Kudzu

 

Kudzu is an aggressive vine that has the ability to grow a foot a day and smother everything in its path. This native of Asia is a legume and was introduced to the United States in 1876, and now covers more than 2.8 million square km of the South.  Some sources call it "the vegetable form of cancer!"    http://www.jjanthony.com/kudzu/

Our Relief Society President, Cathy McClanahan, had the brilliant idea of making wreaths out of kudzu vines... an economical resource [FREE] consistent with our theme of "provident living."

First we stripped the leaves off kudzu vine and wrapped it around re-bar stakes to form various shapes: ovals, hearts, and stars.  We let the vine dry for two weeks and during this time gathered embellishments found in nature:  Sugar cane seed, teasel, cucumber tree pods, walnut hulls, pine cones, and chestnuts.

When we finished decorating our wreaths, we were very pleased.  This is mine...now hanging on our front door.  Each element has a history and fond memory:

• The Sugar cane seeds were gathered at The Breaks Interstate Park the day Cathy took me to the annual molasses stir-off.
• Cucumber tree seed pods picked up on a day hike in Burke's Garden when John Thomas visited from BYU-Idaho to research his Heninger family history.
• Chestnuts from the church parking lot
• Teasel, found in abundance everywhere-- whose root is recommended as treatment for Lyme disease
• Walnuts from Cathy's front yard
• The bow donated and tied by Teresa Reynolds...Debbie Clifton's mother

-- I love Autumn and all the colors of fall --