Finally Warmer Weather

Our recent weather featured three consecutive days of overnight frost.  Some plants were damaged while others look just fine.  These two Goldenseal plants were transplanted about four years ago.  Native plants sometimes do not take that well but these are now sending up new plants.  We may have the option of relocating the young ones.

Trilliums are a plant remembered from my childhood.  Our woods featured a large dense group of these plants.  Many authors describe a seven year wait for plants going from seed to maturity.  Each year we transplant more but few survive.  These are doing fine with first flowers open.  The white flowers in the background are Wood anemones and they have increased in numbers creating a more natural looking carpet.  We hope to live long enough to see the Trilliums more densely packed.  The newly applied leaf mulch was run through the mower last Fall.  Somehow it lacks a natural appearance now but will build a rich black natural looking soil.

The cage protecting these two Twinleaf plants is necessary as our resident deer have destroyed them in the past.  Each plant produced two flower buds but one was broken in the wind.  The flowers lasted less than two full days.  We  will be watching for seeds but the frosts may have ended that.  At least the plants look good.

Trout lilies present a genuine puzzle.  The last glacier left behind soil filled with many stones.  We find a large number of plants with only a single leaf since their struggle to move their corm deeper and flower is blocked by stones.  This garden placement featured soil that was sifted and is stone free to a depth of eight inches.  Here these plants moved from our woods grow like weeds.  We have never seen a dense mass of flowers like this in a natural setting.

Later that day a deer was seen feeding here.  Inspection revealed that these blossoms are tasty since all are now gone and they were bitten off.  No seeds will form this year but more plants are clearly not needed in this location.

Our Bloodroot continue to struggle.  Three plants from seed are trying to grow here.  The oldest plant next to the dead stick flowered first but never opened its leaf.  It appears to be dead.  Close by to its left is another plant trying to spread its leaf and open its flower.  In the center of the picture is a plant in flower but no leaf can be seen.  We have been trying to establish a natural looking group for many years.  Clearly something is missing here.

 

Nearby a more successful introduction of a native plant appears to be off to a great start.  Our transplanted Yellow Ladies-slipper initially had only two or three  stems.  We knew of a wild plant that was growing right next to a rotting tree stump.  We planted a dead stump here and it continues to break down.  Perhaps the stump contributes something to the soil that this plant needs.  This new growth promises an impressive mature flowering plant this year.
 

Finally A Day Fit For Garden Time

One of Becky's favorite photo subjects is the grumpy old grouch gently placing a young plant into the ground.  In this case a new Dutchman's Breeches appeared near the parent plant in our old shade garden.  Our new shade garden is developing under Sumac trees  They are short lived and messy but they are what we have to work with.  A transplanting hole cannot be dug without damaging tree roots so we need new woodland soil to raise the level of the ground.  A fresh supply has been run through the screen and we are ready to move the plant.  The gloved hands have just pulled soil carefully around the root ball.  Water was then applied to the bare soil.  Previously chopped leaves were then worked around the plant intending to create a functionally natural looking planting.  More water followed firming up the leaves and increasing the chances of success for this plant in its new home.

The stone bearing the plant's name negatively impacts the sought after natural look but is a tremendous aid when one finds himself unable to remember.  The name is placed on both sides of the stone since the exposed label will fade.  Correct identification can then be found on the under side of the stone.  This plant should flourish in its new home.

Our old Jacob's Ladder plant had pushed itself up out of the ground.  We took this opportunity to unearth the entire plant and divide it into two pieces.  One piece was properly returned to its former location while the remaining piece was moved into the new shade garden.  The root mass was sizable so a considerable amount of new soil was needed for proper planting.  The new soil created the appearance of a stone nearly disappearing under centuries of decaying forest litter.  That is the look we are trying for.

Some time ago we purchased Wood Anemone planting stock.  What arrived was pieces of root that looked like thin sticks.  Nothing grew in their first year here but finally they have made an appearance.  Chickweed grows freely here and we needed to carefully separate the two plants.  The Wood Anemones should flower this year and begin to take hold of this ground.
 

Last year Becky purchased a Yellow Ladies Slipper at Catskill Native Nursery.  There one can walk among the plants and select the plants to be purchased.  Naturally the best of the lot was chosen and several flowering stalks presented a stunning scene.  This is another transplant that is making its second appearance.  We are looking forward to enjoying the coming flowers from our bench located just across the path from this plant.

The entire native plant issue is ever present.  The Trout Lily native to New York State has yellow flowers and its leaves are just now pushing out above the forest floor.  These West Coast natives flower much earlier and are simply dazzling.  Moved to this location last year, we were unsure that any would have survived.  There was much action here from chipmunks and red squirrels.  We were afraid that the bulbs were being eaten.  That is obviously not the case and new plants have appeared.  We are well under way for flowers in the  woodland garden.

Ed's Gone Native!

Ed has gone native and perhaps a bit wild. Some people dig for treasure and there is some digging involved here, but Ed is carefully burying treasured plants in a place where we hope they will flourish.  Bare root plants came today from Wisconsin.  We used to get plants from there in pots, but thanks to those nasty Asian jumping worms, shipments are sent bare root to prevent the spread of destructive slimy worms that jump out of your hand!  I hope I never see one.  It was raining hard, but Ed was determined to get these plants safely in their spots in the woodland garden.  I took pictures from the dry warm comfort of the truck.  It's true I wanted to keep the camera dry, but I was not keen on getting cold and wet either!

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It was quite a trick to plant new plants between the slippery wet stones while taking care not to injure specimens that were already in place.  I watched in amazement.  Ed reached and stretched carefully planting Trilliums, Wood Anemones, Bloodroot and Virginia Bluebells. I didn't know that he could still move like that!  He is always ready to go the extra mile for his treasured plants.

By the time the last of the plants were in the ground, he was quite wet and cold but happy.  If in the future he is going to play in this kind of heavy rain, he will need a new raincoat. This one leaks!  The woodland garden is beginning to look the way Ed  had it planned.

When the last little rootlets were planted, Ed marked the location of the new plants with the white bags they came in held down by a stone. Those plants went from the mailbox to their spot in the garden on the same  afternoon.  I'm sure the plants will appreciate the rain.  It is likely we will not see them come up until spring.  As for Ed, it was time to head for the house for a hot shower, dry clothes and a cup of hot chocolate.