Things I Learned at the Fling

I couldn't bear to blog about the Spring Fling until I had time to let all of the wonder of the day distill in my mind. Late Sunday night, after the kids were in bed and the house was silent, I sat on the couch with a notebook in my lap. I thought about all of the people I had met at the Fling, the incredibly interesting and smart people that I have known through pictures and words, but now know them as friends. And I tried to recall all of the knowledge that had been handed to me during the event.

So here it is, things I learned at Spring Fling:

1. The white "lip" on each bluebonnet flower is to attract bees to pollinate the flower. Once it is pollinated, the white spot turns red and bees are not attracted to it any longer.

2. The Cochineal Beetle feeds on the Prickly pear cactus, secreting a white substance as protection around her. These beetles, when crushed, contain a vivid red coloring used as dye.

3. The bloom on the Prickly Pear is called the "Tuna"

4. There are other trees known as Live Oaks that are not related to the Texas Live Oak (thanks Karen!) According to Wikipedia, the name comes from the evergreen oaks remaining green and "live" through the winter when other oaks are leafless. Added bonus knowledge: a small grove of live oaks is known as a mott.

5. Skullcap (Leguminosae Scutellaris) comes in purple (the common color seen in most nurseries is pink).

6. Vicky makes a mean lemon/ginger marmalade. Thank you for the lovely gift, Vicky. Is it proper to ignore the toast and eat it with a spoon right out of the jar?

7. The inventories of sacred places and childhood hiding places are similar - thank you Tom Spencer for this lovely thought that kept me pondering over it for 5 minutes and just makes me smile every time I think about it.

8. Blog about what pleases you- keeping your focus on why you blog sets you free to enjoy it to its fullest. Thank you to Carol's discussion group on Community in Blogging who reminded me of this.

9. You can know someone for only a few minutes before you know, you just know, that they will be a lifelong friend.

10. Bringing together so many creative and passionate gardeners can create an energy that you can carry away with you. Borrowing one of Tom Spencer's images, we are gathered stones.

Thank you to all who gathered together for this wonderful event. I will always carry it with me.