Trillium Ready

This picture shows the condition of our Trillium bed in May of this year.  I would be ashamed to reveal just how many purchased plants have been transplanted here over several years.  Authors frequently describe seven years as the time required to see flowers from plants grown from seed.  It can be nearly that long for transplants to settle in to a new home.  Add to that the impacts of our totally at home deer herd to explain this less than spectacular display.  Our weather was less than favorable as was also seen by the poor showing at the huge section of native plants growing as nature intended across the river.

 

This picture taken just this week shows that we are dedicated to growing native plants here.  The weeds that covered this bare summer ground have been carefully removed.  Dandelions predominated with occasional clumps of a tall thin grass.  That low stone to the right served as a seat from which to work.  My trip down was far less than graceful but getting back up was nearly impossible.  Must remember to have the four tined spade close at hand.  With the weeds removed past years bagged leaves were mower ground and sprinkled across the bed.  We have used ground leaves here every year to speed up the woodland soil building process.  Now we need to sprinkle some lime pellets then replace the wire cages.  Then we will wait for May's arrival to see just how many Trilliums appear here.
 

Finally Underway

When the Trilliums fully open their blossoms, the wild flower season is well on its way.  These transplants have been growing here for a decade or more.  Single plants have expanded now sending up several flowering stalks.  Bare ground does not predominate but plants considered to be weeds are evident.  They were cleared out earlier but as always they must return.  They will be removed again after the Trilliums have completed their growing season's work.

This shade garden within sight of the road is a more recent project.  Most of the moved plants are still alive but few have advanced beyond a single shoot.  Just to the right of the flat stone at the bottom of the picture perhaps one dozen Jack In The Pulpits are pushing up new growth.  We were concerned that our crowd of deer had ended these plants with repeated deep hoof stabbings.  If nothing else, the scattered wire cages have made it difficult for the deer to walk here.  The Woodland Phlox in the upper right corner is densely covered with white blossoms.  A favorite snack of the deer required the placement of a circular wire cage.  A curved swath of recently planted Trilliums fills the center of the photo.

Our point and shoot camera does not accurately capture the color of this Jacob's Ladder flowers.  In the upper left corner find the Twin Leaf plants now encased in a wire cage.  It took far longer then it should have for us to focus in on predation as the cause of this plant's repeated disappearances.  Slowly we catch on.  The wire certainly detracts from the natural look that we strive to create but at least the plants remain alive now.

To most people this might not look like much but we finally have two Painted Trilliums that appear determined to open flowers this year.  The purpose of flowers is to produce seed intended to establish the next generation of plants.  We are wildly pleased with the prospects of open flowers and intend to remain above this land long enough to at least see an increase in the number of these plants growing here.

This Woodland Phlox was seen in the background of an earlier photo but we feel that it deserves no less than a picture of mostly it.  This is a hardy plant despite of its attraction of the deer but we expect to see numerous plants scattered about garden.

This is not the first picture of our Bloodroot.  No flowers were produced this year but there is a fairly large number of new plants growing from old seed.  If the weather cooperates, we should see perhaps three blossoms here next year accompanied by several small second year plants promising future flowers.

This planting of Cardinal Flower has been left largely alone.  Some Chrysanthemum stems were scattered about following snow melt but otherwise these plants have been on their own.  The remaining Wild Geraniums need to be removed.  Their above ground growth appears small and attractive but the underground root mass is huge.

 

 This is the northern tip of Moss Island.  The white flowered Shooting Stars have settled in nicely but the moss clumps barely cling to life.  These plants simply need more moisture and denser shade.  A heavy rain will turn them green but only for a short period of time.  Still, their determination to remain alive is at least inspiring.

Our digital camera is outdated and showing signs of rigor mortis.  It worked today but I don't know about tomorrow.  Eight pictures is perhaps excessive for a post but who knows when its replacement will actually arrive?

Umbrellas In The Woods

We have  huge patch of Mayapples growing in our woods.  To date we have made no attempt to move any of them to our shade garden near the road.  The problem is with their growth habit that I have only read about.  Apparently all of these plants are connected by shallow roots that serve to transport nourishment harvested by a single deep root.  Without that tap root any transplant will perish.  We have encountered that problem with other native plants.  Wintergreen is just such a plant.  Written words describe a method for its successful transplantation.  One must expose the runner root just under the soil surface and sever it on both sides of the desired plant.  A marking flag attached to a wire will aid in finding the chosen plant the following year when a deeper root may have formed.

This newly opened flower caught my eye.  Having no idea of just what the name of this plant is, we will wait for Becky's return from her visit to New Paltz to identify this plant.   Without anything other than a quick look at the photo, Becky identified this as a Red elderberry and reported that the deer feed on this plant unmercifully.  We will soon return to see just how these flowers present themselves.

