#purple twining pea

[chlorophyll-and-chitin]

Hardenbergia violacea

17-JUL-2023

Melbourne, Vic

[whiskeynovember]

it doesn't seem like i did much, but i kinda did?

i think the garden might need to be watered every morning and maybe every other evening... it gets dry so fast. i could probably make due with some hay or something to try to cover the soil to keep it moist. it just seems like on the days it doesn't get watered, it's bone dry.

fixed the second large planter...

my dad... bless him, he set them up years ago and put a bunch of rocks on the bottom as drainage and stability... but forgot to take the bottom cap off so the water has easier access to drain through. 😆 i fixed that. took the rocks out, filled with leaf litter instead, amended the soil, and repotted. i found another pot and did that one as well. so now i have 3 empty pots to throw things into. my new seeds should be here tomorrow or the next. I'm thinking Daikon radish... I'm still hoping a ground cherry seed will sprout so i can set that up out front... and I'll probably put the nasturtiums in the pot instead of directly in the ground. I'll need another pot for that so i have one in each side next to the squash.

we're going to the store today so i may buy 2 just for that and use the extra pot for my leeks that I'm currently propitiating. i forgot how much i love leeks and then realize the reason i haven't gotten any is because they're fucking expensive. $3 for 2. 🙄

i figured out i set my trellises upside down with the pointy end on top so i fixed that and tied some twine through to make more places for the beans, peas, and squash to latch onto.

threw some extra moist soil into the garden. covered up my rehab purple basil and habaneros. i don't know about 3 of the basil plants, they seem very witty, but they perk up fairly quickly. i gave them a sugar/ peroxide boost earlier before i covered them. it took my Thai basil over a week to get strong so I'll know for sure by next week. i thought they'd have an easier time since the sunflowers give them a bit of shade, but i think the shock in itself was too much.

[mouthfulloftoothpasterry]

A day at the farmers market with  cottagecare!Harry

Summary: The styles family spends a day at the farmers market :) 

warnings: possible swearing

“Morning” Harry yawns, coming downstairs, walking down the creaky steps of their cottage. “Good morning, honey” Y/n softly calls, whipping something up in the kitchen, making what looks to be a mixed berry smoothie. Harry yawns, wrapping his arms around his little girl and kissing her cheek multiple times, saying a good morning. She clings to his Henley, saying good morning to him while she smacks on her fruit. 

Harry pulls his little boy out of the bassinet he was laying in, smiling down at him and kissing his forehead. “What are you making, dovie?�� Harry asks, patting Forests bum. Y/n scoops out the dark purple colored smoothie like substance out of the blender, putting it in a mason jar- like almost every other thing in their kitchen. “It’s baby food,” Y/n says, holding a small multi-colored baby spoon up to Forrest's lips with the thick baby food on it. The little boy opens his mouth the smallest bit, taking the spoon in. 

“My love, we can just buy that.” Harry says, making Y/n shake her head. 

“And we can just buy a lot of things we make but I’m not feeding my baby’s that crap.” Y/n says, pulling Forest into her arms. 

“The farmers market opens today,  I want to go up there and look around then sell some of our stuff. I love doing that” Harry explains, going back over to violet and giving her a hug. The almost two year old clings to her daddy, Harry pulling her out of the chair and up into his arms, giving her a proper morning cuddle. “That would be nice. The weather is a bit rainy today though,” Y/n hums, reaching up to find a lid for the mason jar before stashing the baby food away in their vintage fridge. 

Y/n sets a bowl of oats and berries down next to Harry, giving him a peck before telling Violet that she needs to finish her breakfast. Violet's face scrunches up, covering her daddy’s mouth. “Icky!” She says, making the couple laugh. “Go eat your breakfast, sweet pea” Harry says, letting her down from his arms and letting her toddle her way back over to her own seat. 

“M’ I love this weather” Y/n sighs, opening a window, welcoming the fresh breeze in their stuffy cottage, the fresh scent and sound of rain now hammering through their home. “Know y’ do” Harry smiles, Y/n joining them at the wooden table, setting her own bowl down, Forest latched to her. 

“It’s the perfect day to go to the farmers market, just have to dress the little ones for the colder days.” Y/n says, Harry giving her a warm sleepy smile, reaching over to give her hand a squeeze. “I bet the ducks are enjoying this” Harry adds, Y/n nodding at his words and Violet clapping her hands together while she munches on some honey covered fruit. The honey from their own bees they take care of, outside in their brood box. 

“Definitely,” Y/n breaths, letting her eyes fall closed for a second to let the sound of the rain relax her before opening them back up, diving into her breakfast. 

**

“Honey, have you seen my glasses?” Harry asks, trudging down the stairs, ready for a day at the farmers market. He’s dressed in a ribbed cotton shirt- a warm brown color, along with a pair of brown plaid pants to go with it, some daisies stitched in the pockets that he asked Y/n to add just for him, and a forest green beanie to keep his curls from getting wet- but all he needs are his glasses to finish the look. “I’ll give you two guesses, baby” Y/n says, packing some small snacks for Violet while they are gone for a good chunk of the day. 

“Do you have them?” Harry asks, rounding his way to the kitchen, seeing his circle lenses on the top of her head. “How did you know?” She teases, Harry shrugging and pulling them from her and onto his eyes, pushing them up his nose. 

“Let’s go,” Y/n sings, pulling Forest into her arms and pulling the diaper bag onto her shoulder. Harry reached out for his daughter, holding a hand out for her. “Come here, little one” Harry calls out for violet, she stampers over to her daddy after placing her crayons down. She reaches for his hand, Harry pulling her up instead, resting her on his hip. 

They walk out of the cottage, locking the door and walking out of the gate. They walk over to their Volkswagen bus, a white and orange one. They originally got it because they both love the sixties aesthetic of it and it was a good way to haul everything from their little farm, but now they have grown to love it for more than just farm usage. “Let’s buckle you up,” Harry coos, placing Violet in her car seat while Y/n buckles Forest in his much larger car seat, making sure he is comfortable and secure. Harry makes sure Violet is comfortable before sliding the door shut and getting in the driver's seat. 

**

“Did you bring a lot of honey?” Y/n asks, cradling Forest to her chest, patting his bum softly while Violet sets behind them, snacking on some grapes. She’s a hungry girl. 

Harry nods, setting mason jars over the while fold out table that was already set up at the farmers market, under a small canopy “Yeah, and I brought some pumpkin jam too” Harry notes, setting everything up in rows, organizing them and grouping them all together neatly into their separate categories. Y/n nods, kissing Forest's hand, warming up her small baby. Harry turns, wrapping his arms around violet in a warm hug, resting his chin on top of her head. She wraps her small arms around him, giving him a squeeze. “I love you” Harry says, kissing her head. 

“Love you!” Violet says, making Harry smile, kissing her cheek. Y/n holds Forest up, looking at him suspiciously. “Babe, I need to go change Forest” Y/n says, stepping out of the beige topped canopy and grabbing the diaper bag she had packed just before they left. Harry nods, pulling violet close to him. They hate that they are such ‘helicopter parents’ but they can’t help it, they both mainly work from home and they love their children more than anything in this world. “Okay, I’ll just keep Violet close to me.” Harry hums, playing with the small pig tails that spring on the top of violet's hair. “So you don’t get stolen because you are so cute!” Harry coos, making Y/n give him a strange look, walking back to their bus. 

Harry sells a couple jars of honey and some strawberry jelly while they are gone, coming back with a blue knit hat on Forest’s head, a big embroidered bumble bee on the front of it. “Where did you find that, honey?” Harry asks, violet standing in front of him, playing with his wedding ring. “A lady sold it at her stand so I bought it from her” she says, tucking Forest in his car seat and giving him a small stuffed animal that has a rattle in the belly- it’s one of his favorite toys. 

“Do you think he’s gonna stay blonde?” Harry asks, the boy only having a thin layer of hair coating his head, it’s a blonde color- almost just like Harry’s when he was a toddler. Even though Harry had the beautiful luscious locks that he has now he didn’t really start getting hair until he was around one year old. “Probably not,” Y/n says, holding a hand out for violet. 

“Hello,” an older woman sings, making the couple turn their head, putting on a warm smile to welcome the customer. “Hi!” Violet chirps, making everyone laugh, Harry softly rubbing her back. “You two look so young! Are these your kids?” She asks, the couple nodding, Y/n trying to calm the slightly fussy baby. It’s noisy at the farmers market and Forest needs to sleep, he is only three months after all. 

“How old are you two?” She makes light conversation while picking out a couple of jars of jam and a jar of honey looking over all the different items they are selling today. “I’m twenty four and she is twenty three” Harry says, the woman nodding. She looks around some more, picking out some of their fruit before letting Harry ring her up. 

“So you make this all yourself?” The woman asks, looking at the mason jar with twine wrapped around the neck of it, a tag on it that reads ‘strawberry jam’ in Y/n's chicken scratch handwriting. “Yeah, we have a big garden and some bees, we make it all ourselves” he says, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose and humming while the woman hands him the money. Violet clings to his leg while he talks to the woman, her arms wrapped around his thigh and her face shoved into his leg, Harry softly rubbing her back and giving it light scratches every now and then. 

“Thank you,” the woman sings before walking off, her goodies all wrapped up in a paper bag Harry had given her. “Thank you!” Harry cheers back, bending down and wrapping Violet in a hug, “‘m tired, daddy” Violet says, Harry nodding and rubbing her back, her shirt rising up and exposing her soft back. “I know, pumpkin, I know” Harry says, pulling her up on his hip and holding her close to him, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. 

