Leaf Ecology

 One of my house plants with huge leaves was moved outside to our courtyard a few years ago.  It thrived, and produced vigorous new leaves, living in a shady spot under some bamboos.  I've noticed that as stuff fell from the upper story of the garden, dead bamboo leaves, tree litter that blew off the roof, leaves from the plum tree, etc. the top surface accumulated a bit of a compost pile on the leaf.  A spider used this stuff to support a web, and other small bugs. 

This valley of life on the leaf surface would never have occurred indoors. We let the cottage garden plants intermingle.  Discovering this little community living on the large leaves of the Philodendron was such a nice surprise. 

There is a regular community on each of the large leaf tops now--subject to the occasional dumping if we have a big enough rain. Each assemblage is a bit different.  A typical pile will have leaves from the Black Acacia, Arundinaria and Phyllostachys nigra "Hennon", Otatea acuminata, maybe an oak leaf, and some plum detritus. Spider webs tie it together and trap smaller particles.

   Soon, a layer of composting forms in the cradle of the leaf.  This Philodendron's leaves have holes in them naturally, draining the pile.  I wonder if the host plant derives some nutrient benefits from this arrangement?

The long, needle like leaves are actually from the Otatea acuminata aztectorum bamboo.

 

 

 

  

This spider built his food gathering web around this Papyrus flowers,  with a long groups of  threads extending up  into the draping leaves of an Otatea acuminata aztectorum bamboo growing above the Papyrus

  Once he felt threatened on his main web, he retreats up to the bamboo leaves. Quite a remarkable feat to construct such a resilient and utilitarian structure, a home.   

See more about Philodendron plants here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philodendron

One of the gifts that I get when I stretch my energy sometimes is the spiritual lift that comes from being with good people at dawn in nature in a place of power, together in local peace. After a long week of working late, stress and struggle, we got up before 4am and drove to the top of Mount Tamalpais in Marin County to join 91 year old Anna Halprin and a band of intrepid folks on a trek from the parking lot to the summit to see the dawn over San Pablo Bay and San Francisco. Looking toward Mt. Diablo, we hunkered down in awe as the sun rose over the fog covered north bay on one of the longest days of the year.

This Cherokee morning song reminds us of the simple truth, of our connection to the web of life. Later, I'll post more of the sharing from Planetary Dance 2011. Enjoy: Cherokee Morning Song.

As the American Indian elders say: "All life is sacred".

One of the things that I enjoy on Sunday morning is to go to the farmers market at the Marin Civic Center to browse for veggies, herbs and fruit that form the basis for our dinners next week. We are blessed with two viable farmers markets each week, though our Thursday evening market is maybe half the size it was two years ago. Sunday's event is still vibrant, a place to not only buy food, but to encounter other community members, to learn and to enjoy a bit of music with breakfast.  Simple pleasures, money that stays within the community, contact with the growers, and a place for kids and families to wander in a safe place.  Thanks for the opportunity to be in a community that has a farmers market, a community that cooks with local produce and meat, a community where healthy eating is a community value.