I Simply Remember These Favorite Things, and Then I Can Smile All Day
"If I had my way, I'd remove January from the calendar altogether and have an extra July instead." Roald Dahl
A Plant: Resurrection plant, Naked ladies - Lycoris spp
L. squamigera
I was looking back on my plant selections, and this was the first “Favorite Plant” I recommended over 2 ½ years ago. I listed it, but I did not provide any dialogue at the time.
This is a bulb, so as with most other bulbs, you will be planting it in the fall with your daffodils and tulips. In late winter or early spring, leaves will emerge but about a month later, they will disappear. Poof, gone.
But like a miracle, the naked stem with 4 or 5 beautiful flowers appears, as if it has been resurrected; thus the common name.
Two main forms are available: the red-flowered form (L. radiata), cold-hardy to zone 7, perhaps 6b, and the more cold-hardy lilac-flowered form (L. squamigera). Both are fabulous; plant in groups of at least 5.
L. radiata in the author’s garden
A Garden - The Morton Arboretum Lisle, Illinois
A stroll in the Magnificent Morton
This is one of America’s garden treasures.
I do not say that lightly; we have fabulous gardens and parks in every state. However, strolling or studying, shooting photos or watching the birds, there is something for everyone. And there are a just few plants here and there, over 200, 000 on about 1700 acres.
The Morton was started in 1922 by Joy Morton, the founder of Morton Salt Company and a true lover of arboreta. He came by it honestly, as his father Julius was the founder of Arbor Day in 1872.
Not only are there trees, but the Mortons’ efforts at Prairie grass restoration are second to none. The Schulenberg Prairie was one of the earliest prairie restoration projects in the Midwest, begun in 1962.
I love miles of hiking and bike paths, and children flock to the 4-acre interactive children's garden.
There is so much to see. If in the Chicago area, get out of the city and visit the Magnificent Morton.
The Schulenberg Prairie
A Book - A Town Like Alice
Author: Nevil Shute
Fiction
Some of you may jump on me for recommending such a well-known classic, which most of you may have already read. Nevil Shute penned many excellent books, including On the Beach, but this one (written in 1950) ranks as one of his best.
Jean Paget was a young Englishwoman living in Malaya when she and dozens of other women and children were captured by the invading Japanese in WWII. They were led on a brutal seven-month death march through brutal heat, swamps, deserts, and mountains with little food and no medical supplies. Along the way, Jean met a young Australian, Joe Harper, who was also a POW but provided much-needed food and hope.
That is just the beginning of this amazing story. After returning to England, Jean comes into an unexpected inheritance, and we find her returning to Malaya to repay the villagers who saved her and her companions lives during the march.
The rest of the story is about Jean traveling to Australia in search of Joe, whom she believed to have died, but discovered he was alive in the Outback.
Give it a read; it is simply a great book. This is also an audiobook (excellent) and a movie, which I have not seen.
A Show/Movie- Grantchester
Susan and I yo-yo between gripping psychodramas to easy to watch shows.
The later are shows like Navillera and All Things Creatures Great and Small, both of which I have written about in past Favorites. This month concerns a series of mysteries that take place in Cambridgeshire, England and introduces seasoned detective Geordie Keating. Inspector Keating (who acts and dresses much like Columbo of old). Somehow, he teams up with the Vicar of Grantchester, a small community in the county to solve various crimes. It sounds a little weird, but the characters are very good.
In fact, I would say the characters get better over time. We are certainly not the only fans; it is so popular that it just finished up its 11th year. Over that time, the Vicars have changed 3 times but the supporting characters and the Inspector keep us coming back for more. This is easy watching, British mystery viewing at its best.
A Place -Gorges State Park, Sapphire, North Carolina
Gorges State Park
Cashiers, North Carolina
Hiking and walking some of the trails in Gorges State Park will leave you breathless - not only because of the challenging terrain but mainly because of the plunging waterfalls, rugged river gorges, and sheer rock precipices. It is stunningly beautiful.
It is located near the tripoint where North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia meet, Gorges State Park features 26 waterfalls, the northern boundary of Lake Jocassee, and a portion of the 70-mile Foothills Trail. It spans over 8,000 acres of temperate rainforest and hosts extraordinary biodiversity.
However, lots of parks are quite beautiful but I mention this because it is also near wonderful small towns such as Sapphire, Cashiers and Highlands nestled in the western North Carolina mountains. If we are fortunate and can get away for a short period of time, we would rather go to the mountains for a short break than to a beach or a cruise.
A trip to Gorges State Park is well worth your time if you are in the Blue Ridge area.