“Foggy,” Violet says, patting Harry’s chest. Harry nods, walking over to his wife and opening the diaper bag, finding Violets (rather large for her size) frog plushie that Harry had actually made for her. “Here, love-bug,” Harry says, Violet taking her frog in her arms and cuddling it, laying her head back on her daddy’s shoulder, trying to sleep. 

“He’s asleep,” Y/n says, Harry turning and seeing his boy asleep in his car seat, mouth open. Harry chuckles, softly scratching Violets back. 

A large man comes up, suspenders attached to his hefty jeans, he must be a farmer. He looks through some of their stuff, his big husky hands grabbing at one of their jars of pepper jelly. He grabs a jar of honey, some peaches, and jalapenos, setting it all down in front of Harry. “Is this all for you?” He hums, trying to be polite to the intimidating man, stuffing it all into a paper bag with the arm that wasn’t cradling Violet to his chest. 

The man nods, breathing harshly through his nose. Harry nods, sliding the bag towards him, “Fourteen dollars,” he says, the man nodding and digging some money out of his dark leather wallet, plucking a few bills out and handing them to Harry. 

“Thank you!” Harry chirps, shoving the money in the little tin box. The man nods, taking his bag and walking off, leaving the family alone again. 

**

“I’d say we did pretty good today” Harry says, the day now dwindling down, finally putting the remnants of what they hadn't sold up. Their jars on a shelf and their fruit and veggies stored either on the fridge or on their big fruit and veggie baskets. “Yeah, we sold a lot. I’m just happy we still got a good chunk of our blueberry jam, Violet loves that stuff” Y/n says, making her husband nod, organizing everything to his liking. 

“Yeah, I didn’t expect our lavender syrup to sell that well but the sweet old lady’s seemed to be very interested.” Harry notes, chuckling at the memories of today. Y/n nods, the warm lighting of the cottage comforting her- only candles and a few warm colored lamps to light their dark house. “Yeah, I didn’t expect anyone to buy the dandelion lemonade because of the flower but they were very interested.” Y/n says, coming up behind Harry and rubbing his knotted shoulders, rubbing out all the aches and pains from today. 

“Next time let’s bring some of our baked goods, I’m sure everyone would adore your angel food cake.” Harry says, making Y/n giggle, wrapping her arms around her husband. “I only make that for you and Violet” she says, resting her head on his back and cuddling into him. 

Harry’s chest rumbles with a soft chuckle, nodding as he places the last jar of pepper jelly in front of the other, “I’m sure they would love your lavender and poppy-seed muffins then” Harry adds, Y/n nodding. She does enjoy baking, especially trying out new recipes with the huge garden she has access to, fresh ingredients, eggs and fresh milk constantly coming through. Harry is the better one in the kitchen though, but she won’t admit it. 

“I wanna make some sun tea tomorrow, what should I make?” Y/n asks, placing a kiss on the back of her husband's shoulder. Harry pulls her arms around himself even tighter, giving her wrists a squeeze after. “Whatever you would like, and you could add some lavender and lemon to it” he says lowly, his voice getting more deep and scratchy as the clock ticks later. He leans back into her, resting his head on the short space of her shoulder. Placing a kiss on his cheek she noses over his hairline, “yeah,” 

“Let’s go to bed,” Harry says, picking up the kitten that had jumped on the kitchen counter and placing it back on the ground with a scratch to their head. “Let’s,” Y/n agrees, grabbing his hand and pulling him up the stairs, tracking up to their bedroom to start their nightly routines and head to bed.

A/n: HI! this posted early :( I think I accidentally set it to the wrong time. Thank you to everyone who read and reblogged the first part of my cottage core series, you're all so sweet, it really does mean a lot. My requests are open!! so please request some ideas for cottage core harry!!! This isn't like a consistent story, its more like blurbs that sorta go together. I have part three done already and it will be posted possible later next week since its Sunday for me now :)!!! thank you to everyone again! sorry for the early post and please request some blurb ideas for cottage core Harry :))))))

[gardeninginfoonline]

Poisonous Garden Plants to Avoid

Avoid growing a toxic garden that’s surrounding your landscape, wildlife and loved ones. Knowing which plant species possess toxic traits will help you grow a healthy garden friendly to your surrounding environment.

gardeninginfo-online.com gathered crucial information on identifying what plants are poisonous to humans and wildlife.

1. Deadly Nightshade (Atropa belladonna)

The deadly nightshade is a perennial plant with long, thin branches. Its leaves are oval-shaped with smooth edges and pointed ends. They grow on the plant’s thin branches in an alternate pattern and are poisonous. The most distinctive feature of this plant species is the purple flowers with reflexed petals and a yellow cone at the center, which blooms from late May through August.

Hardiness Zone – 5 through 9 Associated Danger – All parts of this plant are toxic, but the sweet, purplish-black berries that are attractive to children pose the most significant danger. Symptoms of poisoning include rapid heartbeat, dilated pupils, delirium, vomiting, hallucinations, and potential death from acute respiratory failure.

2. Oleander (Nerium oleander)

Often called rosebay, this Mediterranean native is characterized by its tall shrubby habit and its thick lance-shaped opposite leaves. The flowers are borne in terminal clusters and may appear in a rose color, rarely white or yellow.

Hardiness Zone – 8 through 10 Associated Danger – All parts of Nerium oleander (leaves, flowers, stems, twigs, and roots) are toxic. Oleander poisoning can adversely affect the heart, nervous system, stomach and intestines, eyes, and skin.

Note: Cut stems release a sticky latex that can severely irritate the skin. Wear gloves when you handle clippings or remove the plant altogether.

3. Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum)

This is a plant with leaves containing high levels of the addictive chemical nicotine. After harvesting, tobacco leaves are cured, aged, and processed in multiple ways. The resulting products can be smoked (in cigarettes, cigars, and pipes), applied to the gums (as dipping or chewing tobacco), or inhaled (as snuff).

Hardiness Zone – 2 through 10 Associated Danger – Those who plant, cultivate, or harvest tobacco are at high risk of suffering from nicotine poisoning, known as “Green Tobacco Sickness.” This illness causes severe nausea and vomiting that can lead to hospitalization.

4. Rosary Pea (Abrus precatorius)

Also known as coral bean, crab’s eye, jequirity bean, and prayer bead, Rosary Pea is an ornamental, twining, woody vine reaching heights of 10 to 20 feet when supported by other plants or trees. This plant’s leaves are alternate, compound, and feather-like, with small oblong leaflets. Its flowers are numerous and appear in the leaf axils along the stems.

Hardiness Zone – 9 through 11 Associated Danger – Abrus precatorius is highly toxic and can be fatal if ingested. In its native range, the plant’s roots are used to induce abortion and relieve abdominal discomfort. One of the most deadly plant toxins, abrin, is produced by this species.

5. Castor Bean (Ricinus communis)

Castor bean is a fast-growing perennial large shrub or small tree. This is an evergreen herbaceous or semi-woody species. This robust, tender plant can grow to 40 feet tall, developing woody stems over time in frost-free climates.

Hardiness Zone – 9 through 11 Associated Danger – Ricin is a poison found naturally in castor beans. If castor beans are chewed and swallowed, the released ricin can cause injury. Potentially lethal doses reported for children and adults are three beans and four to eight beans, respectively.

6. Water Hemlock (Cicuta maculata)

Water hemlock has small, white flowers that grow in umbrella-like clusters. Side veins of the leaves lead to notches, not to tips at the outer margin. Poison-hemlock stems have reddish or purple spots and highly-visible streaks.

Hardiness Zone – This species is common throughout the north temperate zone. Associated Danger – Water hemlock is the most violently toxic plant in North America. Only a small amount of the plant’s toxic substance is required to produce poisoning in wildlife, livestock, or humans. The toxin cicutoxin, acting directly on the central nervous system, is a violent convulsant.

7. White Snakeroot (Ageratina altissima)

Growing 1 to 3 feet in height, white snakeroot is an upright, many-branched perennial with smooth (sometimes hairy) stems and fibrous roots.

Hardiness Zone – 3 through 8 Associated Danger – The leaves and stems of white snakeroot contain tremetol, which is toxic to both animals and humans. Tremetol is an accumulative toxin that takes time to build to toxic levels. The toxin directly affects the heart and causes severe muscular degeneration, loss of coordination, tremors, and an irregular heart rate.

Avoid These Poisonous Garden Plants

In this article, you discovered which plant species are poisonous and sold never be planted in your garden.

Avoiding poisonous plants in your garden will help you support surrounding wildlife while protecting your loved ones from potential poisoning.

Allowing poisonous plant species to flourish in your garden puts wildlife, your pets, and your loved ones at risk of severe illness, hospitalization, or worse.

Sources: csuvth.colostate.edu/poisonous_plants/Plants/Details/60 plants.ces.ncsu.edu/plants/atropa-bella-donna/ florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/plant.aspx?id=1758 plants.ifas.ufl.edu/plant-directory/abrus-precatorius/ hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/castor-bean-ricinus-communis/ extension.umass.edu/landscape/weeds/cicuta-maculata uaex.uada.edu/yard-garden/resource-library/plant-week/Eupatorium-rugosum-Ageratina-altissima-Chocolate-White-Snakeroot-11-15-2019.aspx

The post Poisonous Garden Plants to Avoid appeared first on http://gardeninginfo-online.com.

