Wedding Mantel

Mantle – (n.)a layer, a veil. A responsibility, veneer, or façade.

Mantel – (n.)a chimney piece or decorative fireplace screen. 

When the daughter of some of our dearest friends married her beau, she simply trusted this Farmer and his team (Aunt Kathy and Laura) to work their magic. Her colors were lovely shades of lavender and purple and the setting was the bucolic scene of The Green Bell, one of Middle Georgia’s hidden jewels.

With the Malatchie Farm setting so serene and naturally grand, the rustic style of the pole barn set against some of Georgia’s best farmland makes for a striking combo. The only challenge was what to use as the altar and centerpiece for the ceremony. 

As we were scrambling around The Green Bell’s cache of barns and storehouses, a handsome mantel from an older home was found gently resting against the barn wall. Aunt Kathy spearheaded the “mantel movement”  and even roped the obliging groom and a friend into moving it so we could “see and play” with the mantel in place. A perfect fit, almost; and with a bit of on the spot engineering, that mantel was now at the forefront of the barn and the ceremonial backdrop for this special day. 

A garland of grapevine, Southern Red Oak, and magnolia cascaded from the sides of the mantel and atop the mantel proper, an antique, galvanized window box held an eruption of flowers and native flora. After filling the window box with oasis, more magnolia, with its cinnamon hued, fuzzy backs, gave us the greenery base we needed to build from. Salvia luecantha or Mexican Sage provided some vertical drama, herbaceous aroma, and of course, color. My Mexican Sage has been a volcano of blooms since early September and this Farmer’s garden had blossoms to share.

Deep raspberry to plum colored lilies and larkspur made for a saturation of color plus perfumed the air with the scent that only a lily can. Beauty berry (Callicarpa americana), one of my absolute favorite plants, grows wild all over this region.  Fencerows, clearings in the woods, and roadside ditches are filled with this Southern native throughout the fall. I rely on beauty berry for that pop of purple that is unparallel.  When I think of purple, THIS is the color that comes to mind. The ancients must have known about beauty berry when symbolizing their royalty, for this is a very royal, very regal color and plant.

Lotus pods, literally the seed pod of the lotus flower, ground the arrangement with an earthen brown and pick up on the grapevine garland and magnolia backs to boot. This Farmer is all about texture in arrangements and the three dimensional aura that lotus pods contribute is stunning. Plus you can use and reuse these floral elements since they dry so well. 

Last but not least, we tucked in some amaranthus to delicately droop from the arrangement and provide a chartreuse pop that any bouquet, centerpiece, or floral display can afford. Bang for your buck – amaranthus provides dramatic movement, flow, and fantastic detail in an arrangement and will leave your guests in awe of your creative prowess.

Mere (my sister) matched the mantel

This mantel provided a mantle of responsibility – to create and display the glory of nature for a delightful celebration. Literally cut from this Farmer’s garden, the woods around Malatchie Farms and the Green Bell, this mantel arrangement was truly the mantle for the event

Confederate Rose , A Rose by Any Other Name....

Who are your people? A question any Southerner knows the answer to surely as his or her own name. Knowing who your people are is vital to Southern culture and knowing a bit of history and lore about the name is equally intriguing. If I told you there was a plant thriving across the Deep South with whispers of a Rebel soldier’s dying breath laced in its legend, would that perk your ears? Well here it is my friends.

Hybiscus mutabilis. That genus and species name is one of the reasons this Farmer loves the Latin names of flowers. Immediately one knows this is a hibiscus family member. The species name, mutabilis, tells me something equally as interesting, for mutabilis means “variable or changeable” in Latin. Just like when someone sees one of our names, they know who our people are…


“That’s one of those Farmer kids isn’t it?” Or… “Isn’t that one of Napp and Sarah Ann’s grandchildren…yep, that’s him…but I thought he was a Brantley? Mmm hmm, he’s the tall one.” I’ve heard those comments many a time growing up (and still do), and we gardeners do the same with plants. “Yes ma’am, that’s a hibiscus cousin…you know, the one that changes colors throughout the day.”


