Wild Columbine was found in blossom on the fill that was used to bury the remains of the barn that burned here in the mid 1960's. When we visited John Burrough's cabin columbine was growing in front of his cabin and around the dry stone wall that enclosed his grave site. We also found it growing from narrow slits in the shale cliff that bordered the trail at Buttermilk Falls State Park near Ithaca. It seems like the perfect plant to grow next to our neighbor's mowed field. Here in January some of the plants are still green.
The plastic tag identifies this as a purchased plant. Its size may place it among bushes but we plan to use it to separate sections of planting beds. We were surprised to find it still green.
Robin's Plantain looks like an aster when it is in flower but the season then is all wrong. Another name for this plant is Blue Spring-Daisy. We found it growing wild in one of the pastures. It took to being transplanted and has claimed large sections of ground. We are using it as another border plant between our flowers and the neighbor's field. Here again we were surprised to find it still green.
Round Lobed Hepatica is in danger of being overrun by Forget-Me-Nots. Aside from their exuberance they are a desirable plant. These will be weeded out when the ground thaws but many will be planted in open ground.
Saving the best for last, here are some new Cardinal Flower plants for next summer. At least three dead stalks can be seen so the new plants are overcrowded. Since this is a wild plant we will wait and watch to see just what will grow here come spring. Some of these plants were known by us to remain green under snow cover but others gave us a pleasant surprise. They are not the only living things here that are eager for the arrival of the next season.
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