[mitamicah]

Spoilers from both Trollhunters the book and Trollhunters the series!

While reading the book I was really impressed with how many differences there were between the character so I have worked on giving my take on six characters from both media, book vs series, and how they differ from each other :3 

I should mention that while there was illustrations in the book I tried for the challenge not to copy those but follow along the describtions in the book - when possible - to give my own interpretation of the characters ^v^ 

Steve

First up we have Steve. Starting out as the stereotypical bully in both version their paths seperates quickly resulting in two different ending for the musuclar blond Jorgensen-Warner is the book version of Steve. Here's how he is described from our first encounter with him: "He was handsome but in the oddest way- He eyes were too small and his nose piggish: he had a ridiculous amount of hair and a couple of teeth that looked like fangs. Yet somehow in combination these features were sort of mesmerising. His unnatural muscular bulk and odd way of speaking -crisply, politely, as if he were a foreign student who had learned English in class - completed the strange package." page 21-22 For his outfit I went with the description of him on page 224 "[my clothes] ... didn't cast me in the best light when compared to Steve Jorgensen-Warner, who looked rather rakish in blue jeans and a shirt - definitely not a blouse - opened to the third button. He dribbled the ball casually with his left hand." The bold passages is added by me   This Steve is later revealed to be a changeling aka a troll   Before we go on: can any of you explain to me what a "ridiculous amount of hair" even means :'D? I had a lot of trouble with this prompt because isn't this so darn subjective :'D? and the official art look way less ridiculous than I'd figure it'll be :'D x'D Palchuk is the series version of Steve. His facial appearance being way less specific (I'd say he has normal sized eyes, a big roman nose and some more or less normal teeth) and his way of speaking is definitely not polite. Like book Steve, this Steve starts out with pushing smaller guys into lockerrooms yet after that he becomes way less of a terrifying bully and much more of a silly goose who brings a lot of the comic relief in my opinion Douxie says it best in Wizards when he calls Steve the "village idiot" x'D I do not recall seeing Steve being that sporty in the show, he is much more interested in becoming homecoming king  no basketballs around x'D While book Steve is revealed to be the enemy (a troll) series Steve joins the "good guys" creating the creepslayerz with the character Eli Pepperjack

Blinky

Blinky is just called Blinky in the book  Here's a bit of description of him "The third [troll] had scarlet eyes, eight of them on long stems. (...) The thing from my house glided toward me with a surprising grace for something with an indetermined number of legs, all of which were hidden behind a patched kilt scaled with layers of medals, prizes and trophies and award ribbons. An incalculable tangle of tentacles twined around one another as if dying to squeese something to death. As it passed the oven, the firelight revealed olive-green skin, reptilian texture, and lacquer of slime lubricating its undulating appendages Its moth a horizontal gash.. " The bold passages is added by me   So yeah this Blinky is quite something :'D I stopped caring to draw tentacles after a while but overall this was silly but fun to draw  since his teeth later is described as big as traffic cones I believe he must be very tall :'D Also he's close to blind   Has a bit of a dirty mouth but in a very "read" way if it makes sense :'D cannot seem to stop calling Jim dimwitted and tiny and Tobias big :'D Blinky's full name in the series is Blinkus Galadrigal  he has six eyes instead of eight and they are all working just fine, thank you very much x'D His tons of tentacles and legs has been replaced by four arms and two legs and while he is still olive-green he is now made of tone like texture just like the other trolls  the kilt turned into shorts and he is quite a bit smaller now not even as tall as Jim  He still has this very academic way of speaking yet he is way nicer to Jim calling him "Master Jim" instead of "the short one" x'D

ARRRGH!!!

Book ARRGHHH!!!s full name is Johannah Mmmm ARRRGH!!! and she is a pretty big deal warrior among the trolls in the book - she's so badass in fact Blinky has decided to call her by her last name to honor her for her deeds for trollkind   Here's a qoute from the book describing her appearance   "The goliath emerged from the tunnel as comfortably as a dog from a doghouse, coarse black fur pouring into the chamber before I could make out any actual arms or legs (...) Even beneath the fur I could see loops of muscles flexing. (...) ARRRGH!!! was built like a gorilla but three times larger: Two arms, two legs, and, thankfully, just two eyes. Horns, curled like those of a ram (...) The thing's orange eyes cast about with animal perceptiveness, and it used its snout and sniffed. Its jaws fell open to reveal a purple, slavering mouth armed with haphazard daggers of teeth." Page 75-76 The bold passages is added by me   (Also worth mentioning: the qoute is from before the protagonist knows of ARRRGH!!!'s gender which is why he calls her an 'it') At other times in the story we learn that ARRRGH! has quite scarred arms and really wishes for better tooth hygeine; so much so that Tobias actually end up making her a brace out of chicken wire :'D Idk I find it quite adorable :'D Now unto the serie's ARRRGH!!! - first up he is male, his name is Arghaumont and he is famous for another reason than Johannah: he was a general of Gunmar but retreated from the war making him a traitor to his people yet a hero for the good trolls in the series. Series ARRRGH!!! is likewise built like a gorilla but made of stone and having a mane long and green like it is moss  his horns is way smaller and less curvy and his teeth hygeine is never brought up  also his face is way less dog like x'D 

Tobias 

Book Tobias' full name is Tobias M. Dershowitz yet he is going by 'Tubby' or 'Tub'. Here is a describtion of him from the book: "You could call Tobias Dershowitz chubby, if you were being cute, or husky if you were being diplomatic. The fact is he was fat, and that was only the beginning of his problems. His hair was a thick, orange, out-of-control hedge. His face spilled over with the kind of freckles that make kids like Tub look like overgrown toddlers. Worst of all were his braces, marvels of modern torment: whips of stainless steel crisscrossing each tooth seperately and lashed to a dozen silver fasteners. The braces clicked so much when he spoke, you expected sparks. At least he was tall..." page 27 The bold passages is added by me   The outfit I went with is described on page 259 like this: "He stood in the driveway decked out in his best approximation of a ninja: black tennis shoes, black sweatpants, a black hoodie, a belt made from a red curtain sash, and an oversize fanny pack holding his gear (...) It was unfortunate that the fanny pack was lime green..." To describe Tub is a bit difficult because sadly he is not much in the story as I'd liked - mostly he is being quite serious and let us know he is not happy by being sidelined not speaking troll nor being invited on hunts which I completely understand tbh :'D What I do find interesting is how Tub and series Jim has seem to have switched roles a little bit: In the series Jim is the one giving a speech about how he is insecure about his place in life and how he wants more - in the book this is Tub in more than one occassion: "We have to accept who we are. And before you ask, I'll tell you. We're nobody. We have no life. We have nothing to look forward to. We're not special. I just want it to go away. All of it. The stupid being scared. Doesn't it seem we've been scared forever?" page 37 "Jim, you're wrong. We were meant to do this. This is exactly what we've been waiting for. They've chosen us. Of all people! Us! (...) Jesus, Jim, take a look at my life! You know what I'm worth! To anyone? Zero! Nothing! I'm a fat loser and will always be a fat loser. Until this. This is like a present. Full of, man, I don't know. Hope?..." page 196 (talking about trollhunting here btw) Oh yeah and book Tobias gets this badass scene where he uses his dentist's tool to kill trolls I loved that   Now series Tobias is way different :'D first up his name is Tobias Domzalski and his nicknames are Toby and Tobes. He is way shorter and has more neat hair (what is it with the series neating up the hair :'D? x'D). He also seems way cheerier and pretty happy with his place in life more or less  Unlike Tub, Toby is in it from the start being an important player in the story   He doesn't have the same drive to be something more than he is as Tub has instead Toby is going with the flow starting out quite afraid of everything troll and ended up being as brave as the rest of the team *tbh Jim's scared out of his wits too so they mimic each other x'D* Where Tub has dentist tools Toby gets a badass hammer so I'll say its an upgrade  

Claire

First off we have Claire Fontaine, a foreign student from no other than Scotland with a taste for military clothing and liqourice   Here's how she's described in the book   "She tucked her long dark hair behind her ear and left ir with an adorable smudge of white dust. I thought she was beautiful, though she wasn't in the classic sense. The popular girl would say she wasn't skinny enough. They would also point to the fact that she didn't wear makeup or do anything to tame that hair. And her clothes -well, what could be said about her clothes? Her boots were not sexy and knee-high: in fact, they were ankle-high and rubber-soled and looked picked from military surplus racks, an array of pea-green coats and multi-coloured slacks, all of which looked as if they'd been through actual World War II combat. And that beret she wore before and after school wasn't of the look-at-me-I'm Frensh variety: it was more in the style of I'm-going-to-invade-your-country-and-be-your-new-dictator. Only one thing didn't make sense: that bright pink, exceedingly girlish backpack that inexplicably hadn't one anti-establidh patch sewn onto it (...) Oh, I forgot to mention that Claire Fontain came from the UK. That's right- the girl had an accent. I think you are starting to get the picture." page 30-1 The bold passages is added by me It is hinted at that Claire is quite tall and a great deal taller than Jim (more when I get to him) and she is actually a whole year older than Jim since they both have birthday May 2 but Claire is 16 while Jim is 15  Since Trollhunters in this story is not a "protected title" (aka the chosen hero type) Claire ends up being one herself even though nobody even herself didn't know: AND. SHE. KICKS. BUTT! She's even better than the guy that had 40+ years experience so yeah safe to say she's badass :'D Even before that she has a hilarious scene calling out Steve in the wildest shitstorm of Scottish slang I lived for it x'D She's described quite a few times with lots of bracelets, sometimes made of wire so I gave her a bit of both   She's not really a part of the popular group but has her own thing going on   Now onto Claire Nuñez the series' version of this badass   Here Claire is hispanic and pretty much one of the most popular girls seen around  her style is way more ... I've called it punk rock in purple but Idk exactly what to call it x'D she's shorter than Jim and slimmer looking than her book counterpart   She enters the story not as a trollhunter but as a victim of having her brother stolen by changelings and as time progresses she becomes a fastlearning and quite competent sorcerer dealing in shadow magic   Unlike Fontaine, Nuñes is seen wearing make up, shorter hair with dye in it and hair clips instead of bracelets  