So the Confederate Rose, a hibiscus kin, is a staple in the Southern landscape and fabulous specimen in the garden. Daddy has some growing on the farm down in Thomasville, and the crepe like petals remind me of debutantes or antebellum ladies with hoop skirts and pantaloons. Nearly every old home and farm I’ve ever seen can boast a Confederate Rose or two and boast they will. These little sticks appear as mere horticultural fledglings after a long winter’s nap and then erupt with herbaceous growth all through the summer; and by fall, these shrubs are now small trees and are covered with dozens upon dozens of blossoms ranging from the purest of white to blush and bashful and any other pink you can think! Fiddle-dee-dee indeed!




As for the lore and legend, supposedly a Confederate soldier, wounded from battle, breathed his last breath under the shade of this tree and his blood caused the flowers to change from white to reddish, rosy pink. Believe what you will, but the Latin name says it all for me –  a hibiscus that changes, yet fables can be fun to nourish and entertain.

      “So what’s in a name? that which we call a rose

      By any other name would smell as sweet;” 

                                                                         -  Mr. Shakespeare 

What is in a name is important, and learning a bit about this name is a treat. Peruse the plant kingdom for more Latin nomenclature and be amazed what you may learn. In the meantime, plant a Confederate Rose in your garden and enjoy the beauty and myth all at once. A sunny spot with good water will give you blossoms galore from October through frost.




“Some people might be led to believe that the Confederate rose is a rose that is native to the South. It is, in fact, a hibiscus that hails from China. Fortunately, the Confederate rose found a friendly climate in the South. With fall comes remarkable flowers that change color almost by the hour. We gardeners of the South are proud to adopt the Confederate rose as one of our own.” Marie Harrison, 
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/2614/

Watch with amazement the color change of the flowers, the rapid growth of the plant itself, and even the gawks of a passerby taking a gander at your Confederate Rose. From this Farmer’s garden and father’s farm for that matter, I hope your land is graced with its very own Confederate Rose; for, “land is the only thing in the world worth workin' for, worth fightin' for, worth dyin' for, because it's the only thing that lasts.” Mr. Gerald O’Hara, Miss Scarlett’s father.

Early Fall Bouquets

With the fanfare of summer waning and autumn beginning to wax, the garden is coming into its own, offering the bounty and plethora of blooms only an early fall garden can provide. Salvias, pentas, lantanas, Artemisia, and pomegranates are looking quite lovely this time of year for they have appreciated and endured the heat and now bestow their blossoms as trophies of survival from the heat of summer. 

One other great garden tiding that comes into play at the end of summer and into early fall is the flower spike of Liriope muscarri ‘Variegata’ or variegated monkey grass for the lay people. My Auburn professors knew I was from Middle Georgia because of my pronunciation of “liriope.” I pronounce it like leer-o-pee. While I’ve heard a myriad of other pronunciations, that is the way this Farmer says it. I digress.

The soft purple spikes of tiny florets make for a punch of color in small bouquets and even dry well…somewhat like lavender the herb. Other varieties of the Liriope genus such as ‘Big Blue’ also make for beautiful cut stem specimens and the berries, with their deepest amethyst to eggplant blackness. They are lovely in holiday décor.  Just imagine those dark berries with fir, pine, and magnolia in some blue and white cache pots or jardinières…quite lovely indeed. As September rolls into October, the Southern landscape yields these spikes along the aforementioned perennials and annuals for arrangements a plenty. 

Another cut flower this Farmer relies on is the species - a beautiful native - Eupatorium spp. Joe Pye weed as commonly referred, grows in many shapes and sizes across the country and is spread evenly across the Piedmont, Appalachia, and the Deep South. A crop of Eupatorium has seeded itself in my garden and perennial reseeded now for the last few years. I remember several species of this “weed” (a weed is just a misplaced flower…true enough for Joe Pye weed but not the same for crab grass…again, I digress.) growing wild along the borders of our pastures and fence lines at our farm in Hawkinsville. Roadsides and fallow fields boasted Joe Pye weed as well and the herbaceous smell is just another great attribute.

