C. Fawley Fjeran

Sand dollars are actually sea urchins. Other names are sand cookie (New Zealand) and sea pansy (South Africa). Based on legend, it is also called the Holy Ghost Shell: LEGEND OF THE SAND DOLLAR There's a pretty little legend That I would like to tell Of the birth and death of Jesus Found in this lowly shell If you examine closely, You'll see that you find here Four nail holes and a fifth one Made by a Roman's Spear. On one side the Easter Lily, Its center is the star That appeared unto the wisemen And led them from afar. The Christmas poinsettia Etched on the other side Reminds us of His birthday Our Happy Christmastide. Now break the center open And here you will release The five white doves awaiting To spread Good Will and Peace. This simple little symbol, Christ left for you and me To help us spread his Gospel Through all eternity. ~ Anonymous The skeleton of dead sand dollars are silvery white in color, thus the name sand dollar--remember when dollars were coins? (Speci...

Great Egret 'strikes the pose' in Lands End, South Carolina.

Saw Palmetto is native to Florida and southeastern coastal areas. It is the most common palm in the United States. The sharp spines on this fan palm can make an impenetrable thicket. It is long lived, tough as a boot, and salt-tolerant. Some plants in Florida are reported to be 500-700 years old. Common native plants are often shuned in favor of showy exotics. If you laid eyes on Saw Palmetto for the first time and saw it with new eyes, you might find the bold  fronds quite exotic.                                                                                                                                                 ...

It looks like a lolypop but is actually known as Witch's broom. Witch's broom is a deformity that can occur due to pathogens that cause an abnormal cluster of growth. Read more about other causes at https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Witch%27s_broom

The list of environmental benefits of turfgrass is relatively short: - erosion control - filtering stormwater runoff - cooling effect According to the National Turfgrass Initiative, turfgrass covers 50, 000, 000 acres in the U. S (2002). The volume of water used to irrigate is astronomical. I remember designing a landscape in a high-end development that required a minimum square footage of turfgrass--at the expense of eliminating trees to achieve that requirement! From an environmental perspective, what were they thinking? Of course no one on the homeowners association planning committee had horticultural, or environmental expertise. Their agenda was aesthetic--agreed. Expansive, lush green lawns can be beautiful. And labor intensive, expensive fertilizer-chemical-water hoarders. God forbid you should let nature take its course. Native grasses and forbs proliferate, survive drought, and are low to no maintenance but when they attempt to make your life easier, the conventional gardener ...

A chapel of ease is a church built in a parish when the parishioners are too far away to conveniently attend the parish church. St. Helena Chapel of Ease was built in 1740 using tabby construction--a mixture of lime, sand, and oyster shells. Tabby is seen throughout old southern coastal areas. By 1812 the chapel was designated as a church parish. Services were interrupted November 4, 1861 by the news of the invasion of Beaufort by Union troops. Occupation by  the Union troops is the reason homes in Beaufort were not destroyed during the war. The church was used by Northerners who educated and trained freedmen. It was later used by Methodist freedmen as a sanctuary. A forrest fire destroyed most of the church in 1886. It remains in ruins and yet the grounds hold a peacful, natural beauty matching the name, Chapel of Ease. View: St. Helena Chapel of Ease, St. Helena's Island, Beaufort County, South Carolina

'I Can See For Miles' I admired 90-year-old Norma from northern Michigan who opted to hit the road when she learned two days after her husband died that she had cancer. Rather than journey through radiation and chemo, she packed up and took to the road with her son and daughter-in-law. Mt. Rushmore was their first stop on the trip. She took a ride in a hot air balloon, saw the Grand Canyon, and visited Yellowstone, NASA, and Disney World. Her adventures are documented at ht tps://www.facebook.com/DrivingMissNorma/ . March 31 would have been her 92 birthday. Norma followed her dreams and followed her mantra, "Say 'Yes' to Living." Too often we wait until it's too late to follow our dreams. Did you know there are 221, 000 miles of coastline waiting for us to explore? There are 12,383 miles of coast here in the United States. A state-by-state breakdown is posted at  https://www.infoplease.com/…/united…/coastline-united-states . What are we waiting for?

At 208 feet, the Great Cross of St. Augustine, Florida is the tallest cross in the world. It was erected in 1965 for the city's 400th birthday. The cross marks the place where Pedro Menendes de Avile came ashore and planted a cross in 1565--the beginning of Christianity in America.

Sister, Master Gardener, Program Specialist... 'Instigator.' I've been called many things. 'Instigator' bubbled up when I served as the Coweta County Master Gardener Coordinator. I helped start the Coweta County Master Gardener Association. In the early years, that meant I recruited and managed volunteers; coordinated events, programs, and activities; conducted business and meetings--you get the picture. Each year for a series of years, I would try to pitch the leadership rol e. "No, no, we want you to keep doing what you're doing (wink, wink)." Master Gardener, Bill Adams, declared my title to be 'Instigator' rather than Coordinator--apropos. I loved every minute. I'm also called Daughter. I remember as a young child having an affinity for birds, well, for catching birds. At the age of three, I was extremely light on my feet and could quietly tiptoe behind small birds scooping them into my hands. It's true; I have witnesses. Most often...