Jim 

First up we have book Jim. His full name is James Sturges Jr. and lives with his single parent, his dad, after his mother went away the day before his birthday in start May and never returned. Sturges Sr. had been traumatized loosing his brother to trolls although none of the characters didn't know this yet - only Senior had seen the creatures making him paranoid and in turn making Jim very embarrased about his father. At the same time Jim seems to honestly worry for his father and his behavior too makes Jim very cautious and fearful a character. Book Jim is pretty much a typical teenager for the most part  He is seen to be a tad clumsy and not exactly brave really. And the author's choice of basically not describing him anywhere made my job way harder trying to be book accurate :'D So I've mostly inspired him of the official illustrations in the book   Here's what I could find about our little trollhunter   First off: he's a short fellow  that is first mentioned on page 14; "Sunshine is important for growing boys." (...) "I am not growing" I took after my dad when it came to size and was still waiting for that growth spurt everyone kept raving about. "In fact I think I'm shrinking." This is brought up most of everything Jim through the movie from him not being able to reach a point of a chalkboard (page 32) to people's dissapointing sighs taking meassurements when he is chosen as Romeo (107) and him wearing super high heels for the same reason (224) but also Blinky directly calling him a "little fellow" (page 127) On page 27 we learn that he is getting a bruise on his chin after being slammed into his locker by Steve  Lockers he has been thrown into enough to have learned to open them on the inside :'D He is a skinny fella which Tobias so politely call "lack of muscletone" due to "glandular" at page 120 He is not very good at anything describing his room full of stuff from hobbies he tried and failed at (page 63) The longest describtion about his appearance is probably page 105: "I lowered my eyes and regarded the chewed, dirty fingernails holding my script, thes scuffed shoes on my feet, and realized that these were the symbols of my pityful life: worn-out, insignificant, ready to be thrown beneath Dad's industrial mower" It pretty much says it all when this is the longest quite I could find :'D For the outfit I mostly went by the small describtion on page 89-90: "I tucked the medallion beneath my shirt. After a full day of wearing it, maybe the rest of the suffocating fear would go away too. My plan was to dart into the kitchen, grab my sweatshirt and be out of the house. " I added jeans since he is said to wear jeans on page 283 - the medallion sneak out beneath the sweatshirt/shirt on page 97 which is why I added it on top here as well   Now since there's a bit more to both versions of Jim due to their role as the protagonist I've added in a little extra features here being the medallion in the book vs the amulet in the series and the weaponry given to the characters   For Sturges we have the medallion who's described like this: "It was a bronze medallion conntected to a rusty chain. It was engraved with a foreboding crest: a hideous, snarling face; indecipherable markings of a sevage language, and a magnificent long-sword across the bottom." page 9 The medallion is treated like it is a common artefact if a bit rare in the book - its purpose is to translate trollspeak for the wearer. Jim is giving two swords in the book; a rusty longsword he calls Clairesword (do I need to explain this one?) and a cutlass he calls Cat #6 after the one cat at Tobias' house that liked Jim  x'D For Sturges' personality my feeling about him is that he is a bit more ... passive than his series counterpart. He is not really standing up for himself that much and would rather blend into the background. This qoute from Claire sums him up pretty nicely I believe   "You're a good person, Mr. Sturges. A bit gloomy, but good" page 246 I do like that Jim in this version is a Taurus  (I am a taurus too x'D) born on May 2nd so that's a plus   It is probably also worth mentioning that in this world trollhunters aren't a chosen hero type like in the series: trollhunters or paladin was once a title held by many warriors yet now there's very few left. Sturges was a proud paladin family making Jim a chosen candidate for the honor of becoming a trollhunter but he is not the only one - or even the best - in the book. In fact out of the three trollhunters we learn about I'll say Jim is the weakest (and he is not even the least trained; ouch :'D) Jim doesn't get a nice armour like his series counterpart either but is seen in the illustrations wearing a blue hoodie (like the one in the little doodle)   The full name of Jim in the series is James Lake Jr. He is the child of a single parent and lives with his mother whom Jim "mothers a lot" (Tobias' words in the first episode) This Jim is pretty "tall for his age" (Jim's own words uttered quite a few times across all three series) yet with quite skinny legs (he is called out for this by multiple characters). He is much more competent in life than his book counterpart being an exceptional cook, good at Spanish, seemingly alright in PE and at school he seems to stand pretty good if only holding himself back. Unlike book Jim, series Jim seems much more active and longing to be something more than he is - he is seen to be quite brave and protective of his friends, very kind and selfless. Also even from the start he seems much more nimble than his book counterpart being able to climb the robe (a feat book Jim didn't do before later) and with his training as trollhunter he becomes even more badass   Trollhunter status in the series is way more important since the title is given to only one chosen warrior of Merlin chosen by the amulet of daylight (the medallion in the book). This also makes the amulet way more special and important in the series which probably explains its shine up from rusty bronze thing to silver and blue. While Lake Jr doesn't have named sword he does have a magical armour and sword made of daylight   We do not know the exact birthday of Lake Jr but the creators have replied to a fanquestion saying it would be around fall especially October so by that estimate Jim is probably a scorpio  pretty far from the before mentioned taurus in the book   While Jim Lake Jr isn't seen with long lasting bruises in the original series he does get two more permanent scars in Wizards  

[kember-writes]

Sev'ral Sentence Sunday-ing because I'm really excited to have finally gotten this first chapter finished (she's humongous).

It’s a beautiful morning in Godric’s Hollow, as it always is. A wispy Atlantic breeze has chased the last of August’s blistering heat out of the valley, and beneath the cool balm of a golden September mist there’s the barest suggestion of frost. It’s not enough to daunt Remus’s plants, of course, he’s raised them better than that: the sweet peas spill from their hazel-branch trellises in a profusion of perfumed pink and purple, the sunflowers turn their flame-wreathed faces skyward, and the apples are crisping to a gentle bronze on the twisted branches of the old tree. The bottoms of Remus’s pyjama pants are dew-soaked from his walk through his garden and his slippers squelch with every step, but it doesn’t matter – the sun is already hot on his bare shoulders, the scent of honeysuckle twines in his nostrils, a skylark’s song pours down from the sky, and there is a dead man in his vegetable patch.

On closer, frantic inspection, the man turns out not to be dead after all – Remus looses a shaky breath and scolds himself for letting his imagination run away from him – just sleeping deeply. His long hair is caught up in a wet dark tangle, and the sunlight calves against the bridge of his prodigious nose. He stinks of yeasty beer and biting whiskey, some classy scent Remus can’t name, and – thanks to his sleeping conditions – a hearty helping of rotting compost, too. Remus takes in the scaffold piercing through the top of his ear, the heavy leather jacket, the peek of a tattoo on his collarbone, with a studied disinterest. Utter hooligan.

[immortalonus]

Where You Belong: Chapter One.

So in case you guys were wondering where I vanished off to, the answer is mostly work. This chapter also took way, way more brain power than I really intended, so I didn't really have the energy to post much else.

I could probably edit this more, but I swear if I spend one more hour editing this I will go insane, so here it is, chapter one of my first multi-chapter fic in, *checks calendar,* four years!?

Jeez, time really does fly, doesn't it?

Read on AO3

If I were Where I Would be, Then I Would be Where I Am not. But where I am, There I must be. And where I would be, I cannot.

-American Folk Poem.

________________________________________________________

As soon as Valerie had flown out of sight of Plasmius’ portal, she made a point to dump everything he had given her for the trip.

First, the communication devices. She had no desire to talk to anyone, much less the creepy, lying, traitorous ghost-thing masquerading as Vlad Masters. She gave the DALVco edition headset her best fast ball, taking no small satisfaction in watching it break piece by piece as it clattered against the frames of one floating door after another before finally vanishing into the mists below.

If Plasmius wanted to talk to her, he could crawl out of his portal and find her himself. Which he wasn’t going to do, because he had a cover to maintain. After all, what kind of delicate, elderly gentleman would throw himself into a dimension of rarified death? Not Mister Masters, oh no.

Especially not when he had a willing pawn to do it for him.

The more surreptitious listening devices went next. Fat, disgusting, bloated insects they were, bugs in function as much as form.And they were everywhere.

She found them wedged between her armor joints, the soles of her boots, in the crevices of her guns, and, after putting her systems through an intensive self-diagnostic, her hair.

When had he touched her hair?

She made a point to crush them all. Either plucking off the parasites directly, or, in the case of those lodged beneath her suit, pulling them into her storage unit and spitting them back out again into the open atmosphere where they could be destroyed.

She removed everything else Plasmius had given her immediately after: Several days worth of food, a large pop up tent, a sleeping bag, a map, several spare weapons, a well thumbed biography on Vince Lombardi and more spewed out of her storage units like a sickness, purged in gouts down to the waiting abyss.

