening to think that the bees might be dwindling in numbers as, without them, we are all more or less doomed.  Bees pollinate the gardens which feed us all.  Everyone should be trying to protect them.

  Imagine my delight when I found hundreds of bees visiting the spiderwort blossoms this morning.  There were so many that I actually heard them before I saw them.  The buzzing lured me to behind the greenhouse where I leave the spiderwort plants to grow with wild abandon.  This plan obviously worked!  The morning blooms were serving up their nectar to a myriad of bees!  Seeing them made me smile but also made me wish others would use commonsense when it comes to being a bit respectful to  our critter friends.

Dots of Blue

  Long ago when I was a mere tyke, Granddad seemed to tend to me a lot.  Of course, Grandmother was there but 90% of the entertainment was left up to Granddaddy.  I think by the time I came along, Mom was exhausted and needed a break from toddlers.  I spent countless days and nights with my grandparents.  I thought it was a special treat.  It never occurred to me until much later just why I was shuffled off to visit the relatives.  Like I said, most of the entertainment was left to Granddaddy.  He was a patient man that thought all playtime revolved around some type lesson.  I learned while I played.  We worked his gardens, he taught me a smattering of woodworking skills and taught me countless useful things about plants, rocks and critters.  These lessons linger in the far recesses of the brain and spill forth with the least bit of prompting.  A sight, smell, touch or sound can trigger a memory and those cobwebs in the brain are pushed aside while I examine a bit of information that was stored there.

  This morning, the garden needed tending so I spent several hours weeding and fertilizing.  Once everything was to my liking, I slipped down behind the greenhouse to find at least one "happy" for a day filled with work.  It was my goal to help Son replace the siding on the west side of the Little Bayou House.  Son was with the old dog which gave me a moment to explore.  As I traipsed to a favorite spot, a splash of blue jumped out at me.  Nestled up under the mimosa tree, a nice sized clump of spiderwort was gleaming in the early morning sunshine.  These small flowers never fail to make me smile.   Spiderwort!  It was the blooms that caused the memory of Granddaddy and his bits of wisdom.

  When I was about 4 years of age, Granddaddy decided that I needed to learn a few "survival" tactics.  One of his lessons revolved around plants and their uses.  He made sure I could recognize the plant during any season (not just when blooming), knew whether it was safe to eat and if there were any medicinal uses tied to the plant.  Spiderwort was one of my favorites.  Granddaddy also called it "Meet Me At The Gate" since he said it would spread like wildfire, if given the chance.  To this day, I recall him telling me that the sticky sap inside the stalk of the spiderwort was good for bug bites.  "Just peel open a little spot, squeeze the stalk until the goo comes out and then rub it into the bug bite!"  Do you know...that really works!  Thanks, Granddaddy!  See!  Your lessons have not all fallen to the wayside!  I still remember and use so many!

Good Morning, Beautiful!

  Every morning, I am greeted by the nodding flowers of the Spiderwort. These lovely flowers open during the cool hours of the early morn then close once the sun warms the ground.  They are probably some of the truest "blue" flowers that I have in the gardens and I did not even plant them!  Spiderwort is one of those plants that just grows where it pleases and that seems to be just about anywhere.  They are mixed in with the tomatoes, flourishing in the rose garden and loving the shade under the fig trees.  When mowing, I try to leave them dotted in the lawn just because I love seeing their bright blue faces beaming with the sunrise.

  Odd fact about Spiderwort...these are also known as Day Flowers since their blooms last only for one day and then wilt into a gelatinous blob.

  Odd fact....Spiderwort gets its name from the fact that the plant was once believed to be a cure for spider bites.  

  Odd fact...all parts of the Spiderwort plant are edible.  The roots, stem, leaves and even the flowers can be eaten raw or cooked.

  Odd fact...the blooms of the Spiderwort are odorless yet still attract bees.  This is done purely by the contrasting colors of blue and yellow.

  Odd fact...Spiderwort blooms have three petals and six anthers.  

  Odd fact...the true name of the Spiderwort is Tradescantia and is named after John Tradescant who was a gardener for King Charles I of England.

  Odd fact...although rare in humans, Spiderwort can cause allergic reactions in dogs and cats.  The allergy can be seen as a red, scaly, itchy skin disorder.

  Odd fact...Spiderwort is also known as Cow Slobber, Widow's Tears, Indian Paint, Day Flower, Moses in the Bulrushes and Trinity Flower. Cow Slobber is given due to the inner sap resembling slobber and drooling.  Widow's Tears comes from that same dripping sap if a leaf is broken. Trinity Flower comes from the three petals.  Day Flower, Moses in the Bulrushes and Indian Paint are names shared with many other flowers.

  Odd fact...Granddaddy used to call these "Meet Me at the Gates".  He said that if you let them grow in the garden they would soon spread enough to meet you at the gate.  (He probably is frowning down at me from Heaven since I allow them to grow where they will in my yard!)

  Odd fact...Blue is the most common color of the Spiderwort but it can also be found in white, pink and purple.  

