that is,
porcelain vine. i have a habit of falling for the
bad boys of the plant world, i guess. invasive,
evil, aggressive - but, oh!, so beautiful. they know exactly how to do it. distracting me with their exotic looks while they wind themselves tighter and tighter around the fence post or push their roots deeper into the soil, claiming a permanent (and ever-expanding) spot in my garden.
well, that's what they
think, at least. but i have limited the range of the porcelain vine to the back corner fence and yanked any tendrils that think the nearby fig looks like an easy conquest. as much as i admire its beauty, i am keeping a tight leash on this vine.
it is kin to the grape, and you can certainly see this in its leaves & berries, which peak in the autumn. i have been watching it since late July, when the tiny buds first appeared.
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| July 25th |
i'm sure this story is all too common. good girl gone bad & all that. i remember the first time i ever laid eyes on a porcelain berry vine. it was the fall, probably almost twenty years ago. i was minding my own business, strolling along with my beloved in a local arboretum, when sparkles of turquoise and deep purple caught my eye. much like Sleeping Beauty and that
pesky spindle,
how could i not approach and, bated breath, reach out to touch what was putting on such a spectacular show at the telephone pole? i have loved them ever since.
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| July 28th |
most years, i look only for the berries. but
this time i am watching it
all. & this stage really surprised me. the vine was alight with tiny, iridescent insects! gold and green catching the sunlight, as they flitted from one juicy cup of nectar to another.
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| August 14th |
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| August 15th |
as a lover of this vine (in moderation), i prefer exaltations (like
this one, which allows that "it will add some mystique to your garden") to rants. an air of the exotic, mayhaps slightly
dangerous, should not be overlooked when cultivating plants. but some gardeners can certainly over-indulge, with dire consequences (thus, the rants).
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| August 15th |
so, as the glowing insects continue to enjoy the nectar cups, green berries seem to be randomly popping out. such a mixture of growth stages confuses me. but, maybe, some are just destined to become berries - while others are destined to be consumed. because, soon enough, the nectar cups are guzzled & nibbled down to the stem while a few berries are left behind.
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| August 19th |
they are, of course, what i am waiting for.
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| August 23rd |
apparently, others have admired their grape-like qualities & their possible addition to a
foraging lifestyle. i quote, "for those of you who enjoy bland food with a slightly prickly aftertaste, they would make the ideal snack food, especially if you also enjoy a slimy texture." yum.
or
those of you who enjoy bland food with a slightly prickly aftertaste,
they would make the ideal snack food, especially if you also enjoy a
slimy texture - See more at:
http://www.suburbanforagers.com/2012/09/19/porcelain-berries-too-pretty-to-eat/#sthash.0sYkgSiA.dpuf
For
those of you who enjoy bland food with a slightly prickly aftertaste,
they would make the ideal snack food, especially if you also enjoy a
slimy texture. - See more at:
http://www.suburbanforagers.com/2012/09/19/porcelain-berries-too-pretty-to-eat/#sthash.0sYkgSiA.dpuf
For
those of you who enjoy bland food with a slightly prickly aftertaste,
they would make the ideal snack food, especially if you also enjoy a
slimy texture. - See more at:
http://www.suburbanforagers.com/2012/09/19/porcelain-berries-too-pretty-to-eat/#sthash.0sYkgSiA.dpuf
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| August 30th |
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| August 30th |
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| August 30th |
this may be the Autumn of the Lone Berries. my recollection of the first encounter with porcelain berry is a vine heavy with clusters of dazzling pinks, purples, turquoises, and blues. not this sparseness. this dried-up and bleak presentation. but, maybe, that is to be expected. memories are, so often, embellished by time. or, rather, the routine parts, the
essential mediocrity, are forgotten in favor of chasing after the peaks and remembering the valleys.
but, really, all you need is that one
simply exquisite
berry.