Any thing he'd handled, all his supplies, every “present” he'd ever bestowed, she made a point to dump them all.

But God, when had he touched her hair?

Once she was finished, it felt almost like a victory. With no material proof of her obligations, it was easy to imagine she was already free.

She would finish this mission on her own. No outside aid, no puppet-masters, no regrets.

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/Sorrysorry-soverysorry!/

“Shut up!”Valerie had regrets.

/sorrysorrysorry/

So many regrets.

“I said shut up, you stupid bug!”

She emphasized her point by kicking the target of her ire right in the soft parts of its creepy, eye studded thorax.

This was stupid, she was stupid, but more than anything, she was pissed.

Valerie took a few steps closer to her target, gait slightly uneven for the lack of both her usual boots. While she wasn't going to die anytime soon, as the black leather that fit snug as skin across her body, the true barrier against the toxic atmosphere of the Zone, remained fully intact, it didn't stop her from being mad about it.

The bug, which had finally stopped gibbering in that vile, hissing tongue that had become more and more common the deeper she ventured into the pea-soup hellscape otherwise known as the ghost zone, took the opportunity to cower against the calciferous outgrowth that had halted its pitiful attempt at flight from Valerie's relentless pursuit.

She had hunted ghosts stronger and faster than this every day back in Amity, and could not help the faint sensation of disgust that came over her at the sight of a figure so unexpectedly pathetic. Did she appear so weak that this creature, along with the half a dozen or so of its less successful, but no less kleptomaniacally inclined ilk see fit to prey upon her? Did she seem so low indeed, that even the meanest, most beggarly of the Zone's inhabitants should see her as some object to pilfer and mock?

It was the work of a moment to summon her laser cubes, pulling them from the pocket dimension from which they resided to slide noiselessly over to the insect lying prone before her. With a thought, they flew forward, two each to press down on the thing's chitinous skull, heightening the artificial glow of her suit as she did for that extra sense of intimidation.

It was an ability she'd never had the need for back on earth, only to find herself putting it to use with unhappy frequency not a day after she'd set off on her journey.

Everything in the realm of the dead glowed, and the capacity to put off and manipulate one's own aura was a hallmark of the creatures that 'lived' within it. Those that didn't stood out strangely, casting shadows upon themselves and the world in a way that made them an obvious anomaly in the otherwise antumbral reaches of the Zone.

While Valerie didn't enjoy wasting her resources on glowing like she was her very own spook, she also hated wasting time, which advertising her humanity to every ghost that glanced her way very much did; a lesson that she'd learned after fending off an entire assault squad of ghost police, who had chased her for ages while screaming about her criminal possession of so many 'real world objects' within their territory.

That it also made sure any enemies never anticipated her ability to phase through objects came in handy from time to time as well, such as when a would-be thief, for example, tried to duck into a thicket in an effort to snarl its pursuer.

As expected, the bug shuddered in response to the cold touch of the barrel against its skin, curling into itself as it looked up into the dark panel of her faceplate.

Valerie leaned down, pinning it between herself, her guns, and the stony trunk of what, on this particular island, seemed to serve as some kind of tree.

/Alright, Manbug, one more time./ Her voice crackled and popped through her translators, adding even more intimidation to a tone already modulated down to something lower and crueler than her natural snarl. /Where. Did you. Put. My Stuff. /

The insect whimpered a little harder, oozing something suspiciously close to snot from the hole above its writhing mouthparts. It remained otherwise silent, however, as it shook.

Valerie pulled back her leg and kicked it again.

The imitation flesh buckled beneath her toes, causing the creature to squeal, a nonverbal expression of pain peaking just beyond her range of hearing as it flickered invisible, writhing in a hopeless gambit to escape the weapons still clamped against its head.

Funny how ghosts kept so many features they really shouldn't need anymore. Like joints, for example. Was it a subconscious matter, or some kind of deliberate choice, Just one more means to mock the living, their very forms a cruel parody of everything they once had been?

She silenced the voice which whispered how she should know by now, that it wasn't that easy. There were more important things to focus on.

/P-please./

The bug focused its myriad gaze on the huntress' visor, all six limbs twisted over themselves, wrapped tight over its oozing midsection.

/In error, Milor- Milord. Your place, held, not neutral. Shall honor, please. /

It was leaking from the eyes too, now, viscous fluid pouring from its dozens of eyes, wetting it bodily, puddling down onto the dark purple earth, adding to the halo of scattered goods and tchotchkes that had spilled out from the overstuffed bags that it had clung to for dear life even as they toppled, overbalanced from a too-fast turn, dragging the creature headfirst into ruin.

/Mer- mercy./

This wasn't fair. This miserable thing, begging in the dirt like it hadn't gotten anything more than what it deserved.

Valerie grimaced, rubbing the heel of her palm against her faceplate. Phantom's visage, not long past, looked up to her from the depths of her memory, face just as desperate, just as indisputably, distressingly genuine as when she'd first seen it.

“Valerie, You don't want to do this.”

“Like I have a choice, spook.” She muttered.

She took a deep breath, sucking in the same recycled exhalation she'd been breathing for nearly a week now, and took a moment to actually think her situation through.

She wasn't lost. She had no idea where she was, but she wasn't lost: That would imply a level of helplessness she could not bring herself to admit. What little food and water she had brought with her had been eaten a while back, reducing her to scavenge among the portal droppage scattered through those areas not patrolled by mad policemen, hoping she could find something sufficiently sealed against ectoplasmic encroachment to remain edible.

She reconsidered her captive, still trembling on the ground. A ghost zone native, utterly at her mercy, and, by the looks of things, a serial hoarder of goods.

/You want mercy? Fine. But you do what I say, exactly as I say it, M'kay?/

While the guns pinning its head in place were something of an obstacle, the bug did manage a spasmodic sort of jerking motion, forebody pushed back and forth with desperate, eager haste.

/(Enthusiasm,) (enthusiasm,) assent! Lord, generous, gratitude, respect./

“Good, now-”She held out one hand, palm expectant.

/Give 'em back./

It responded slowly, still slobbering at the maw, all eyes fixed on the huntress as it unwound its uppermost limbs, which reached up towards those tattered bundles still clustered fungiform over its heaving thorax, rifling between twine-like bindings for what seemed an age.

Patience had never been a skill of Valerie's, and she found herself torn between wanting the moment to last forever and wishing go faster instead, tightening her mental grip over her laser cubes, fingering the internal triggers in anticipation of some sudden, traitorous motion on the part of her captive.

Ghosts were deceptive, dangerous creatures, except, of course, when they weren't.

Without any ability to tell the difference, she could do nothing but pace at the bars of her patience, waiting for the moment to act.

Finally, a claw submerged itself into one of the parcels, pulling out one boot, and, just beside it, a single leather fold.

This was it. Valerie snatched the wallet from its pincers. The boot was replaceable, her construct engines could make another now, if she wanted to waste the resources for it, but her wallet-She flipped open the small leather parcel, noted immediately that the contents were not any state remotely akin to how she had left them.

/Milord?/

The bug was still subtly trying to wriggle its way out from under her guns. Her systems noted, then deleted, increased energy expenditure from her laser cubes as they were forced to adjust to its motions.

Useless data. A ghost of so low a caliber could never hope to escape so easily.

Debit card-broken, bent until the plastic whitened from an excess of pressure; Dollar bills balled together and crammed into a single pocket, still damp with a kind of ectoplasm that looked disquietingly similar to the slobber still dripping from the mouthparts of the bug before her; Plastic wrappers, spare coins, a concert flyer for a band she'd always wanted to see.

/Ah, Milord? Pardon, Excuse?/

All of it. This vile, twisted excuse for an insect had messed with all of it. It had played with her most important cards and documents like they were toys, then shoved them back in with utter disregard for any sense of their value once it was done.

/Goods, returned, trust?/

Dread crept into her heart as she reached into the backmost pocket of her billfold, the place where she kept the picture of her.

/more goods? Information? Information on goods? Release, please?/

It was shoved in the very bottom of the wallet, balled into the crease where the two halves of leather were joined into one. She pulled it out, fingers shaking only slightly as they smoothed it back into a more flattened form.

The Red Huntress had no face, and never had Valerie been more grateful for that absence than in that moment, when she beheld the true extent of the damage done to Polaroid before her.

Soft white creases were everywhere, shattering the image into isolated fragments of its former self. It had been torn, too, at the edges, a grip too hard, twisting too far, integrity compromised as a result.

The worst of the damage by far, however, were a series of punctures, scattered at random through the center of the photograph, small to medium perforations forming little absences where there had once been trees and grass, where there had been a woman's face. A hole sat primly above her dark neck, arched back into nothing, a yawning gap where once there had been laughter.

The Huntress turned her blank visage back to her captive, who froze in the act of trying to pry her weapons out of position. Cowardly, but expected. Trusting a ghost was a fools game she had no intent on playing.

/Ah, haha, (nervous) (nervous,) (respect.)/ The target pulled its claws back up against itself, fiddling with the tips as it looked up to her absent regard.

/...Milord?/

The Red Huntress had no face, could betray no emotion, could reveal none of the cold black welter that rushed up through the depths of her breast and pressed against her throat. An impassive machine, possessed of a will stripped free of feeling.

No sliver of her intent showed through, no shudder passed from her shaking fingers to her gauntleted hands, not even the psychic senses of a ghost could hope to detect the lava that boiled up from her guts, pressing against her skin in an sheet of living fire even as the pits of her stomach chilled to ice.

