Some life experiences are just too special to keep to oneself.
Today after church, a 3rd generation octogenarian friend from Celo Mountain/ Toe River Valley suggested I drive up to another member's home with her to see the fading mountain laurel blooms that lined the winding, wooded drive up to the house. Last Sunday the blooms were at their prime, the best my friend said she has seen in her 80+ years on this mountain. Working had to take priority last Sunday for me, but today she drove me through this breathtaking beauty and got out of the car and walked the wooded path (these mountain women - and men - are extremely strong, vigorous and capable well into their 80's and 90's!) to get me closer to these wild, native blooming cousins of roses and azaleas. Our mountains are ablaze in this color now with the rhododendrons to soon follow. And all of this is natural - not landscaped, not planted by man!
As beautiful as the blooms are on these tree-sized plants, the bark and limbs are equally beautiful in their unique twistings and shapes. Local artists use these for beautiful fence railings and handcrafted furniture (see inset photo and link below for this particular artist.)
Notice the two photos of the low-growing plant at the bottom left of the collage. This is wild galax. There are outsiders who come in and illegally gather these valuable plants to sell. If caught, these people end up serving time in prison. Galax is used in many floral arrangements and are legally harvested, as well, by a local business here on Celo but with severe restrictions.
House Bill 476 passed the State House 3 days ago to make it "unlawful to uproot, dig, disturb or remove galax plants without a written permit, or to buy galax out of a buying season, among other restrictions...Unsustainable harvesting of galax in Western North Carolina, where the plant grows wild in certain environments, has some land managers concerned the plant will go extinct. The North Carolina mountains are the largest source of galax in the United States. Forest Service researchers have estimated the plant, used in floral arrangements, to have a market value of $10 million." (There are equally tough restrictions on wild, native ginseng, as well.)
Come take the winding, wooded drive blooming with wild mountain laurel and budding with the soon-to-bloom wild rhododenron on the way to THE COVE AT CELO MOUNTAIN. Spring in the Blue Ridge is just too beautiful to miss! Join us for the Rhododendron Festival and Mountain Farm Lavender Festival upcoming June 17 and 18 and June 18 and 19, respectively.
Ahh...the Beauty and Power of Place!
