Rooted in the past

Having the day to myself I headed for my favourite place in Philadelphia, America's oldest botanic garden.
Quaker farmer and botanist John Bartram purchased a stretch of land on the banks of the Schuylkill River in 1728 and proceeded to fill it with plants and trees collected by him and his sons. Simultaneously he started to build this house, enhancing it over the years until he died in 1777. The Bartram family continued to live here and add to the garden for several generations. It is now maintained as a park, open to the public free of charge.

It was a cold day and the garden was still wintry, the grass was brown, the trees were bare so that the river was visible from the back of the house.. No other visitors but some workers were erecting a new fence below. Most plants were still dormant but there were some dried fungi, moss and lichen to be found, I noticed deer droppings and a curious tree tumour that resembled a baby koala bear, I revisited the amazing apple press carved out of the bedrock of the river bank, and I admired again the distant view of center city as a few geese drifted past.

Although the medicinal herbs that the Bartrams cherished were invisible under their winter protection of leaves and twigs, I enjoyed reading their names, each inscribed on slate label :white colic root,lizard's tail, devil's bit, culver's root, New Jersey tea, fairy wand, horse balm.

I love the fact that this house has stood here for close to three centuries, unchanged as the city has extended and encompassed it. Today the brick path to the front door was arched over by the flowering branches of cornelian cherry, a shrub unknown to me (and probably to John Bartram) but one I have instantly fallen in love with. Not only do its odd little blooms spring straight from the twigs but they turn eventually into edible red berries, the wood is so dense as to sink water, and the tree, which is native to the Black Sea region, was well known in ancient times for its many virtues. I think it's now a must-have for me: like this house and garden, rooted in history.

I know that the links probably won't go directly to the correct images in my Blipfolio because they almost never do but if you click along the sequence you may find them. Sorry - I have no idea why it doesn't work.