Herbalist, story teller Doug Elliott

Herbalist & story teller Doug Elliott spent the day at Red Wiggler farm this past Saturday leading nature walks, identifying useful herbs and telling stories. i've seen and heard him twice now and he is truly an energetic, positive & joyful person to be around. he is full of interesting antidotes, stories, wisdom and useful information. one thing i am trying to do as a master gardener is identify more native and other useful plants.

Doug talking about the many uses of stinging nettle

a boutonniere made of burdock burrs and a small flower will naturally stick to clothing. he also mentioned that the man who invented velcro was inspired by the burdock burrs.

chicory Flower

plantain- roots and leaves (can be used as a poultice)

POISONOUS~ Hemlock or Cowbane

Oxcalis~leaves can be eaten in salads to lend a tangy, sour taste.
*please see further information regarding plant use since many plants may have parts that are edible and other parts poisonous (or certain preparation must be followed for safe use).

Bridgman Pottery

Bridgman Pottery
Originally uploaded by WeBees

i've been appreciating Bridgman Pottery's work since finding her on flickr and had my eye on a few pieces including her berry bowls. i just loved the glaze on this one and these three pieces make a nice addition to my expaning collection of pottery in teals and golds.

Brookgreen Gardens

sorry for the long absence but i have been vacationing and enjoying the summer so much i just don't have much patience for sitting at a computer these days. i wanted to share some of the beautiful flora and garden beds from our visit to Brookgreen gardens in SC on our 4th of July vacation. below are just a few of my favorite plants and planting combinations from Brookgreen. the color combinations were spectacular, with one garden room being predominately cool purples and the next hot reds and oranges. there were many mixed borders that were a riot of colors. below are some of the spectacular sculptures that were in garden beds, ponds and the sculpture rooms at Brookgreen. the garden beds that contained sculptures had plantings that were color coordinated to enhance the sculptures such as grey marble and purple agapanthus or black bronze with deep purple canna leaves. i had been anticipating my visit to this garden ever since i first heard about it while in college in Savannah and then again when i visited Huntington Beach State Park (which was also bequeathed to the state by the late Huntington family). we split the visit up over two days and visited the historic plantation area and zoo the first day, the sculpture rooms and gardens the second. this place has something for everyone and if you are ever in the Myrtle Beach area i highly recommend a visit!

Mosaic Monday

Mosaic Monday
Originally uploaded by WeBees

i'm back from a wonderfully relaxing and much needed vacation. hope you all had a great 4th with happy celebrations including friends, family, fireworks and food (the 4 f's)