Indian Pipe (monotropa uniflora)

The Indian Pipe (also known as the Ghost Plant, or Corpse Plant) is a rather unusual flower. It contains no chlorophyll and cannot manufacture its own food by photosynthesis, instead it is a parasitic plant that feeds on the beneficial fungi that grow in tree roots. Indian Pipes are found in dark, damp wooded areas, and it is the combination of growing conditions and specific food source that makes this plant an uncommon find.

Most Indian Pipes are a ghostly white color. This pink specimen I found is quite rare, with a red variety being the most rare of all. It is a fascinating flower, with waxy, almost translucent leaves and petals. It looks more like an alien species than something that would grow naturally on earth. It just goes to show you how mysterious and wonderful the natural world we live in really is!

Bumblebee's love the flower's pollen!

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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Late Bloomers

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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

The Dandelion

The Dandelion, 4 x4, ink fresco

The Dandelion, taraxacum officinale, is one of the first immigrants to North America along with the European colonists, had an established and long history in Europe where it was used medicinally, as a source of dye, and as a culinary herb.

As a medicinal herb, it has a reputation in for its effect in treating diabetes, liver ailments, and curing anemia.

The Dandelion was and still can be used to dye wool. The leaves create a yellow dye, while the whole plant creates a magenta color.

But, perhaps the place that most of us can take advantage of the Dandelion is in the kitchen. In the spring, before it flowers, the leaves can be eaten like a salad green. The flavor is a mild bitter-sweet, not unlike escarole. The raw leaves are a healthy low-carbohydrate food, more nutritious than spinach. The USDA Bulletin #8, "Composition of Foods" (Haytowitz and Matthews, 1984) lists Dandelion greens as the fourth in the top of the most nutritional greens. You can eat the leaves later in the season, but they will need to be blanched and cooked to remove the stronger bitter flavor that develops. If you wait until the autumn, after the first frost, the bitterness will have dissipated again. The photo here is of my spring harvest, which soon became part of a delicious mixed green salad. My family, who are not particularly daring in their food choices, all enjoyed the added flavor that Dandelion contributed to the salad.

a plate of freshly picked dandelion greens

Additionally, the root can be roasted and used as a caffeine-free coffee substitute. The flowers can be used to make a wine, or stir-fried as a vegetable. They are particularly tasty dipped in a light batter and fried like tempura.

So, before you start spraying noxious chemicals on your lawn, consider the source of nutritious food you might have right outside your door! Dandelions are high in iron and in vitamins A and C. At a time when grocery costs continue to rise, why go to the store to purchase foods with less nutritional value, when you have a free food source right in your own yard? (NOTE: avoid harvesting near roads, since road salt and and other toxic chemical may be present.) Don't be afraid to experiment, there is nothing toxic about the plant, so no matter what you do it cannot harm you, and you just may appreciate a great use for what was once considered an annoying weed.

Please do share your ideas and uses of the Dandelion by posting in the comments below!

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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Helping the Bees

Last year in America, a third of the honeybee population disappeared, which came after losing a third of the population the year before. This is happening all over the world. Without some serious intervention, we are looking at the very real possibility of the extinction of the honeybee.

There are many theories concerning the reasons for their decline, none of them yet confirmed. But, regardless of the official reason, one of the theories that has a real impact is the loss of habitat. As more and more houses are built, and suburban sprawl widens, the subsequent deforestation rids the bees of tree cavities to nest in. The fields, once filled with flowers, turn to sterile, chemical-laced lawns, and the few flowers that do get planted in yards often do not provide food for the bees.

Some simple things one can do to help honeybees is to refrain from using pesticides and herbicides on lawns and to plant flowers that attract and nourish the bees. Some of the bee-favored flowers are Asters, Clover, Marigolds, Poppies, Sunflowers, Buttercups, Clematis,
Crocuses, Echinacea, Foxglove, Geraniums, Hollyhocks, Hyacinth, Roses, Sedum, Snowdrops,
Tansy, and Zinnias, plus many vegetable plants, herbs, and flowering trees and shrubs.

The decline of the honeybee has created a serious problem for everyone, for we are losing a key pollinator. Without pollination, our very food supply is threatened. One way to help ease the pressure off the Honeybee is to aid the Blue Orchard Mason Bee, by making homes for them to nest in. They are very industrious pollinators, a single female bee pollinating over 1000 blossoms a day! The male Blue Orchard Mason Bee cannot sting and the female rarely stings, they are not aggressive and safe to have around your home. They are great to watch and a perfect project for families to work on together, as it is very easy and enjoyable.

Here is a link to instructions for making your own Blue Orchard Mason Bee house. It is important to get the houses up soon, as the bees are starting to wake up and will be seeking homes. If you don't have time or really don't want to make your own bee house, here is a link where you can purchase one. I am making mine this week and will post a picture once I get it set up!

Let's do our part to help the creatures whose homes and food we have taken away, and whom we cannot live without!

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DoAn Art is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the purposes of DoAn Art must be made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. 


All artwork and text © Copyright 2005-2009 DoAn Art (Antony Galbraith) unless indicated otherwise. All Rights Reserved. Any downloading, copying or use of images on this website is strictly prohibited without express written consent by Antony Galbraith.

Stopping to Smell the Flowers

On Monday morning Lian and I took a walk to the park. It is our morning routine. It gives me some time to wake up, enjoy the quiet of the neighborhood and observe the subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) changes in nature. For Lian it is a chance for exercise and to see if this would be the day that one of the neighborhood kitties would finally stay and play with her, rather than high-tail it into the bushes. She is always hopeful.

This morning, when I stepped outside I noticed a very peculiar smell. The sun had only been up for about an hour, and there was a very heavy dew covering everything. The air was still, with no discernible breeze, and this scent was thick and cloying. Now, for me to even notice a smell means that it had to be very strong. Ever since I suffered a concussion a few years ago my sense of smell has become rather unreliable. Many times I can't smell a thing. But this scent was one I couldn't ignore.

My first thought was that there was a fire somewhere, because the smell was everywhere that I walked. It didn't seem to dissipate as I continued to the park. It also made me think of the way that smoke from a house fire seems to hang low when there isn't a breeze to whisk it away. However, I realized that there was a sweetness to the scent, which is not something I would normally connect to a fire.

It wasn't until I arrived at the park that I began to suspect what the source of the smell might be. I noticed an enormous number of honeysuckle bushes lining the park, all in full bloom. There were many of all sizes, some as big as small trees. I realized, that there were also several growing all along the route that Lian and I take to get to the park. I walked up to one of the bushes and took a sniff of the delicate white flowers. That was the scent! Sweet and delicate. But when the scent is multiplied by thousands of blossoms...it had become rather over powering.

It was a moment of joy for me, as it was one of the few times that I could actually smell something. I find now, that because my olfactory sense is quite diminished, when I do actually smell something it becomes a moment of minor celebration. Back when my sense of smell was normal, I don't recall thinking much about my sense of smell other than this thing smelled good or that thing smelled bad. Now, I can totally relate to the phrase: Stopping to Smell the Flowers! There is sound wisdom in that phrase.

By doing so, I got to enjoy a moment of pure sensual delight that I rarely get to experience. And, while we were stopped by the bush, a small purring kitty came out and actually brushed up against Lian. She was so happy! So happy in fact, that her excitement sent the cat fleeing back into the bushes again. Oh well, it was just a moment...but no less meaningful!