Heartbreak in Cookeville
Elderberries almost ripe . . .
and now they are gone.
Note: This is the post I tried to make Friday evening, 17 August, and for unknown reason, despite having plenty of signal, I could not get this to post.
Interestingly, a couple of days ago, I wrote the following as part of a comment on my own post about elderberries:
"And I know how I would feel if I went to that field and found no elderberries left, and I don't want to do that to anyone. Do unto others, etc."
So imagine my surprise, and horror, when I checked the field today after work, and discovered that ALL the elderberries, the passionflowers and all the other native plants, had been mowed to the ground. All of them.
Damn. And double damn.
This is one of the hazards of hoping for a harvest on land not belonging to you.
In this particular case, it seemed to be land left to go fallow, and it was, but they mowed the lot before allowing nature to take its course, and actually allowing the berries and fruit to mature.
But, of course, as the landowners, they were under no obligation to do so.
The fact that I was hoping for a harvest was not even on their radar, as I had no idea who owned or controlled the land, and was merely hoping that it would remain fallow until after harvest. But such was not meant to be.
In point of fact, this is yet additional ammunition in my quiver to the effect that, under any circumstances, it is imperative that I acquire elderberry cuttings, from as wide a purview as possible, in order to have enough genetic diversity to survive any possible scenario.
To say that I was disappointed is an understatement. I was not merely hoping for anther batch of elderberry syrup from this field of plants.
What I was truly hoping for was genetically diverse seed stock, differing from that of the plants by the waterfalls near my home, in order to produce plants that could withstand both heat and cold, both flood and drought, and thrive despite whatever nature chose to throw at them.
And I was not only hoping for elderberry seed, but also seed from the passionfruit vine, which had maturing fruit when last I saw it there.
Because a large part of my ultimate goal for our land is for it to serve as a living seed bank for the lower Calfkiller River, and for the Caney Fork River into which it empties about 2 1/2 miles south of us.
As I nurture the native culinary and medicinal, and otherwise valuable plants and trees that are already here, and augment them with more and more varieties and genetic stocks, our land should become far more diverse and healthier, and better able to produce food and plant medicine almost regardless of what nature throws our way.
Damn. And double damn.
Try as I might, I've yet to spot any other decent sized stands of elderberries within close driving distance.
They no doubt exist, but I'm not willing to climb over someone's fence for the honor, nor do I want to wade onto waist-high weeds full of chiggers and ticks.
The allure of the field I did spot, prior to its being mowed. is that most of the elderberries and passionflowers were along the edges of the property, and thus easily accessed from the roadway, without having to overtly trespass on private property.
Ah, well. Such is life.
#ecotrain #ghsc #thirtydayhaikuchallenge #steemsugars #teamgirlpowa #womenofsteemit #steemusa #qurator #steemitbasicincome #knot #bethechange #chooselove #naturephotography #photography #neighbors #beauty #love #animals #dogs #rescue #adoption #spayandneuter #homesteading #permaculture #naturalhealing #dogrescue #dogsofsteemit #grace #poetry #philosophy #beablessing #elderberry #elderberries #passionflower #passiflora #naturalremedy #remedy #poetsunited
art and flair courtesy of @PegasusPhysics