The bug was still looking up at her, eyes all expectant, when she commanded her one of her guns to fire.

A bright streak of energy shot through the top of its head, hard pink flash cutting through a wave of green.

It squealed, jerked all six limbs towards the missing portion of its skull in a hopeless effort to stop the thick chunks of ectoplasm from slopping down the side of its face. Valerie brought her foot down at the same moment, crushing its forelimbs down into the dust. Forelimbs tipped with little claws, just large enough to fit the holes in a certain photograph.

/Why!? Ancients, why, why!?/

Why?

“Why the hell not?” she snarled, “Ain't that how it works here?”

If a different ghost wanted to rob her blind every time she tried to sleep, they could. If Valerie wanted to chase down the one that finally succeeded, she could. There were no laws here, there were no rules, there weren't even morals. There was nothing to stop anyone from doing anything, so why should she be the one to hold herself back?

She lifted her foot off its claws, then swung it once again into its thorax, only just crusted over from where she had kicked it before.

It squealed, just like she imagined another ghost would, red eyes wide and frightened, vampiric teeth shattered against her fist, choking as she wrapped her fingers around his blue, blue, skin.

He deserved this, it deserved this, she was in the right. She had been tricked, mislead, mistaken maybe, but she wasn't wrong, she was in the right.

And if there was some dark curl of satisfaction there, a self righteous flame alighted just where she'd been coldest in that moment of hate, then that was proof, wasn't it? Of just how right she was.

She bent down to her target, which had started drooling all over again, ground speckled green and wet as it heaved against itself. It was disgusting enough that she would have shot it in the mouth instead of the head, but she still needed information, which meant it still needed to talk.

It's upper set of antenna had survived the cranial blast, making for an easy handhold as she yanked its drooping head up to face her once again. At the same time, she sent her guns down to its chest, where its energy levels peaked their highest.

Ghosts, much like the cockroaches they resembled, could survive well enough without a head, but none, not one could ever hope to make it without their precious ghostly core.

“Listen up spook.” She hissed. /Here's how this is gonna work. You lie, I shoot. You run, I shoot. Got it?/Its head twitched up and down, the smallest possible motion of assent.

/Good./

This was what it took, when it came to ghosts. Cooperation proceeded pain, loyalty from the threat of it, and mercy not at all.

/We'll start with the questions./

She allowed her guns to charge power, deadly, scintillating hum filling the air with the sound of her malintent.

/I like what I hear, maybe I let you keep talking./

Author's note: If Sam is more pride than wrath, then Val is more wrath than pride, IMO. I've done my best to write her accordingly

[schuylerpeck]

WHEN HE ASKS ME IF I STILL WANT TIME APART, I tell him the lavender is dying.   We used to have a garden, by each window in the house, all cement circumference of deck outside, every patch of hardwood sunlight timed by the hour.   Pothos by the bathroom sink, succulents standing like sandcastles from our bed post.   One summer we grew purple tomatoes, the next spring we caught the sweet peas climbing up rusted curtain rods.   Our herb bush grew into trees, you called me begonia, I bound bundles of sage in twine   saved clippings from the basil for our friends, made homemade pesto better than the resto and we’d laugh with red wine mouths.   It’s been winter for years.   The lavender wanes grandmother gray, arms of English ivy tired and ghost, soil mudded with overwater because we lost track of days.   I don’t know if our garden will survive us. I don’t know if I will either.

Schuyler Peck, Rose of Jericho

[pizza-soup]

Garden update:

My radishes are growing fast! These are from Kitazawa Seed Company , this is my first time planting these and I’m excited! I could actually eat these sprouts now but I won’t. I really want to see how these turn out. Other seeds I bought from them is red shiso, which I have yet to plant. Last year that grew well for me, enough that I still have a lot of it dried and powdered in my pantry.

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My horned melon vines. They start off slow but once the heat ramps up, they spread like wildfire. I let them sprawl way too much last year, they took over the entire plant shelf and even my clothesline! This year I’m more prepared to tackle them with a trellis and to keep pruning them. Not only does it keep the vines from taking over, but pestering them actually improves fruit production.

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My bro’s melon experiment is looking very promising! The winner for sprouting first are the casaba melons from Turkey! The leaves are very fragrant, smelling almost like a sweet cucumber. The kajari and charentais have yet to show any activity. We’ll wait and see.

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My ��ugly’ tomatoes have finally gotten big enough to transplant into their own individual containers, here’s one of four. I’m sure they’re happy having so much room. I can’t wait for the new batch this year. This is my 3rd year growing them. 

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I spoiled my grapevines this spring with some extra TLC and fertilizer, the result are massive amounts of Sultana clusters. These seem to be bigger than last year! The second vine (not pictured) is massive but has only just been pollinated, Pinot noir grapes take more time than green grapes. That particular vine was purchased in Sonoma. I owe a lot to my grandfather for teaching me how to care for grapes, his family owned vineyards in both Egypt and Southern NM for three generations, selling wine to La Posta in Mesilla. - The plant twining around the grape is a snap pea, they don’t harm the host plant and die off during mid-summer after they pod. Peas and grapes are excellent companion plants.

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And of course my fruit trees! From top down: My apricot, pear and pomegranate tree in the background giving out lots of flowers. It get swarmed with bees in the morning, which has prompted me to bring out a bee puddler. Not pictured are the apple and peach, their fruits are still very tiny.

---

Not pictured but I’ll update when they sprout are:  Cherry tomatoes, black beans, bell peppers, zucchini, yellow and green summer squash, nasturtium, anise,  patty pan squash, mini pumpkins, watermelon, cantaloupe, purple potato (ube), mini lettuce, blue corn, henna and indigo. 

Wild plants I’m keeping an eye out for: Prickly pear, greenthread, wild strawberry, lamb's quarters, amaranth, honey mesquite, wild asparagus, cattails, purslane and dandelion.

Things I want to plant soon: Cucumbers, cilantro, mint, red leaf lettuce

[vandaliatraveler]

Potato bean (Apios americana), also known as Indian potato, wild bean, openauk, and hopniss, is a beautiful, vining legume native to the eastern half of the United Statues and Canada. Both the tubers (”potato”) and seeds (”beans”) of this perennial member of the pea family (Fabaceae) are edible and packed with protein; the plant was an essential food source for Native Americans and early white settlers and is a backcountry survivalist’s best friend. Someday, it may also play a key role in providing a sustainable food source to people around the world. As with its close relative and fellow native legume, American hog peanut (Amphicarpaea bracteata), potato bean is a nitrogen fixer, which means it grows quite well without fertilizer and enriches the soil for other plants growing around it. For me, however, potato bean is simply one of the loveliest finds of late summer in Appalachia - its clusters of five-parted, reddish-purple flowers and green-brown, twining stems signal that summer will soon come to an end. The photos above were taken on the Mon River Trail.

[jillraggett]

Plant of the Day

Friday 1 February 2019

The Australian native Hardenbergia violacea (vine lilac, Australian lilac, Australian sarsparilla, coral pea) can be grown in Britain in a warm or unheated conservatory. This evergreen climber has twining stems up to 2m long and in late winter is covered in purple, or occasionally pink or white, flowers. Here it was growing in the beautifully restored, heated glasshouse of Myddleton House, Enfield, UK.

Jill Raggett 


[thedragonflew]

Salty and Sweet ch. 3

Warnings: Swearing

Sweet Pea x OC

A/N: And another! I’m falling in love with this story and you should too! Also thought it would be a fun idea to toss in a little jealous ex into the mix! xo B

Sweet Pea

Sweet Pea had never been a fan of school. Mind you, he did well enough to make it to where he is now. He wasn’t stupid. In fact, he was too good at math. Every teacher from the Southside Highschool had been convinced the boy cheated on his tests and assignments.To Sweet Pea, it insulted him when he thought about it. Who says you can’t be from the Southside and have some intellectual ability?

“Class, I’ve got 2 questions for you all.” Ms. Brushett asked the group of students, Sweet Pea being one of them. This was his first time he attended his new English class, and wasn’t overly fond of the middle age teacher who sat at the front of the room already. He sat near the back of his English class, arms crossed and leaning back in his seat.

“Who here enjoys writing essays?” three or four hands raised into the air, and Sweet Pea noticed his new acquaintance and staring contest challenger, Jane, was one of them and sitting in the middle row. He took a split second to gaze over her long brown hair that was roped into two braids on either side of her head, and twined into one of them was a little bit of purple that she must have had dyed underneath. He noticed her finger nails were painted white with pink glitter over them, and she wore multiple silver and gold rings on her slender fingers. His eyes then moved to the other side of the room, where found his ex-girlfriend, Savannah. The two had been broken up for a little under a year now but Sweet Pea still hated being in the same room as that bleached-blonde bitch.

Savannah Medley was the worst thing that ever happened to Sweet Pea. She cheated on him with various guys over the course of their 7 months together. He actually had loved her, and the day he caught her at the White Wyrm with an older man was the day the love died. Some say you never get over your first love, Sweet Pea would tell them to fuck right off.

“Good to know. Now, how many of you enjoy partner work?” Sweet Pea hadn’t put his hand in the air either time, and noticed a larger amount of students had their hands in the air for this question. Jane’s not being one of them.

“Well, you bunch will be glad to hear that my newest assignment is essays to be done in partners. Which, I will assign. It seems as though half of our class is made up of boys and girls who have recently joined us from the Southside of Riverdale, which means that we need to welcome them with open arms. For this essay for each student who was attending Riverdale High originally, shall be paired with a new student. The topic of your essay will be based on the history of Riverdale. Easy-peasy.”

