Funny, but there are still a handful of smells that I can distinctly remember from my youth. One was the smell of a new baseball mitt, a strong leather scent that lasted until you left your glove out in the rain just once. Another smell was that of a new pair of blue jeans, the aroma of the strong indigo dye was tantalizing. Another unforgettable scent I recall was from Grandma Brewer’s kitchen … [Read more...]

We were driving back from Deltaville recently and noticed lots of soft purple plants growing in many of the winter rye fields. We had seen this before, and the fields can be breath-taking in purple beauty. But there are many farmers and gardeners, however, who wish these blooms would grow elsewhere. The plant is called Purple Dead Nettle and it’s a beast to control. It’s now popping up in our … [Read more...]

Instead of the Dogwood Festival, Charlottesville should have a Redbud Festival. The lovely tree/bushes are certainly outdoing themselves this spring. Redbuds are not exactly trees. They are deciduous shrubs, but they look like trees and we call them trees. So, trees they are, and they are everywhere in central Virginia. Many people buy redbuds and plant them, but far more just come up on their … [Read more...]

Travelling along our roads and highways, I have taken a serious interest in the many lovely wild plants we routinely see. Some are overwhelming in beauty, and none were planted. They are as wild as the wind. And the wind is responsible for planting many of them, most notably the thistles. Thistles include a wide range of plants known for their sharp spines and prickles. These beauties will hurt … [Read more...]

  There is a stretch of sheer beauty along Route 29 just south of Ruckersville. For several hundred yards, tens of thousands of Queen Anne’s Lace plants adorn the roadside. It’s as white as a January snowfall. I have written about Queen Anne’s Lace previously and received many responses from others who admire this delicate plant. Some advised that the lace-like flowers could be … [Read more...]

Dandelions. A weed? Sure. But a useful weed? Absolutely. Most consider dandelions to be pests – invasive weeds that must be eradicated with a good dose of Roundup, but dandelions are like a health food store growing in your yard Dandelions, of course, are small plants with yellow flowers and deep root systems, but botanists classify them as herbs with numerous health benefits. For hundreds … [Read more...]

For the past few weeks, as I mowed my lawn, I have noticed beautiful flowers growing where they probably shouldn’t be growing, like violets and buttercups. This week I saw clover blooming. Clover is not at all a weed, but many consider the delicate plant to be invasive. Not me. I plant clover whenever I have a patch in my yard that may need some grass seed. Clover is one of the great pollinator … [Read more...]

  Nancy and I took a drive across the mountain last weekend and it’s amazing just how many redbuds there are. They are everywhere alongside of the roads and they are beautiful. Whoever named the Redbud tree had to have been a guy. Half of us are color blind, you know, and the namer-of-redbud trees was not on top of his game. They are no more red than the man in the moon. They are bright pink, … [Read more...]

Roses are red, my love Violets are blue Sugar is sweet, my love But not as sweet as you   So go the lyrics of “Roses are Red” by Bobby Vinton, circa 1962. I think of that song and slow dancing at Myrtle Beach when I drive through the hillsides of Virginia in early spring. That’s when the “Violets of Blue” are at their peak, often draping in splendid clusters along edges and … [Read more...]

  Another beautiful “weed” now growing in my back yard is the common buttercup. This variety, sometimes called the creeping buttercup, has stubborn roots and can be the devil to get rid of, but the flowers are certainly delicate and lovely. Buttercups are generally perennials, but unlike many wildflowers, they are poisonous. Livestock that grazes in a field overrun with buttercups can … [Read more...]