Yesterday the sky, today the ground. It is a Saturday in October and we encourage you to take a nature hike. We did and found these black walnuts on Hobbs Road. The black walnut, also known as juglans nigra,is a species of flowering tree in the hickory family. The wood is used to make furniture and flooring, the nut meat is used in baking, the shell is used commercially for abrasive cleaning, and oil is pressed from the seeds. The drupe (fleshy part between the seed and the outer skin) is used for dyeing fabric and was even used as hair dye in previous centuries.
The tree seems ideal with its many uses, until you learn that the roots, leaves, and husks secrete a substance into the soil that actually poisons some plants. White birch trees and tomatoes are two plants that should never be planted near walnut trees. The woodsy scent of black walnuts evokes the feeling of a brisk fall morning! Do you think Yankee Candle could feature that scent and color?
I like the composition of this photo very much; the strong horizontal linear movement of the twigs (?)lead into the roundness of the walnuts, which have a nice textural quality. Using a screen to break down the strong horizontal light from the left would have enhanced the textural appeal;
I doubt if an imitation of nature would approximate the real thing, so I doubt Yankee Candle will satisfy. Glibwit
Posted by: Alice Moore | Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 10:33 AM
Ah, so that's what our tree is. Thanks! (Still trying to figure out how to eat the nuts though. The shells are rock hard and, even when opened, they hold the "meat" so tightly as to make it nearly impossible to get anything more then a few crumbles out.)
Posted by: Roch101 | Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 11:20 AM
Nice photo of a multi-purpose nut.
Posted by: Dina | Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 12:41 PM
Our neighborhood has several trees. one of them has such a bountiful crop that you cant walk in the yard. I was walking my dog and stopped to help my neighbor. they will stain your hands. you have to wait for the outer shell to dry before cracking open.
Posted by: Sue | Saturday, October 10, 2009 at 09:15 PM