Bittersweet

Ornamental Bittersweet wrapped around a dead tree branch.

The Bittersweet reached
almost all the way to the
top of this evergreen.

One of the things I look forward to each year is foraging for and collecting bittersweet. The pretty yellow berries pop open to reveal a small bright crimson interior. I love that they last that way for many months. Their colors perfectly reflect the best autumn has to offer. They just make me happy.

I make garlands by twining the willing tendrils around themselves and drape them over shelves and cabinet tops. I fill mason jars with sprigs to create tall center-pieces for my kitchen table. I make cheerful wreaths for our door.

In our first foray of the year, Sean and Kristen came with me to my favorite spot to collect our bounty. Sean was a great help in untangling its mass from the pine tree it was strangling. After we got to spend a few minutes visiting with Kristen's grandmother, Nancy.

On Thursday, I brought three wreaths with me to the Bucksport Bay Farmer's Market and they were well-received. I think I will bring more with me this week. :) That meant another trip to collect additional vines and berries. This time Meaghan and Kristen went with us. The girls helped me while Sean worked with Nancy to tame some unruly greens in her yard. We selected a spot where the bittersweet grew closer to the ground, thinking it would be easier to reach, but our selected patch was guarded by other long vines clustered with red berries and wicked thorns determined to leave us bloody for our efforts. I am calling us successful, since once more the back of the car came home full to bursting with lovely bittersweet, but all three of us girls are sporting punctures- especially me.

If you are interested in a wreath for your home, I would be delighted to create a special one just for you. They are all different and measure approximately 16-20" across. The cost is $20 plus shipping. Or, if you are local and want to select your own, you can find a selection at The Not So Empty Nest in Bangor. (I'll add other shops as I know wreaths will be available in them.)


Do you have ornamental Bittersweet growing near you? Do you ever collect it?

While we were out and about, I captured some images of Autumn from our neck of the woods. I hope you enjoy them...

Leaves turning colors

Evergreens

Berries

One of my favorite views. 

Sprigs make lovely center-pieces in a mason jar. 

What a difference a couple days can make. The trees are all beginning to change color.

Thanks for visiting with us. Hope you come again soon! ~Sean & Sonja ♥

Bittersweet Memories

Since fall is well and truly begun, I decided it was time to change our background to reflect the autumn colors around me. Enjoy!

Bittersweet berries.

 A dear friend of mine, Nancy, introduced me to  Oriental Bittersweet, a plant that grows in the wild here in Maine and other parts of the nation. It is potentially toxic, definitely invasive, and decidedly lovely. Once planted to help battle erosion along road sides, these vines are now being removed in many places, since they have adapted better than the native species, American Bittersweet. A relative in the Night Shade Family, all parts of this plant (especially the red seeds) are potentially poisonous to humans and animals, except perhaps birds- who seem to be able eat the seeds without an issue. I will not test this out on our beloved chickens, though!

"Oriental bittersweet is a vigorously growing vine that climbs over and smothers vegetation which may die from excessive shading or breakage. When bittersweet climbs high up on trees the increased weight can lead to uprooting and blow-over during high winds and heavy snowfalls. In addition, Oriental bittersweet is displacing our native American bittersweet (Celastrus scandens) through competition and hybridization." (Source Material: PCA Alien Plant Working READ MORE HERE.)


So with all the potential risk, why am I interested in Bittersweet? Like many decorators, the cheery orange yellow berries that pop open to reveal a bright red seed appeal to me. Since it grows as a vine, it is very easy to use to create lovely wreaths and braided garlands with and lasts for at least a year and sometimes longer. The garland I had braided shortly after our wedding in 2008 to decorate Grandma Re's hutch in the kitchen was in desperate need of replacing.

Hail the conquering Hero!

So, despite the threat of rain showers, my daughter Caitlin and her dog, Maggie and I all ventured to "our spot" to collect us a trunk full of Bittersweet yesterday. We left early in the morning and drove the hour to Brooksville. There we pulled onto a disused logging trail, pushed our way through the brush, and began to cut long pieces of branch and vines. It would have been very convenient if we found much of it growing low enough to harvest easily. Such was not the case. Most of what we found grew high enough that it took the two of us to get to it. Caitlin gently pulled down on the branch and I reached as far as I could to cut some away from as high up as I could reach. When we cut all we could reach relatively easily, we walked up the roadside and attempted to gather some while simultaneously avoiding both wickedly sharp thorns from a bush standing guard in front of it or toppling into the 6 foot-deep ravine winding behind it. A delicate balancing act that left us both covered with small punctures and scratches, but with my car's trunk full of wreath-making treasures.

Back at home, we spent the next couple hours immersed in the pleasant task of chatting together, removing all of the leaves and braiding the branches and vines into decorations. You can't make them wrong. It is all a matter of taste. I like mine to be loosely braided and very free flowing in design. I created one wreath and 2 garlands. Caitlin made two wreaths by twining the branches together to form circles. Twist garden ties work great to secure them in circle form until they are braided enough to hold the shape desired of them without the additional support. We were very careful to bag all the left-over, unused parts so we could safely dispose of them. I usually burn the parts I don't use in our fire pit. These were my finished pieces:

The berries start out a lovely orange-yellow color. Within a day or two, they pop open to reveal bright red seeds.

I am not versed in the use of medicinal plants, but when I was doing research for this post, I came across some interesting information about the medical usage for Oriental Bittersweet. According to THIS ARTICLE, it appears that besides its value as a decoration, other parts of the plant may have medicinal uses.

"Root: Tea made from root bark has emetic and diuretic properties and is a folk remedy for liver ailments, skin problems, leukorrhea, and rheumatism. Also, used to treat childbirth pain.

Bark: Bark used in ointment to externally treat burns and minor skin problems.

Leaves: Leaf tea is astringent and used for diarrhea and dysentery."
Source: Medical Plants- Bittersweet (link above)

I thought the article was interesting, but I think I will stick to using it as decoration for the now. 


Farm House Style Hop #2

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Thanks for your visit today, friends.
Sonja ♥