  Odd fact...that "Cow Slobber" sap can be used as a home remedy for mosquito and ant bites. Wort refers to the Old English word wyrt or medicinal herb.  (Think back to the fact about the name. Spiderwort, being a cure for spider bites.  Not sure if that works, though, as I have never tried it.  I have slapped some of the goop on ant bites and it does relieve the itching quite quickly!)

  Once considered to be an invasive weed, the Spiderwort has now come into its own fame.  Nurseries have cultivated the wildflower into quite a different looking plant altogether.  The blooms are larger and last longer during the day than the original.  Me?  I prefer the wild sort.  I like seeing the blooms during my walks at daybreak and feel that the blooms are there specifically for me to see.  Many folks who sleep later will miss the beauty set out for those of us that rise at dawn.  From the sunrise to the Spiderwort, there are so many advantages of being out and about in the early, predawn hours.

With a little help from my friends!

  While Ms. Ez, the dog, went down for her morning visit to the Bayou edge, I meandered about the garden.  Ever since I was a wee tot, this has been a daily ritual for me.  Pop started it all when he would take me to the fields so Mom could get her chores done.  In the fields, I could play to my heart's content while Pop hoed the veggies.  Now even though my gardens are on a much smaller scale, I still find it fascinating to eye the plants with the morning dew still clinging to them.  It makes me happy.  A find this morning also made me happy.  The Spiderwort was in full bloom! The bright bluish-purple, three-petaled flowers fade with the heat of the day so my morning walk caught them in their glory.  I smiled as I thought of Granddad's name for the plant..."Meet me at the Gates".  This was because of their habit of multiplying so greatly.  It was after I headed back inside that a strange coincident occurred.

  My cousin-in-law, Fred, has a fantastic blog about the area in which he and my cousin, Ann, live.  (If you would like to stop by and have an interesting read, visit http://www.fragmentsfromfloyd.com .  I guarantee you will enjoy each post!  His photography is out of this world!  Anyway, as I do every morning, I read his current post.  Aha!  It was about the very plant that I was just admiring!  Spiderwort!  Now, I would go on about the beauty of what is usually called a weed and perhaps even tell you some interesting fact of a home remedy using the plant but Fred can always be depended upon to give pertinent information!  In his writings this morning, he recalled how he had written years before of a discovery about the plant.  It seems that the stamen hairs are pretty good indicators of pollution!  According to Fred, the plant is sensitive to radiation and chemical pollutants and the stamen hairs will turn pink if exposed to either!  This is good to know!  Hmmm...I headed back outside to check my Spiderwort blooms.

  It is great to say that all is well here on the Bayou.  My Spiderworts' stamens are all blue!  Not one pink hair among the lot!  Thank you, Fred, for teaching us these great tips!  Now, Folks, drop on by his blog, http://www.fragmentsfromfloyd.com and while you are about it, go visit his Etsy shop,  https://www.etsy.com/shop/GooseCreekGoods  He has some incredible cards to show you!

"Meet me at the Gates"

"Meet me at the Gates", this was a name given by my Grandfather to a plant that he loathed. He was forever pulling, digging and cutting them out of his gardens and lawn. Granddad had an impeccable yard, so full of flowers and a lush green lawn. I was always in awe when I entered this veritable fairyland. He worked in it daily calling it "Mother's garden" in honor of Grandmother even though she only ventured into the gardens to pick flowers for her dining room table. I remember well how she always wore her apron, large sun hat and white gloves as she snipped the long stems of roses, daisies and lilies. She would carefully place each in a large flat flower basket for the trip back inside. He would be all smiles watching her as he reached down to pull another weed.

The "Meet me at the Gates", the bane of his garden, are better known as Spiderwort or Tradescantia. The stems, leaves and flowers of the Spiderwort are all edible and many claim the plant has medicinal properties as well. I have not been tempted to eat it myself because if you break a leaf, it oozes a thick, gooey sap. "Cow Slobber", another nickname for the plant, is just not that appetizing to me! It is an unusual plant that only blooms early in the morning closing its blossoms against the heat of midday. Strange because it is not a shade loving plant, it grows best in full sun. I love to have Spiderwort mixed in among my other flowering plants, its bright blue or purple flowers blend well with everything from roses to petunias. I, also love that it is such an easy plant to grow having only two major requirements, sunshine and water, to bloom all summer. It has become a favorite even though as a youngster I was taught that it was a weed. Granddad probably would not be too happy knowing that I plant these "pesky weeds" in the gardens. He would tell me that if I give them an inch they would soon "Meet me at the Gate"!

This brings me to another thought..Are we all weeds until we prove that we are flowers? If we never make the effort to bloom and show our worth to the world should we be considered the bane of the "garden". Ahh, just a thought. Anyway, back to the garden, there is something magical about being in the garden at the break of day, the light is soft, birds are singing to the rising sun and dewdrops glisten like diamonds on every new flower. Take a walk early some morning, if you are fortunate enough to find a Spiderwort, you can marvel at the beauty of this simple, three-petal jewel. It will definitely be worth a second glimpse.