The Wizard of Tuskegee - Gordon Mallonee

So if ever there was a druid of the old ways that was accepted by people of his time and after as being remarkable in understanding plants and nature it would have to be George Washington Carver. Chapter 9 of the secret life of plants is all about him and how he was able to talk with plants and understand nature. he turned the "lowly peanut, considered useful only as hog food, and the unknown sweet potato into hundreds of separate products, ranging from cosmetics and axle grease to printers ink and coffee."- p135. he would just walk the country side and talk to plants of all kinds. he would even bring back certain types of plants that would cure sick animals and the farmers had no idea how he was able to do it. word got out that he was good with plants and so house wives from all over would bring him their bad off plants and he would restore them to there natural beauty in no time. When he was asked how he did it, "Carver only said softly, All flowers talk to me and so do hundreds of little living things in the woods. I learn what i know by watching and loving everything."

"When world war 1 broke out, and the shortage of dyestuffs presented itself as a serious natinal problem, Carver rambled at daybreak though the mist and dew, inquiring of his plant friends which of them could alleciate teh deficit. From the leaves, roots, stems, and fruits of 28 volunteers he coaxed 536 separate dyes, which could be used to color wool, cotton, linen, silk and even leather, producing 49 of them from the scuppernong grape alone.

so he was a cool dude talk to the plants and learning all that he did.