Shanti led the way back to where we’d parked the car. We’d met cousins Anna and Maura for lunch in Westerville. M
On the way, I did what my parents always did when I was growing up.
Notice a plant.
Name it.
And in this case rub the velvet leaf between your fingers.
Lamb’s Ear, the perennial, see below.
Lamb’s Ear(Stachys byzantina)
“Despite its unassuming appearance, lamb’s ear has quite a rich history. Another nickname, “wooly woundwort,” references its usefulness as a bandage, due to its astringent properties.
The leaves were used to dress wounds or as toilet paper in medieval times, and they were also reportedly used as bandages in the American Civil War.” From the. Gardener’s path
Does anyone want to chime in with a Thanksgiving or an Easter cactus? Scroll down for info on how to identify which cactus is which.
So many wonderful comments and stories of Christmas cactuses and geraniums which endure for generations. I heard from loyal blog follower and dear friend and neighbor today. Thanks Tookie
“Dear Kindred Spirit, Reading everything you’re posting about your mother’s Christmas cactus. Please add me to the list of those who have and cherish my mother’s Christmas cactus. I can remember it on her kitchen window sill when I was in grade school and on and on. She shared part of her plant with me when we moved to our apartment in Aspinwall in the early seventies. People fuss at me to repot it in a larger, clay pot. I do not, but left it tight and pot bound in the original plastic pot in which she gave it to me. I love how we value so many of the same things!!!
Love, Took and Jack too”
Tookie’s Christmas Cactus
“A Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) is a popular, long-lived, rainforest-native houseplant known for its vibrant flowers that bloom in the fall, often at Thanksgiving. It differs from a Christmas cactus by having pointed, spiny-looking leaf-like stem segments, while Christmas cacti have rounded segments. To care for it, provide bright, indirect light, high humidity, well-draining soil, and water when the soil is dry to the touch. Bud set is triggered by short days and cooler temperatures, so starting a light-dark cycle in September.”
Walking to book club (to discuss The Madonnas of Leningrad), I came across this single blossom which had poked through the slats of my neighbor’s fence. The setting sun illuminated the new green leaves. Unretouched Photo.
You see motivational posters with a single word illustrating a character trait underneath a corresponding photo. The power of nature to grow in an inhospitable environment is always amazing to me.
per·se·ver·ance
ˌpərsəˈvirəns/
noun
steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
