Sep 30 2010

The Pomegranate Tree of Poplar Grove Plantation

The pomegranate tree pictured above is growing just north of Wilmington, NC at the Poplar Grove plantation. The ripening of the pomegranate is a mark of the season changing.

The greek goddess Demeter had a daughter Persephone who was kidnapped by Hades king of the underworld. Demeter was the goddess of growth and death of the earth’s vegetation. When Persephone was kidnapped, Demeter went in to great mourning and refused to nourish the earth. Man and beast were starving……

Zeus got tired and weary of the whole ordeal and rescued Persephone….but just before she was rescued…

Persephone was tricked in to eating the delicious pomegranate.

It was known in this Greek mythology setting that when one eats of anything while in the underground world…….they must remain there.

Hades agreeing that Persephone had suffered the same as her mother—would only have to stay in the underworld for 2/3 of the year. So for 8 months of year Persephone was with Demeter and the other 4 with Hades. Demeter was not a forgiving person and denied the earth any vegetation for those 4 months that her daughter was away—thus bringing on the season of changes.

Previous to Persephone being abducted, the earth flourished 12 months of the year.

One pomegranate tree grows at the plantation of Poplar Grove in Wilmington, NC. There is much written about this peanut plantation but very little about its exotic little tree that originally only grew in the Mediterranean climates. Abundant in Iran and India it can grow to 30 feet tall depending on variety.

James Foy bought the plantation in 1795. He was known as a wise and good man. He was a first to allow his slaves to be tenant farmers. They were allowed to save money and be educated. They took pride in their jobs as much as one could under the circumstances and the plantation flourished.

The peanuts were taken by boat to the port at Wilmington where they were shipped north and other more distant lands. I can see how James Foy could have acquired the seeds or fruit from one of these trips. The seeds germinate easily even when scattered on top of the soil.

Wilmington does get some freezing temps at times but this little tree is protected by the house and thus is probably growing in a microclimate. The zone for Wilmington is 8a which hovers right at 14 degrees but like I said….it can get much colder.

It is possible for this tree to survive as longevity is one of its attributes. Charming to think it could survive through hurricanes and such.

More than 500 varieties exist. It can withstand temperatures to 14 degrees fahrenheit. From flower to fruit is approximately 7 months. Its medicinal uses are many from treating stomach upsets to curing cancers.

It has even been associated with the coming of age for a woman from one interpretation of the greek mythological story of Demeter and Persephone. Those in that audience think Persephone’s abduction and love affair with Hades is the beginning of womanhood.

Fascinating information on the pomegranate and its many uses. But….I’ve never had one

About these ads

May 26 2010

Bloom your fool heads off!

Wow, bloom your fools heads off why don’t you? This is ‘Arizona Sun’ and blazing strong in my back gardens. Mr D and I got married in a July sunrise service in Arizona. We rode off in the sunset to San Diego, California for our honeymoon.

They probably named this flower in our honor. We were hot stuff back then. I was 19 when I met Mr D. We met at the-IN–window for a pharmacy. He was the pharmacy technician.

We were both in the Air Force. I was a mechanic on the flight line working under the hot Arizona sun and he was dressed all in whites working at the base pharmacy.

I got tennis elbow from working on the flight line equipment and was getting a prescription filled for pain killers. He took my number from the pharmacy slip and two months later we got hitched.

I called my daddy and said—I’ve met the man of my dreams and we’re getting married in July. Momma had a cow cause she wanted a pretty big wedding. I was the only girl of 4 children.

I was independent as all get out. Graduated from a technical school at 17 and enlisted to the Air Force that same summer. I was not gonna stay in my home town cause the world needed me. Well daddy was old and liquor was his best friend at the time. He had a good heart for folks but he was not interested in what I wanted to do in life and had pretty much sent me on my way at age 16. I have lived on my own since that time.