Since I had soft lavender and purple with the Joe Pye, liriope, and Mexican sage, pink pentas, chartreuse sweet potato vine, and scant yellow gold from ‘Samantha’ lantana, a few early fall  bouquets began to take shape. Here are a few tips from this Farmer’s garden for easy fall arrangements:

• Think scale – a tiny tureen, rose bowl, julep cup or transferware pot can serve as the most beautiful containers for tight and fabulous bouquets. If you have small stems, stick with small arrangements.

• Let large limbs make a statement - limbs of pyracantha, plumes of grass, and branches of fall foliage are super for drama in and of themselves.

• When in doubt, keep a color palette tight – if you have many of the same colored blossoms and foliage, don’t be afraid to keep a tone on tone scheme. Of course, fall itself is a mélange of colors but sometimes a tight palette is just the ticket.
  
  
  
  
  

• Rooting with arrangements – some plants, such as the previously mentioned sweet potato vine, will root in water. These new plants can make for great additions to the garden or to share with friends.

• Let your container be your guide – a silver cup might inspire some silvery Artemisia as “greenery” or a green jardinière might dictate your arrangement’s size and structure…whatever the base container, this will surely guide personality. 

Keep your eyes peeled in the garden for goodies to arrange…the beds, containers, roadsides, and fields are chocked full now for bouquets. From this Farmer’s garden to yours, happy fall gardening and arranging.

Thinking Outside the Mum

Pumpkins and hay bales and mums, oh my! This Farmer truly loves fall and even has a heart for autumnal décor. I guess growing up in a small, agrarian based community like Hawkinsville set that into my psyche, for scarecrows and leaves and cornstalks bound with orange bows are reminiscent of childhood festivals, street adornments, and farm entrances. In a town where the land and its produce are the bread and butter of said town, the harvest time is a celebration of the crops and liberation from the heat. There is no better way to celebrate than to decorating.

Though I will always have a soft spot in my heart for fall decorations, one of the staples of this scheme, the mum, is a stalwart of autumn but doesn’t always have to be. Now don’t get me wrong, I do love mums, but for a change, I like to “think outside the mum” sometimes and let some other powerhouse perennials take center stage. Plus, there are dozens of varieties of the Chrysanthemum genus that should garner some praise as well. I think once your garden brims with the buds of other fall delights, then thinking outside the mum might just become a new way of thinking.

Herbs and veggies …plant combos of rosemary, parsley, sages, and thyme for luscious arrays of beautiful scents and foliage contrasts. I love to use Lemon Thyme, Golden Variegated Sage, and Parsley for borders and containers and then flavor my autumn dishes with their lovely essence. Rosemary of course is the backbone of the garden and flavor extraordinaire, but this evergreen herb makes a gorgeous green hedge and backdrop to a border or container composition. Mix Swiss chard, lettuces, mustards, and even a cabbage or two within your planters and beds for a potager or kitchen garden of your very own. Cardoon spp. or artichokes also fair well in the Southern garden through fall and into winter.

       
Now for some flower power…I rely on snapdragons, Mexican salvia, Ryan’s daisies, Mexican mint and marigold, and Puerto Rican salvia to send off summer into a glorious fall. Plant all these in the spring for a fabulous fall and a fabulous fall it shall be! Old fashions such as asters, Joe Pye weed, and cosmos make for ever delightful bouquets and garden blossoms as well. Look for a fun old faithful such as the ‘Rachel Jackson’ aster – a descendant of the grand dame’s garden at the Hermitage itself. Light purple flowers dance on pretty green stalks and bloom well into the fall when nothing else seems to be blooming. Your fall flower bed can truly be the swan song of the garden with proper planning and planting.




