The lesson learned is the pace of growth among many wild native plants. Seven years is often listed as the time required from planting seed to seeing a flower. Our transplants may open their buds this year just slightly faster than a plant grown from seed. Deer dancing among our native plants may have diminished the number viable plants so a wire cage now protects these highly prized plants. If flowers occur here, that should happen soon. We may see White, Stinking Benjamin and Painted Trillium flowers fairly close together in our woodland garden this year. With a little luck today's warm rain will speed the process along. We are watching in breathless anticipation!
Thursday, April 29, 2021
Painted Trillium
Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Worth The Wait
Monday, April 26, 2021
Garlic Weeding
The bed in the foreground was clear weeded last fall and covered with ground fallen tree leaves. Occasional weeds were pulled today during our brief time spent outside. A decision needs to be made as to what will be planted here. Voles have viciously fed on our Siberian Iris planted down by the road for the second consecutive year. We may move some of the remaining bits and pieces here providing them with a chance to regrow.
A pair of much smaller woodpeckers are raising young in the holes in the tree trunk. I could see them fliting about gathering food while Becky could hear the sounds made by the babies. From the garden the nesting holes are hard to see. When the Red Maple leafs out they will be invisible!
Monday, April 19, 2021
Back To Irma's Woods
This is just a small corner of a huge collection of Spring Beauties growing on the top of a large flat detached chunk of the bedrock ridge. Spring Beauty leaves, pointy and narrow, are easily seen in this photo. This surface is above the soil level of the forest floor. Here a thin layer of rotted vegetation enriched with the minerals dissolved from the rock supply nutrients to these plants. Yesterday, carefully working among our garden plants reopened a leg scrape resulting in wisdom demanding that a light day would move it toward healing. Part of this down time was spent next to plants that require no human intervention. It was a day well spent.
Tuesday, April 13, 2021
Early Arbutus Flowers
This Spring has been nearly totally lacking rain. Recently we had a two day rain event that resulted in nearly one inch of gentle rain spread across two days. Previously we had a single day of light drizzle. With these early drought conditions the plants have widely responded to moisture. The common name May Flower has been earlier been used to identify these plants but here we are just short of mid April and we have flowers.
Friday, April 9, 2021
Irma's Woods Once Again
Bloodroot has held my attention for a number of years. Plants have been lost to drought or rude deer altogether too often. The preferred conditions for continued growth are unknown. Here these plants grow only in one small area for reasons that completely escape me. The closed flower bud is tightly surrounded by circle of leaves until it is pushed above the tangle of forest soil as can be seen in the upper most plant. The white petals are fragile and wind frequently pulls them loose. Blossoms last only for a short time and the display can easily be missed. These flowers may be only one day old and will be gone early next week. Our visits here have been frequent. This is what we wanted to see.
This sight improved our moods immensely. One of our Fall planted Bloodroots has pushed its leaf cluster above the ground. Deep deer hoof prints widely cover this ground and we were fearful that the new plants were destroyed. Water will be hauled to this area to help any others along.
Tuesday, April 6, 2021
First Native Flower
The newly emerged male plant appears more subdued than the female. Flower structure will be different and we will closely watch the growth cycle of these plants.
Bloodroot is another early blooming native plant. Weather has not been kind to these plants for the past two years. Our search today did not produce a sighting of an emerging plant at either Irma's woods or our garden. Bloodroot is usually in flower close to the time of the Hepatica but this year no trace of these plants has been found. Spring rainfall has been missing here and that may be a factor in the lack of these plants. Deer made their presence know here with many hoof prints and holes where our Bloodroots were planted. New plants were Fall purchased and planted but to date there is no sign of plant growth here.
Saturday, April 3, 2021
The Thrill Of Spring Flowers
For me early spring ephemerals in the garden are an exciting waiting game. Some of my favorite plants look mostly dead or missing. This year with all of the rodent tunnels the possibility of them being gone for good is a bigger concern. This delightful blue carpet of Giant Glory of the Snow makes me almost giddy! The flower stems are 4-6 inches tall. Someday I will cut one and bring it indoors, but I really like them where they are.
The first Windflower opened today. These are planted where I can watch them dance in the wind from my bedroom window on chilly mornings. While they last they are a special treat.
I gave the windflowers an encore because I could not choose between the pictures. The dark pink bud will be coming right along. The soft grey leaves are a nearby Rose Campion that will bloom after the windflowers are gone except for the stone marking their place.
Ed and I have become very interested in Native plants. I have been watching and waiting for the arrival of these Sharp-lobed Hepatica flowers. Most years last year's leaves remain but this year they did not. That was worrisome. It is a real joy to see these flowers. I know my plants will return if they can. They want to grow and are just waiting for their chance in the rain and the sun. Spring is a wonderful time in the garden. This is just the beginning!