Rather odd really that I even made it this far in life. Daddy told me at 15 that girls were meant to get married and settle down. I was expecting him to pay for my college and everything.

Once he told me that…..I was determined to get as far away from his expectations as possible. So in the 11th grade, I left and entered a program to get my HS diploma through a short course at the local community college. I only needed English and two other things to graduate. I did it in 4 months I think.

I did it working full time at a furniture factory making buttons for sofas and living on my own in a little one bedroom trailer. I knew this was not an arrangement for me so off I went to see the folks at the USAF office.

The recruiter was tickled pink to have me. He had a quota to meet for females in the Air Force and he didn’t care if I didn’t meet every requirement for the physical part. Back in 1976, the women’s movement and the government said anything was possible.

I was all for that and off I went to meet life head on through the USAF. My brothers were good mechanics—especially my youngest. He taught me alot about engines and racing cars. He could really work on them and made a career of it.

He died a couple of years ago from a brain tumor and I will always believe it was because of all those fumes he inhaled over his life. I was right there with him for the better part of it. I’ve witnessed many a car being started with ether. That is a powerful smell you don’t forget. A fun one too.

He and I would go out to the garage behind our house and work on those old cars together. I was his slave but I did love him lots. He was very quiet and I was very talkative. He had many a friend who came by just to be around him cause he put everyone at ease.

His name was Ron. Ron passed out under the hood of many a truck or car due to not getting out of the way of ether. It’s highly flammable and once sprayed in a carburetor was a sure fire way to get the pistons moving and all things set in motion.

We were under the hood of a 57 chevy once and it fired up and we hooped and hollered all around the vehicle for what seemed like a good long while–all due to the ether I suppose–we were never that happy other times the 57 started.

I didn’t know till I was about 50 years old that ether could do such a thing but thinking back now…wow…I can see a lot of times we got real happy about stuff and silly too.

Ron locked me in a goat house for 9 hours. I dared him to do it. I figured I could get out and then he forgot about me. The goat was on the outside looking in and wondering. We had goats, chickens, and rabbits. Thankfully I did not ask to be locked in rabbit pin. Daddy discovered me when he went out to get firewood. Daddy cursed me as badly as he did my brother for doing it.

So Ron and I had lots of adventures. He said he wanted to sail off in a boat and leave his crazy wife last time I spoke to him. That was when he still had his right mind. The only good thing I ever heard him say about her—was she made good biscuits.

I have Ron to thank for meeting Mr D. If it weren’t for Ron teaching me the way around a toolbox–I would never have met Mr D I suppose unless you believe in fate. So the Air Force gave me a test to see what I was good at when they were considering me way back in 1976.

I was good at building an engine–knowing my tools and wrenches–and I could even do electronics. Funny thing is—I never knew how much I knew. I thought it was just being a good Southern girl to help out a brother when he was under the hood.

In July of 1978 we got married under the Arizona sun in a little base chapel. Mr D was in love with my cut off overalls. That’s what I was wearing when I got the prescription filled and that it what I wore when I worked on cars with Ron.

Ya’ll stay tuned—there might be a lot more about me you don’t know. Later

And I can garden too…..This picture was taken yesterday May 23rd, 2010. Below is ‘Priscilla’ by Proven Winners Plants. I use it every year. Smells wonderful and much better than ether. Bloom where you are planted no matter the situation.

Mar 1 2010

He Winked and said, It’s March! But I knew he had better ideas..

I have situated my work desk so it looks out at the bird feeder in my front garden. At first, the birds were a bit startled and confused. But there is this one cardinal who has friended me. I talk to him and he plays back. He waits for me to set up my camera. He sits in the same spot on the same branch of my birch tree.

And he watches me back. He’s very intelligent. You see that look above—he was looking right in to the camera lens…a bit unnerving when you are zoomed in at 15x. You knew–that he knew and he wasn’t looking away. Had I been a female cardinal…..this would have given me weak knees.