I Simply Remember These Favorite Things with Dr. A’s September 2024
A Plant - Northern Maidenhair Fern, Adiantum pedatum
Last month, I chose a plant that was rather weird, somewhat smelly, and perhaps difficult to find - the voodoo lily. This month’s selection is well-known to native plant enthusiasts. A plant that is very handsome, easy to find, easy to grow, and easy to love.
The plants have many wonderful attributes. They tolerate shade and will make robust colonies in a few years. Their thin black stems end in deep green crescent-shaped fronds. They are cold hardy to USDA Zone 4.
If your garden has shady areas, purchase a few of these from your local garden center, put them in groups of three, and enjoy their beauty for years to come.
As I mentioned, this fern is quite cold-hardy; its cousin, the southern maidenhair, is equally lovely but only cold-hardy to about USDA zone 8.
A Garden - Olbrich Botanical gardens, Madison, WI
I visited Olbrich many years ago while I was in the Madison area. It was relatively unknown then but no longer. The first thing I noticed was the ornamental grasses – they were stunning in the fall of the year. However, there is so much more to see. Today, there are 16 acres of outdoor gardens worth walking through, including sunken gardens, water gardens, perennial displays, and a few meadow gardens. If that is not enough, stroll through the beautiful Boltz Conservatory to be transported to the tropics.
The garden is a private-public garden operated by the City of Madison and the Olbrich Botanical Society. If you are in the Madison area, visit this wonderful gem for a few hours.
A Book -The Sound of a Wild Snail Eating
Author: Elisabeth Tova Bailey
Non-fiction
If you have ever wondered why you should join a book club, this book is an answer. I never would have picked it up, let alone read it—yet here I am recommending it to you. When one of our book club members held up this small paperback and told us how much he enjoyed it, we said, “Why not?” It turned out to be a gem.
It is the author’s story of her very difficult time when she was bedridden with a mysterious illness, and her only company was a snail that had hitched a ride on a pot of violets from a friend. As time passed, her interaction with the snail evolved from curiosity to an almost maternal friendship.
“The snail and I were both loving in altered landscapes not of our choosing. I figured we shared a sense of loss and displacement.” Her primary relationship was with a snail, not with people, and when she believed her snail had left, she felt she had lost her close friend.
As a result of her continued interaction, she started reading everything she could about a snail’s habits, anatomy (who knew a snail has more than 2500 teeth that regenerate as needed), and even sex life (Cupid has nothing on a couple of mating snails!).
The book was a pleasant surprise. Certainly, I learned more about snails than I had ever planned, but it was even more about the healing powers of connection and the long journey back from the brink of despair, leaning on her snail as a service animal.
A Show/Movie-The Great British Baking Show
Who knew a baking show could bring so much drama and be so enjoyable a journey at the same time. The interaction between the amateur bakers and the hosts is the key to its success.
The judges, Paul Hollywood and Prue Leith, are joined with a series of hosts, all of whom support the struggling bakers as they try to complete pastries, cakes, breads and quite unbelievable show stoppers.
There is no yelling or back stabbing, and in fact the show, while very stressful for the bakers, is calm and relaxing, at least for the audience. The recipes are certainly challenging but the 12 amateurs who start must be creative and inventive to attain the tastiest and most beautiful concoctions to impress the judges.
Each week, one baker must leave and as you watch the field being reduced, you can’t help but cheer and pull for those that remain. There is a ton of pressure on the bakers, and an equal amount of drama for the audience. Watch a show or two and you will be hooked.
A Place - Dynjandi Waterfall, Iceland
Having recently returned from a glorious trip to Iceland, I could regale you with a dozen places to visit and a dozen things to do. Iceland is known as the “Land of Fire and Ice”, but it should be called the “Land of Spectacular Waterfalls” as well. There are so many beautiful sights in Iceland that after a while one more waterfall hardly registered – until we visited the Dynjandi Waterfall in West Fjords. The journey was not easy, but once there, the landscape was mesmerizing. The photo is worth any description I could possibly render, suffice it to say we were in awe. Iceland is worth a visit, do it before it is overrun with tourists.
Some recommendations from readers based on last month’s issue.
Recommendations Provided by:
“Ever since I took your advice and watched the series Navillera on Netflix, which was so beautifully done, Netflix has suggested more Korean films. I adored watching the series called Chocolate, which is a love story but has interesting characters who are working through difficulties in their lives. It also focuses on food as a soothing, comforting factor that seems to be a common denominator. I am always attracted to films that have food as a binding feature. I enjoyed watching the preparation of Korean food. This is a series worth watching.”
Johanna
Be featured next month by leaving a little feedback, please.
Anyone who enjoys reading, travel, and gardens could write a column like this. So, if you are keen, send me feedback on your favorites and include a book, place, plant, or garden you recommend.
Add your favorites in the comments below!