Think green and shades in between. Artemisia, Ajuga, crotons, and Ipomoea (sweet potato vine) make for foliage haute couture. Try some of the darker colors of sweet potato vine such as ‘Blackie’ for a deep aubergine flair in the garden. Huechera (coral bells )cultivars such as ‘Key Lime,’ ‘Crème Brulee,’ and ‘Crème de Menthe’ are gorgeous mixed with other greens, ivy, and  pansies, cabbage, or violas. Eucalyptus makes for striking blue green foliage in the fall and last well into winter in the Deep South. A palette of cool blues from Eucalyptus and salmon rusts from huecheras will make a splendid tableau for your fall garden flair.




Do think outside the mum…with a list of fun flowers to choose from, “mum”  may not be the word for this fall; and from this Farmer’s garden to yours, happy fall, ya’ll!

Mimi’s Apple Cake…From Bainbridge to Ellijay and back to Kathleen

Every year about this time, Mimi and Granddaddy traipse up through Georgia’s mountains to find some of the Peach State’s greatest fruits–apples! Each autumn, the Peach State yields bushels and bushels of apples and my grandparents seem to always bring many of those bushels back to our now empty peach country. “Whatever will we do with all these apples? “ Mimi always inquires; yet her queries are always quelled once she gets to cooking and baking with the bounty from their mountain travels.



First comes Gingergold, Jonaold, and of course, Gala, with some of this Farmer’s favorites such as Pink Lady and Fuji rounding out the season. This first trip to the North Georgia Mountains brought us the former apple varieties and the apple baking season has commenced! Another trip to Highlands or even further in North Carolina will bring my grand people back with more apples and I know that we’ll be apple-rich for the season. We have already had pies, some applesauce and, with much fanfare and glee, Mimi’s Apple Cake.

Now Mimi’s Apple Pie is divine, case closed and court dismissed. BUT, Mimi’s Apple Cake just might take the cake for that matter as one of this Farmer’s favorite desserts of all time. One thing so enticing about this delicacy is that it is easy baking at its easiest, yet so elegant in presentation and palette. This cake will make you appear to be a baker’s baker even if this is your first cake. Plus, this recipe allows Mimi and me to open up one of our favorite cookbooks, her hometown of Bainbridge’s very own Recipes of the First United Methodist Church.

      “What I love most about this cookbook is that I can read the recipes from women I’ve known and loved for all my life–this cookbook is as if I’m back in Bainbridge as a young girl eating from many of the tables graced by these recipes.” Mimi.

If you don’t have a small town, Southern church cookbook, then you are missing out. These genres of Southern literature are a post in and of themselves. Much of my culinary inspiration comes from these classics and I highly recommend you finding your favorites from your grandmother’s caches, mama’s library, or from antique malls and used book stores. Trust me, they are worth their weight in butter!

Mimi’s Apple Cake is so delicious and enjoyable for several reasons I feel. One, the toasted pecans in the cake and serving as garnish gives me that sweet and salty complement I crave. Secondly, the simplicity of the cake itself is so appealing. The ingredients are not complicated and are readily on hand. Furthermore, this cake is the gift that keeps giving, more so, a gift you can keep on giving; for you can easily make two, sharing one with friends and keeping one for your family. Christmas, Thanksgiving, or any holiday for that matter, this cake is a perfect gift or contribution to your supper club, dinner party, church dinner on the grounds, or host/hostess gift.



With fresh apples abounding from August to December, this cake is sure to be a hit this fall. From this Farmer’s Mimi and to your table, I hope this cake becomes the apple of your eye.

Mimi’s Apple Cake

3 Eggs
2 cups of sugar (this can be cut down by a third cup if need be)
1 ½ cup of vegetable oil
1 teaspoon of baking soda
1 pinch of salt
3 cups of all purpose flour
2 teaspoons of good vanilla
3 cups, about 3 average size apples, of chopped raw apples
1 cup of toasted and chopped pecans
2 teaspoons of cinnamon

• In a large bowl, beat the eggs, add the sugar and oil, and then add dry ingredients, apples, and nuts.

• Pour into a greased bunt pan or tube pan.

• Bake at 335 degrees for 1/ ½ hours.

• Garnish with freshly whipped cream and roasted pecans, buttered and salted.

• How easy is that? Enjoy!