Elemental

The Disappearing Spoon: And Other True Tales of Madness, Love, and the History of the World from the Periodic Table of the Elements

If you subscribe to the "truth is stranger than fiction" theory, as do I, then I can promise without a doubt that you will love this book. Though I read very little other than non-fiction, I feel this book stands out from the crowd in its appeal to both layman and specialist, who will no doubt appreciate the levity even in the most hideous of cases, such as the Nuclear Boy Scout who loved his amerecium, almost to death. (By the way, I wonder where he is now, kudos and a big bag of organic, heirloom vegetable seeds to anyone who posts with an update.)

But enough of this, what is afoot in my garden, you may well ask, or not, but here goes anyway. I decided to plant yucca, bear grass, and devil's claw (the O'odham domestic variety with claws up to 18") for an experimental basketry project that I am planning for later this winter. Here are some royalty free stock photos of devil's claw, for those of you who have never seen them, and I will also be posting pictures of my plants as soon as I take the time to download them.

The fruits of all species are edible before they ripen and become woody and  they can be steamed and eaten. The Tohono O'odham eat the seeds, in ancient times seeds provided an important source of dietary oils. But beware if you are ever riding horses in an area where these are found, as they can cause a severe crippling injury if stepped upon or caught around an ankle.

 immature plant

 small but lovely flowers

botanical illustration

 the actual dried claws before preparation for use in basketry and before seeds are removed for use as a food source

 Hawkmoth species, known to feed on and pollinate devil's claw plants. The devil's claw is the only plant not in the solanum family that this moth's young will feed on.

 Hawkmoths in the larval stage, yum!

 Dark areas on askets are woven from devil's claw. Papago woman circa 1916.

 O yes, my grapes are covered with these, but I leave them alone since they do a better job of pruning than I do, and besides, I am a sucker for butterflies. Since they never show up until after my grapes are picked, I can't see any reason to bother them.