Meadow treasures

Speaking of wonders of the plant world, how amazing is it that a Pennsylvania Smartweed, a plant that only thrives in boggy sites, decided to pick the drought summer of them all to beautify my garden. Graceful and delicate, it keeps good company to the broad leaved nicotiana that undoubtedly protected its roots from the scorching heat.

Every stroll through the meadows reminds me that we're walking among treasure we can't replicate but which makes itself so readily available, the acres of diamonds of plant life, a quiet laboratory where medicine, pigments, fragrances, fibers and building materials grow with minimal energy consumption, right under our eyes, modestly and reliably.

Did you ever gloss over the seemingly infinite variety of vibrant colors in a natural yarn catalog? Plant pigment combinations yield almost any color from intense yellow, to blue or even black for the experienced dyer who knows how to prepare them.

The madder plant, the sandalwood, and the logwood don't need high temperatures, pressure, or any energy other than the sun and the nutrients they draw from the ground to process the most intense apricots, bricks and royal purples inside their roots and heartwood. They are not the plants I want to talk about though, this article is dedicated to the unassuming greens that grow along freeways and find their way into your own yard:

• goldenrod, an amazing medicinal herb and a recognized dyer's plant that can also be processed into rubber.

• the practically maintenance free ivy, which contains a rare pigment that colors fabrics grayish green without the use of mordanting additives.

• safflower, one of the oldest crops ever grown and an abundant source of natural red and yellow dyes. It produces a refined cooking oil and the residue from the oil press can be processed into soap.

• speaking of soap, soapwort got its name for a reason. Art preservation masters still use the soap and shampoo produced naturally in the leaves and stems of these flowers for cleaning the most delicate fabrics.

• heather, the wild growing herb, a free and abundant source for beige and tan pigments.

• hollyhock flowers create beautiful mauves, purples and maroons on natural wool. They are also an important ingredient in cosmetics, due to their emollient and anti-inflammatory properties.

This list could go on indefinitely, everything that grows out of the ground has something to offer. You don't believe me? Crabgrass root infusion is a diuretic and liver tonic, also helps with sprains when applied as a poultice, and the weed itself can be used to make paper. Please don't try this at home, I'm just trying to make a point! Ok, maybe the paper part...I just wonder as I step on any shoot growing wild in the meadows what source of continuously replenishing treasure I thoughtlessly trampled under foot.

What about my beautiful guest, the Pennsylvania Smartweed? Yes, it has medicinal properties too, quite impressive ones. I will not mention them here, though, with the hope that curiosity will nudge you to look them up.