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September Surprises

It is always a thrill to stumble across a plant that I may have forgotten about or one that does something unexpected. That has happened several times over the past weeks.  First, the vine pictured above is the Eastern Prince Schisandra vine ( Schinensis chinensis ), also known as "Magnolia Vine".  I purchased it in May of 2023 from One Green World in Portland. I don't know what attracted me to it, other than the fact that I'd never heard of it before and the description sounded nice.  I didn't forget about this plant; in fact, it has grown quite vigorously up an archway at the entrance to our woodland path. It shares space alongside the rose 'Lamarque'.  I did forget that it produces berries, so I was surprised when I looked up and saw them dangling over the top of the arbor.  The berries are used in Chinese medicine. They are called the "Five Flavor Berry" and said to have five flavors in one - sweet, salty, bitter, tangy and sour.  Chinese le...

Lacock (Wiltshire, England)



After leaving Special Plants Nursery, we headed to Lacock, an English village that is virtually locked in time and owned by the National Trust. It was mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, and many of the town's structures were built in the 14th century. The village has been used for many film locations, including some of the Harry Potter films, Downton Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, Cranford, etc. 

In addition to the residences (I cannot imagine living there with all the tourists), there were many gift stores, pubs, church and best of all, a chocolate shop. I had a delicious traditional sausage roll.








St. Cyriac's Church -










(Visited May 9, 2025)

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. Thanks for sharing your step back in time!

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  2. It is really charming! The dog relaxing in the sun is fantastic :).

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  3. What I find the most exciting in English country villages are the old stone buildings, the facad, the mossy garden walls. Some have been standing for hundreds of years and they are so well preserved.
    Chavli

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