With that statement came an abundance of sighs and groans, mixed with the occasional “Seriously?”

Ms. Brushett pulled a slip of paper from her desk and began reading names, ignoring the sounds of her student’s dismay. Sweet Pea listened for his partner, silently hoping he wasn’t stuck with a dud, rather someone who would be more interested on just putting his name on the paper beside theirs. That is, until he heard his name called along with…

“Jane.”

Now that caught Sweet Pea’s attention.

Sweet Pea met Jane’s eye, and watched her as everyone else got up to move and exchange seats to sit near their new partners. The girl stood and grabbed her bag after noticing that there probably wasn’t a chance that Sweet Pea would move to her. He did not know how this would go. After their name exchange in the hallway yesterday morning, he didn’t know what was supposed to come next.

“Hi.” came a small voice from beside him. Sweet Pea snapped out of his daze and shifted in his chair to face her, trying his best to not be awkward.

“Jane, we meet again.” a smirk played upon his lips as he watched her cheeks tinge pink momentarily.

The small girl pulled a notebook out of her bag along with a pen. “Let’s get to it.” she said, but Sweet Pea felt a hole burning in the side of his head. He turned his gaze to find the royal bitch herself now at the front of the room with her partner, staring at him and Jane. Too bad, jealous cunt, he thought to himself, sticking the middle finger up at her and turning his attention back to Jane.

He noticed Jane follow his gaze to Savannah, then back to him, curious.

Sweet Pea shrugged. “Don’t worry about her, she’s harmless.” with that, Jane turned back to her notebook with an expression that Sweet Pea couldn’t read.

He ran a hand through his hair. “You any good at essays? School work in general?” He asked, hopefully this chick would score him a good grade.

“I would like to think so,” muttered Jane, her wide eyes averting their gaze from him and down to her notebook. He noticed she was already scribbling down notes. “I am interested to hear what you’d like to contribute to this essay.”

“Jane, I’d really prefer not to mess up your grades by me touching that paper. I’d like to propose a new option.”

Sweet Pea observed the look on Jane’s face, which hadn’t seemed to change since she sat down next to him.

“Let’s hear it.” she said, curiously scooting her chair closer.

“How about you write the essay, slap my name on it, and in return I’ll give you a) a lesson in riding a motorcycle or b) a milkshake free of charge.”

Sweet Pea watched as Jane’s brows furrowed in thought, clearly fine with writing the paper without his help.

“Milkshake. Vanilla, please. Maybe you could make that come with an order of fries in a booth at Pops?” Sweet Pea was surprised to receive a challenge, especially from this quiet girl. His mind suddenly flipped back to the day he met her gaze at Pops, as we watched her dip the tip of her fry into her vanilla milkshake.

“Deal. Man, you dip your fries in your milkshake, don’t you?” The raven haired boy asked, raising a brow inquisitively.

“You bet, I’m a fan of Salty and Sweet.”

[jimbell]

In flower today at Hillsborough Dog Show Grounds is the Hardenbergia (Hardenbergia violacea) it’s an Australian native. Also known as false sarsaparilla, purple coral pea and waraburra, purple twining-pea, vine-lilac and wild sarsaparilla. It grows in eastern Queensland, eastern New South Wales, south-eastern Victoria and southern South Australia and one spot in Tasmania. It is a prostrate or climbing subshrub with bunches (racemes) of really pretty purple flowers. This one is climbing on a little wattle. I may try digging up a runner as I lost mine two years ago. #flowers #flower #abcmygarden #austraeliannative #ausnatives #ausnative #purple #vine #winterflowering (at Hillsborough) https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg3tOzXP6No/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[bethestaryouareradio]

a Green New Year!

By Cynthia Brian

 “In seed time learn, in harvest teach, in winter enjoy.”

– William Blake

 The rainy days and nights have been a welcome respite to our dry, drought-driven California. What a delight to witness hills of green and listen to the rushing waters in our creeks. In the past few weeks, seeds and weeds have germinated providing a lush look to every landscape. Green is the color of life, renewal, and most of all, nature. How fortunate we are to behold green spaces and places as the new year kicks off. 

 After the recent atmospheric river, I went to check on the Brussel sprouts and sugar snap peas previously planted. To my surprise and delight, the gravel path was covered with sprouted arugula and nasturtium, a most delicious unplanned encounter. The seeds must have blown in from the vegetable garden bestowing a ready-made salad corridor. In another area, chamomile has covered the ground like a lavish lime carpet. Weeds, appearing as ground covers have made their appearance as well. The common cutleaf geranium, a wild weed also known as cut-leaved cranesbill, blankets my hillside. It is beautiful at this stage of its prostrate growth; however, it will prevent other plants from developing. By spring, it will sport tiny pink florets. The recommendation is to control its spread early as each plant will produce 150 seeds or more that will remain viable for 5 to 10 years! I have work to do.

 In winter, wisteria is a tangle of bare branches. My purple wisteria has twined its way into my flowering pear which makes for an artistic tableau with the pear blossoms peeking out from the brambles. Fresh leaves have emerged on the loquat tree and the magnolia leaves are a shining brilliant green. Society garlic, bergenia, narcissus, and roses offer additional color to the emerald landscape. Naked lady bulbs have sprouted their gorgeous green leaves which are commonly mistaken for agapanthus fronds. I write about Naked ladies often as they are a foundation of my late summer garden with their long naked necks and pretty, pink faces. This week I’ve been shooting photos of their green leaves which enhance the beauty of barren earth. 

 My garden has entered the new year in decent enough shape that I will be able to enjoy the winter. If you haven’t gardened before, 2022 will be the time to personalize and customize your outdoor experience to reduce stress, smell the roses, and eat what you grow. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention released a survey that found 42% of Americans experienced anxiety or depression in 2021 compared to just 11% pre-pandemic. Growing, giving, and receiving flowers, herbs, vegetables, and fruits trigger the feel-good hormones that heal. Most seeds that are being sold this year will be for edibles as more and more people realize that growing what we want to consume is easy, nutritious, and better for the planet. The Garden Media Group reported that in 2021, 18.3 million people took up gardening, with interest levels equal between men and women. 80% of the younger generation consider gardening a worthwhile and “cool” endeavor as the concern with climate change, plant and wildlife extinction, and food equity escalates. People with children are especially interested in growing organic and natural foods. Purchasing grow-your-own kits that include the container, seeds, plants, fertilizer, and supports as well as raised beds are expected to be in high demand. Adding native plants to increase biodiversity and forage for the birds and wildlife will also be a critical ingredient. The National Wildlife Federation launched a Guide for Wildlife collection of keystone native plants that will attract insects that will feed 95% of backyard bird species. Getting to know our neighborhood birds has already become a popular pastime. Make sure to provide forage for them as you enjoy their symphonic tunes. (See my article, A Berry, Merry Christmas…Mostly for the Birds https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1522/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-A-berry-merry-Christmas-mostly-for-the-birds.html)

 You don’t need a large landscape to have a garden. You can buy planter boxes or containers that will fit on your porch, balcony, patio, or even a windowsill. Start planning a mixture of flowers, ornamentals, and edibles. Many flowers are both beautiful and edible including violets, nasturtium, pansies, tulip petals, daylilies, bee balm, calendula, roses, hostas, and herb flowers. By making 2022 the year to embrace organic methods, adding more plants to our dining menus, and composting the leftovers, we can each do our part to reduce our carbon footprint.

 As you write your goals and resolutions for 2022, I encourage you to keep a green journal and add gardening to the top of your list. You will be rewarded with a more peaceful mind, a soulful spirit, a kinder heart, and a body that is nourished. Cultivate green and together we will dig deeper to sustain and nurture our environment for ourselves and future generations. 

 Photos and more: 

https://www.lamorindaweekly.com/archive/issue1523/Digging-Deep-with-Goddess-Gardener-Cynthia-Brian-A-green-themed-New-Year.html

Press Pass: https://blog.voiceamerica.com/2022/01/06/a-new-garden-year/

Happy Gardening. Happy Growing. Happy Green New Year!

 Cynthia Brian, The Goddess Gardener, is available for hire to help you prepare for your spring garden. Raised in the vineyards of Napa County, Cynthia is a New York Times best-selling author, actor, radio personality, speaker, media and writing coach as well as the Founder and Executive Director of Be the Star You Are!® 501 c3. Tune into Cynthia’s StarStyle® Radio Broadcast at www.StarStyleRadio.com.

Buy copies of her books, including, Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul, Growing with the Goddess Gardener, and Be the Star You Are! www.cynthiabrian.com/online-store. Receive a FREE inspirational music DVD and special savings.

Hire Cynthia for writing projects, garden consults, and inspirational lectures.

Cynthia@GoddessGardener.com

www.GoddessGardener.com

[expressandadmirable]

Art Fight 2018: Saetje

2. Digging your fingers into fresh dirt

“Gonna grow tomatoes, gonna grow potatoes, gonna grow a million billion herrrbs!”

Immensely pleased with her rhyme but at a loss for how to continue it, Fiona contented herself with a tuneless hum as she shaped the mound of soil before her. Her large hands worked delicately, her tongue poking from the side of her mouth as she ensured the size and shape of the mound exactly matched the other mounds in her row. Giving the dirt a final pat, she sat back with a smile. “Mama! I’m finished!”

