There are three different text components on Ode to the Fig: Excerpts from the DH Lawrence poem “How to eat a fig”, several paragraphs of Sylvia Plath’s “Fig Tree”(from In the Bell Jar), and my own experience of visiting a local farm and eating fresh figs straight from the tree.

Text Transcription: Does the sun always shine in Skopelos? It can certainly feel that way. There was so little rain in the summer of 2025 that by September, the figs and olives were shrinking on the proverbial vine. Finally, late in September, rain fell, and the snails came out of hiding. Walking up from town at night, it seemed we crushed so many in the dark. The next morning, we ran into Christos carrying a bucket. He was collecting snails. Snail-hunting, if you will. Christos instructed me on how to prepare the snails. For three days, they must be fed only wild fennel; this will clean their digestive track. Next, soak them overnight in saltwater. Finally, they are ready to be cooked and eaten.
This type of snail is Eobania vermiculata, commonly known as the chocolate-banded snail. Compared to other Helicad snails, Eobania vermiculata has a fairly flattened shell. It is endemic to the Mediterranean. For the record, the only snails I have eaten in Skopelos are the famous cheese pies which are made in the shape of a snail. Skopelos, Greece, 2025

Text Transcription: Fig trees are not native to Greece; they were likely introduced from Asia minor in the 9th century BC. The fig is considered the first fruit cultivated by man. Although many fig species must be fertilized by a wasp, this variety is the common fig, Ficus carica; it is self-pollinating.
This is the leaf from the Judas tree, Cercis siliquastrum. It blooms around Easter when it is covered with deep pink blooms.
This is the leaf of the Black Locust; it is considered to be invasive on Skopelos. It is safe to say that it wasn’t introduced unitl after 1601 when the species was introduced to Europe from North America.
The olive tree is not native to Greece. It was introduced in the sixteenth century BC.
Mulberry tree, Moras Alba, was introduced to Greece in 400 BC where it was an important part of silk production, feeding the silkworms.
These are the berries of the Turpentine tree, Pistacia terebinthus. This relative of the Pistacchio tree is native to Skopelos. Turpentine is not made from this tree; it is primarily made from the resin of the Aleppo Pine, another Skopelos native that covers the hills and makes Skopelos the greenest island in Greece.
Cape plumbago, Plumbago auriculata, was likely introduced to Greece in the 18th century. The only type of Plumbago that is native to Greece is Plumbago Europa, commonly called Leadwort. Cape Plumbago is a native of South Africa.
Finakas is the Greek word for palm. Palm trees on Skopelos are in decline owing to the appetite of the Red Palm weevil. Most of the Palms were Cretan Date palms, Phoenix theoprasti, native to Crete and other parts of the southern Mediterranean, one of only two palm trees native to the area.
These are the plants I encountered on my daily walk to the Studio. They are all included.

Honey Bee contains research about the history and biology of the Fig species, my experience of visiting a monastery and searching for the Scarce Swallowtail butterfly, and my introduction to Bee-eaters, a new species of bird for me.