A little color showing

Fall is in the air and the trees are beginning to turn just a bit. The color in autumn is so cheerful. It gives me a psychic lift just as we enter the cold and dark season. The "American household botany : a history of useful plants 1620-1900" [SB 108 .U5 585 2004] by Judith Sumner notes practical uses for plants.

The review from Booklist posted on Amazon

Sumner examines nearly two hundred years of American know-how, offering a captivating perspective on how plants have been used in the home. The foodstuffs of Native American agriculture and the gardens of European settlers are first studied, from the preparation of many kinds of grains to arrays of fruits, berries, and vegetables found in the kitchen gardens at Monticello. Early "herbals" and cookbooks provide background, which is supplemented by descriptions of botanical aspects such as toxic compounds or helpful medicinal properties..."

Ms. Sumner doesn't mention color as a useful feature of plants but I know the change of seasons helps this city person get through life!