Looking for how-to folklore

[Janet Macunovich 32]

Some of you have been to one of our "presentations" about gardening folklore, what we call What the Groundhog Won't Tell. We use that title because our gathering of this kind of information stems from our search for the basis of the Groundhog Day tradition. (We still can't trace its origin back to before modern times, yet we feel certain it has to have roots older than a few hundred years !)

 

We put "presentations" in quotes because we give and take in equal part at these things. Every time we meet a group to relate stories and advice from our collection, we gather from the audience their folklore -- remembered bits from elders, books, etc.

 

If you have some time, and interest in this topic, you can riffle through what we already have (download our handout from the talk via this link). Maybe when you see the kinds of things we mean you'll think of things you've heard or read to add to the mix.

 

We already have too much to fit into the time normally alloted for a presentation, but we do love to collect more!

[Villandry 0]

There is an interesting book out on the historical, personal, or botanical reasons behind plant names and stories. Fun winter read called Legends in the Garden: Who in the World is Nellie Stevens? by Linda L. Copeland & Allan M. Armitage (ISBN 978-1-59186-523-0).

[Karen Skandalaris 0]

My Italian grandfather wove willow baskets for use in his home and gardens. After he was done soaking the willow branches in water he always used that water in his garden. He said it was good for the plant roots. He also always put a cut willow twig in water when starting cuttings from plants.