Night time with a Vine

| Flower Roberts

I went out and sat under the climbing okra vine last night waiting for the moths.

The ants have the day shift. The moths have the night shift.

These flowers glow as the sun goes down, beacons for its pollinators.

Moths come to the blooms.

The female blooms produce a long pod.

These can get over a foot long.

The seeds look like watermelon seeds .

The fruit tastes like okra.

It’s large pods can be dried to make luffa sponges, thus its name Luffa acutangula.

What an interesting, multi-purpose plant.

Flower grows food, too.

Eating Luffa

| Flower Roberts

I finally collected enough Climbing Okra (Luffa acutangula) to cook a batch.

I saved the large pods for seed. (Don’t panic people.)

First wash the pods.

Remove the ends and cut the rest into sections.

Toss the pieces in cornmeal.

Fry in oil.

Drain and put in a pan on paper towels.

It smells like okra. It tastes like okra. But it’s luffa.

Delicious to eat and lovely to grow.

Next post will be more about the vine.

FLOW

The Butterflies and the Figs

| Flower Roberts

I am a scientist, but I believe in signs. Mine come from nature.

Today was tough. I won’t share my troubles. I needed to be alone.

I went down to sit in my sad chair. It’s where I sit to sort out my crises.

I was pondering my problems when I was distracted by fluttering in the fig.

This is the “Miss Robbie” fig tree. It has a history.

That history did not include butterflies until today.

Now we can say these flutterbys were passing through and stopped for a snack.

This may be true, but this is the first time of my seeing them on a thirty-year-old fig tree.

Mama was on my mind and Miss Robbie was sending me a sign.

She is on the other side with my daddy you see.

They probably saw me crying in the sad chair and felt compelled to send those butterflies.

They may have been angels stopping by to put my troubled mind at ease.

Nature has a way of healing me when I am hurting.

All I have to do is be still.

Flow

 

Fox with Moxie

| Flower Roberts

This young fox seemed right at home on the neighbor’s pier.

It’s boldness is unusual, but it is young and hungry.

It was aware of my presence, but not alarmed.

I bet I have been spied upon as I wander and work outside.

I am happy that this lovely creature has chosen to hang out here.

No worries about Charlotte, she is enclosed in a fortress built to keep out coyotes.

The fox belongs here, Charlotte is the immigrant.

Nature rules.

Flow

My Hiding Place

| Flower Roberts

I have a place to hide away from sadness and Covid and worry.

I go deep into the forest and sit silently among the trees.

I relax in the shade.

I listen to the wind rustling the leaves.

It is a million miles from my troubles.

I pack a chair and a snack.

When I come back, I am refreshed.

The banana forest is just across the drive

but I pretend I am far away.

Everyone needs a banana forest.

FLOW on the GO.

Indigo Hunting

| Flower Roberts

One of my favorite mushrooms is the Indigo Milky Cap.

It is one of my favorite colors, Indigo blue, and has an unusual shape and texture.

It has been wet here in North Carolina. I should have been out indigo hunting.

I almost missed these. They have all ready faded, but are still beautiful.

Lactarius indigo

The advantage of finding them late is the snails have found them, too.

The snails and I both love these Lactarius indigo mushrooms.

Flow

Mini Tiny Friends

| Flower Roberts

Sometimes my garden feels a little bit crowded.

Most folks would not notice.

But once you have tiny friends, you cannot unsee them.

I am surrounded.

I must move carefully so as not to hurt one

or be hurt by one.

They are on leaves,

under leaves

on the walls

on my planters

and under my pots

on the deck.

Everywhere I go I have tiny friends.

I am surrounded by mini tiny friends.

Flow

Orange Phlox on the Rocks

| Flower Roberts

Here is that color again. Orange, but not orange.

I think the pink eye plays tricks on the human eye.

The name on the tag is ‘Orange Perfection’ garden phlox by Garden Rich.

It does not stand up straight like some phlox or creep along on the ground like other phlox.

It reclines on the rocks.

I like the contrast between the orange and gray.

I like its cascading to soften the rock edges.

I got this right by accident.  Phlox on the rocks serendpity.

Flow

Lessons from a Dead Ear

| Flower Roberts

I keep seeing the empty spot where it should have been. (Under the left window)

I need to fill it in with something so I will quit chastising myself.

Frydek belongs there, but it is gone because of me.

Yes, I cried when it died. It was my fault, you see.

I am overprotective of everything, including my plants.

It is exhausting.

I used to dig up my ears and bring them all in to overwinter.

I thought they needed protection from freezing. Protection from rotting…

I do not do that anymore because of Frydek.

I brought them all in the fall of 2018. To keep them safe.

Frydek was dug first and put in the bottom of the barrel.

Layers of peat and paper were piled up in the barrel.

Ear, peat, paper, ear, peat, paper

Somehow water got in the barrel. Frydek was in the bottom.

Frydek rotted. Frydek died being protected.

I left all the ears out last fall. They all survived.

Frydek is gone. Its space is still here. All the other ears are here.

Reminding me that I need to quit over-mothering everything.

I will try to remember that because of Frydek.

Flow

A New Leaf