“Oh?” Using her rake as a staff, her mother straightened her back, sweeping the greying red hair from her eyes. “So you are! Well done, sweet pea! Gods willing, those seeds will grow up nice and tall.”

“When, mama?” Clambering to her feet, Fiona stepped carefully over the low rows of turned earth. “Will they sprout tomorrow?”

Her mother laughed. “No darling, not tomorrow. But soon. You have to let them grow in their own time! Just like I have to let you grow in your own time.” She reached out with a dirt-streaked green finger and booped the child’s nose, making her giggle. “I’m going to finish this row, then get dinner started. You go play for awhile, alright?”

“Okay!” Before her mother had even finished her statement, Fiona was already on her way through the vegetable patch and toward the gate at the edge of their property. She turned at the fence, waved, and let herself out. Her mother smiled and shook her head as she returned to her raking.

At the top of the gentle, sloping hill beyond their house stood a single tree, its trunk thick and knotted with age. Ducking beneath the low-hanging branches, Fiona reached into the hollow in the trunk just above her head and retrieved her treasures: a selection of dolls and figurines she had fashioned out of twigs, corn husks and coloured twine. She plopped down at the base of the tree and assembled her toys before her, picking up the story where she had left off the day before.

“I am Paladin Fiona!” she announced, brandishing the poppet adorned with fiery red yarn hair. “You have kidnapped the fair princess, foul monster! You took her from her home! That is…” she paused, searching for the right words, “very rude! I have come to rescue her and defeat you for ever and ever!”

Picking up a figure made of greying twigs, she confronted her own avatar. “You are a fool, Paladin Fiona! I will never let the princess go!” She poked a second corn husk poppet with tiny purple flowers tucked at its waist, narrating the princess’ fear with a whimper before loosing an evil laugh from the twig monster. “Meet your end, you orcish… fool!”

The battle was fierce and pitched, full of fevered narration and appropriately dramatic sound effects, until finally the twig creature fell dead at poppet-Fiona’s feet. Grabbing the princess with her newly freed hand, Fiona brought the two poppets close. “You saved me!” cried the princess. “Oh wise and lovely Paladin, the whole kingdom will love you just as much as I do!”

Of course, there was kissing, as that was how all the best stories ended. Fiona walked the two poppets up the trunk of the tree and deposited them safely in the hollow to live out their days in peace and happiness. She considered the twig monster for a moment, then placed it in the hollow as well, just in case tomorrow's story was a tale of dastardly revenge.

“Fiona!” Her mother's voice echoed up the hill. “Dinner!”

“Coming!” Emerging from beneath the tree, Fiona made her way through the grass toward her home, picking flowers as she went. After dinner, she would weave them into a crown for her mother. Someday, she would weave one for her princess, but for now her mother would do.

(Art attack for @saetje with their Half-Orc, Fiona Chulainn)

[catherindonald]

Subterranean Treasures: the Beneficial Roots of Native Vines

By Angela Magnan

As I pulled into the parking lot next to the native plant collection at work one day, I noticed our intern up in a tree cutting down a native honeysuckle vine. Uh-oh, I thought. Not again! Working at a public garden, our attempts to grow vines can often be frustrated by well-meaning visitors and volunteers, and yes, overly enthusiastic interns, who automatically think that all vines are weeds and cut or pull out the vines we have planted there. 

One strategy to avoid such tragedies is to plant vines that are less obtrusive and that produce underground structures from which they will resprout. One such vine is Apios americana, or groundnut. This leguminous, sprawling perennial vine grows up to 10 feet long and produces clusters of maroon pea-type flowers. Used by native peoples east of the Mississippi as a food source, it has both edible seeds and edible tubers.  The seeds are in long pods that can be harvested in the fall when dry and contain as much protein and fiber as pinto beans. Although not commonly grown in the US, it has been commercially farmed in Japan for more than a hundred years. 

The tubers, which grow every 10-12 inches along the rhizomes, need to be cooked and can be eaten in similar ways to potatoes. Research has also shown that dried and powdered tubers have some promise as an additive to gluten free bread products, increasing the protein content and improving the texture. If you harvest the tubers, the plant won’t come back, but it does seed around; you can maintain its presence in your garden by harvesting sparingly. The tubers are a good source of proline, an amino acid that helps build collagen. Groundnuts have been made into a poultice and used by New England tribes to treat proud flesh, a skin condition caused by inadequate healing of wounds that is particularly common in horses. 

Another native vine with a subterranean edible is hog peanut or ground bean. Also a legume, this is a great plant for botany geeks. Its scientific name, Amphicarpaea bracteata, refers to its production of more than one type of flower, a characteristic known as amphicarpy. It has two types of aboveground flowers and a third type underground. One of the aboveground flowers and the underground flower are cleistogamous, meaning they are permanently closed and self-fertile. The second aboveground flower is a delicate white or light purple pea-like flower that is pollinated by bumblebees. This annual or short-lived perennial produces edible underground seeds, but the aboveground seeds are not edible.

In the wild, this plant typically grows along streams and given enough moisture in the garden, it can run rampant and smother nearby plants. If grown strictly for ornamental purposes, this could be undesirable, but if you want to eat the seeds, you can harvest it aggressively and it will still come back. Because it gets a late start during the growing season, it is a great companion for early spring plants that go dormant by mid-summer. If it has something to twine around, it will, but it will also sprawl along the ground as a groundcover. 

In the US, Cherokee and Iroquois people used the plant for intestinal distress. The Cherokee also used it as a snake bite remedy and the Iroquois used it to treat tuberculosis. In Mexico, indigenous peoples grow it amidst maize and beans, allowing it to twine up the maize stems and intermingle with the climbing beans. Referred to as talet beans, they harvest the underground seeds in early spring before planting that year’s maize crop and then roast the beans as a snack. The aboveground seeds are plowed into the soil for next year’s crop. 

Yet another native vine with useful underground structures is Dioscorea villosa, a wild yam whose tubers contain diosgenin. In the 1940’s, scientists figured out how to synthesize human steroid compounds from diosgenin, a process that was then used to manufacture oral contraceptives and cortisone. Today scientists can synthesize diosgenin in the laboratory, but prior to 1970, wild yam was the sole source of diosgenin and most steroid hormones used in modern medicine were developed from this plant. Although diosgenin can be converted into such steroids in a lab, this process does not occur naturally and consuming wild yam would not have the same effect. 

The flowers of Dioscorea villosa are inconspicuous, but it has attractive heart shaped leaves. Even though its long runners can lead it to pop up in unexpected places, it is not aggressive like some of its non-native relatives. The tubers have an unpleasant, bitter taste, and you wouldn’t want to eat them, but they have been used medicinally for various ailments. Native Americans used a root-based tea to treat menstrual cramps, labor pains, inflammation, asthma, and rheumatism. European settlers used it to treat colic, which led to one of its other common names of colic root. It continues to be used in modern herbal medicine as an anti-inflammatory, either dried in capsule form or as a liquid extract to be made into an herbal tea.

The best thing about all three of these vines is that if a well-meaning individual cuts one down, you might still be able to use the underground treasures or leave them be and let the vine grow back. And what about the native honeysuckle cut down by our intern? It was not so lucky; it never came back. 

Photo credits: 1) Apios americana in August (courtesy of author); 2) Amphicarpaea bracteata flowers (Fritzflohrreynolds via Wikimedia Commons); 3) Amphicarpaea bracteata foliage (R. A. Nonenmacher via Wikimedia Commons); 4) Dioscorea villosa twining up hemlock (courtesy of author)

References:

Foster, S. & Johnson, R. (2006). Desk reference to nature’s medicine. National Geographic.

Frey, D. & Czolba, M. (2017). The food forest handbook. New Society Publishers.

Ichige, M., Fukuda, E., Miida, S., Hattan, J., Misawa, N., Saito, S., Fujimaki, T., Imoto, M., & Shindo, K. (2013). Novel isoflavone glucosides in groundnut (Apios americana Medik) and their antiandrogenic activities. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 61 (9), 2183-2187. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf305233t

Ito, S. & Arai, E. (2021). Improvement of gluten-free steamed bread quality by partial substitution of rice flour with powder of Apios americana tuber. Food Chemistry, 337, 127977. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2020.127977

Pena, F.B., Villalobos, G. Martinez, M.A., Sotelo, A., Gil, L., & Delgado-Salinas, A. (1999). Use and nutritive value of talet beans, Amphicarpaea bracteata (Fabaceae: Phaseoleae) as human food in Puebla, Mexico. Economic Botany, 53 (4), 427-434. https://www.jstor.org/stable/4256226

Salmon, E. (2020). Iwigara: The kinship of plants and people. Timber Press.

Schnee, B.K. & Waller, D. M. (1986). Reproductive behavior of Amphicarpaea bracteata (Leguminosae), an amphicarpic annual. American Journal of Botany, 73 (3), 376-386. https://bsapubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/j.1537-2197.1986.tb12051.x

Medicinal Disclaimer: It is the policy of The Herb Society of America, Inc. not to advise or recommend herbs for medicinal or health use. This information is intended for educational purposes only and should not be considered as a recommendation or an endorsement of any particular medical or health treatment. Please consult a health care provider before pursuing any herbal treatments.

Angela grew up on a dairy farm in Vermont and has degrees in biochemistry, horticulture, and science writing. She now lives in Maryland and has worked in the Gardens Unit at the US National Arboretum since 2012.

Subterranean Treasures: the Beneficial Roots of Native Vines published first on https://marcuskeever.blogspot.com/