The aftermath of Hurricane Matthew is still evident in Land's End, South Carolina. Palm trees are among the toughest survivors. They are able to bend over backward beneath extreme wind conditions and bounce back. Andrea Aker answers the question, "Why Don't Palm Trees Blow Down in the Wind?" -  http://arizonaoddities.com/…/why-dont-palm-trees-blow-down…/  (Basically, it is the difference between monocots and dicots.) View: Harbor River across from Parris Island military base in South Carolina What's in your landscape? The University of Florid a has a publication that lists trees by wind tolerance. I'm delighted to see Dogwood on the Highest Wind Resistance list. Bradford Pear owners should not be surprised to learn Bradfords are on the Lowest Wind Resistance list. Read more at  http://tinyurl.com/kb75nyc . Missing from the Highest Wind Resistence list are dead trees. We drove by the old dead Pecan Grove, which looked nonplussed by Matthew. Of course, the trees...

Goldenrod is a fall favorite in the Piedmont that proliferates along roadsides and open meadows casting a brilliant yellow hue. It's my yearly signal that fall is around the corner. In the Piedmont, it is often mistaken as an allergen because it blooms in tandem with the less showy Ragweed--the real culprit. Currently in bloom on the east coast is Seaside Goldenrod (Solidago sempervirens). It primarily blooms late summer and early fall and can  have a second bloom in spring. Seaside Goldenrod acclimates to sandy soils and has high salt spray tolerance, which puts it right at home at the beach. Naturally occurring yellow flowers are a colorful complement to blue skies and coastal landscapes. The Lady Bird Wildflower Center fact sheet provides a detailed description at  http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SOSE The Lore of Texas Wildflowers notes that some folklore beliefs say, "where the flower grows there is buried treasure." -  https://books.google.com/bo...

View: Live Oak, Spanish moss, and Sago Palm at Land's End, South Carolina

Palm Sunday is celebrated today, one week prior to Easter Sunday. Palms commemorate the branches that were laid on the path that Jesus traveled on his triumphant entry into Jerusalem. I get that, but why did they use Palm branches? Palm branches symbolized victory and goodness, which seems ironic and yet profound.

Perhaps you have not yet met. Please let me introduce you to Pluff Mud. It's a Lowcountry term for the distinct, odorous mud found in tidal flats and saltwater marshes. Described in an article by the Charleston Magazine as "oozy, viscous, dark-brown miasma," locals describe it as slippery, shiny, and (my favorite) sucky mud. Sucky mud probably best describes its character. Rescue teams are often called to help free victims stuck in Pluff Mud. I recall a rescue after a small child careened over the edge of a dock into Pluff Mud during a 4th of July celebration. Everyone was having fun--kids running up and down the dock. Sander was trotting next to his sisters and was just short enough to tumble beneath the railing. He didn't appreciate the soft landing in the mud, not even for a second. As soon as dad heard the older sibling's screams, he followed his son overboard. He finessed his way through the muck using Lowcountry skills. It felt like an eternity watching the ...

We drove by Fat Patties on a number of previous trips to Land's End and mused at the name but kept driving. Our timeline last week placed us in front of Fat Patties at dinner time. There was a minor debate about eating burgers while we were in the heart of seafood country, but we reasoned that eating sooner rather than later would put our hunger to rest and make the last leg of the journey bearable. The restaurant was recently featured on the food network--an d declared to have the best hand-crafted burgers--which made a trial run extra compelling. Hit the brakes, "we're stopping this time." The menu is filled with All-American fare, including grass-fed beef, prepared for gourmet taste. When is the last time you were offered a peach bellini at a hamburger joint? And, please don't underestimate the lowly tater tot, especially when handmade, deep-fried, and served with blue cheese, candied pecans, and thinly shredded apple slaw. The combination of flavor--splendido!...

This year has been exceptionally good for Saucer Magnolia. They bloomed extra early, and fortunately avoided the gardener's version of 'March Madness'--late frost damage. The last few petals are just now falling in Newnan, Georgia. Purportedly, a variety from Alabama called 'Grace McDade' bears the largest flowers at 14 inches in diameter.

Bishop Epps spoke of times when we cannot see progress or growth, but it is occurring all the same. He illustrated the point with seeds that germinate and develop roots underground before we can see the new green plant break through the soil. I had a book once about brokenness--this morning, I looked everywhere, even in the boxes that were never unpacked after the last move 18 years ago (my nomadic inbreeding)! Like so many things, I probably won't find it today. If memory serves me well enough, the principle in the book is that brokenness is a necessary part of growth. As a former student of horticulture, I understand that seeds have to break dormancy before they germinate into seedlings. This process varies between species--many break due to temperature; some by fire. We also studied bud break, which for commercial fruit trees is a trigger for pest management schedules. Prior to bud break, unless you know some of the other botanical features of a plant, it can be challenging to i...

The early blooming daffodils at Gibbs Gardens were nearly spent by mid-March this year. The unseasonably warm winter stimulated an early bloom. Mid-season daffodils were just coming on in this image, followed by the late-season bloomers, which are the most fragrant. Even in the absence of daffodils, the knoll overlooking Oglethorpe Mountain has its  own special beauty. Flanked in the distance on the right is the vibrant red of a Maple tree in flower. We don't think of Maples as flowering plants, but they flush out small brilliant red flowers in late winter/early spring giving wooded areas that first blush of Spring.