Just how plants are named is a subject rarely encountered in books.  Trout lily is the only plant where the naming process is known here.  In one of his many essays, John Burroughs describes his issue with two common names of a native treasure.  Dog's Tooth Violet or Adder's Tongue both seemed just wrong to him.  The flower in question is a lily as shown by its flower parts so identifying it as a violet would never do.  Any similarity to the interior of a snake's mouth seemed indefensible.  Burroughs suggested Trout Lily as a more appropriate name.

This pictured plant is frequently called Stinking Benjamin for reasons that remain unknown to me.  An unpleasant odor of the flower is possible but once again kneeling on the muddy ground to take a sniff did not seem wise to me today.  If a flower is seen higher up on the bank, a sniff test might be made.  That still leaves the connection to Benjamin unknown.  Wake Robin is another somewhat common name for this plant but it does not prompt a smile that frequently accompanies uttering "Stinking Benjamin".  

At a greater distance from the road, White trilliums cover the ground in impressive numbers.  These plants are just getting started opening their flowers so this picture showing mostly green will likely fail to excite anyone.  New posted signs have been placed so we remain on the public road.

 This is another photo that most people would see as little more than something green.  For reasons that remain elusive, Bloodroot grows only in one small piece of this wooded hillside.  Its flowers are always very short lived and harsh weather prevented the formation of any seed pods this year.  Since our visits to these woods have been nearly daily this year, the lack of seeds is an accurate observation.  At home our plants failed to open a single flower but some of the old seeds are pushing up new small leaves.  Fortunately we find that incredibly exciting. 

Another Return To Irma's Woods

Once again the written words of John Burroughs introduced me to a must have plant.  He described a frequently taken detour into the woods while walking to school.  His goal was to harvest some Toothwort planning to eat it with his lunch.  By his own account, the plant parts were usually gone by lunch time.  This plant lives happily in Irma's woods and we aspire to create a natural setting similar to this one.

We know of two different forms of Toothwort and subtle differences in both flower structure and leaf shape are clearly visible.  We would like to use Toothwort as a background plant with some of our more showy plants.  We have yet to find extensive numbers of this plant in local markets but now that we understand its gentle growth habit, we plan to buy in large numbers should we run across it.  One of its characteristics that would make it an excellent companion plant is its close to the surface long root.  That is the source of the other popular name Crinkleroot.

Whole fallen leaves mark these plants as growing in Irma's woods.  On this day, we also had two white Trilliums with open flowers.  It seems that the solar advantage of her land that slopes to the south east is less of an impact at this point in the season.

There are two dead giveaways to these being cultivated plants.  Finely chopped fallen tree leaves clearly reveal the gardener's hand here.  He does not have ten thousand years to build natural woodland soil so some shortcuts must be taken.  Also, there are no rusty wire protective cages in a natural forest.  The companion plant is Winter Aconite, a moderately well behaved nonnative plant.  Some thinning of it will likely be needed to allow sunlight to strike the Trillium leaves.

These days there aren't many places where wild native plants cover the ground in large numbers.  Irma's Woods is one of those locations.  Choose any small spot like this photo.  You can see beautiful violets, spring beauty leaves, a single trout lily leaf, foam flower leaves, moss and maybe even Hepatica.  Over the years we have tried to be careful sharing Irma's woods only with those who will appreciate it and take away only photographs snapped from the road.  I have a friend I plan to invite as soon as the white trilliums add their flowers to the green sea of ramps extending up the hill.

Shade Garden Plus One

Fringed polygala is the pink flower that has had its spot in the shade garden invaded by other wildflowers.  Tattered evergreen leaves turned purplish by winter's rigors belong to the polygala.  Light bright green leaves mark the location of the invading Canada Mayflower.  Trout lily's brown spots have lightened to grayish white on the darker pointed green leaves.  Clover like three leaves belong to freely self seeding columbine.  Careful weeding is scheduled when the polygala presents its new leaves.  It is the chosen plant and this space belongs only to it.

The number of trillium bulbs we have purchased is shamefully large.  Three new ones just arrived and they will be added nearby.  We want a large display of this native treasure and persist in our efforts to have it here.  They need several years to make themselves at home in our garden and patience on our part is necessary.

This clove currant grows near the shade garden.  When it is in flower, the scent of cloves is carried on the wind for a great distance.  Going about our work, we frequently walk into a sweet smelling drift of  spicy air.  This plant makes this time of year here pleasant beyond description.

Quaker ladies grow as an invasive lawn weed if conditions are to its liking.  Abundant moisture seems to a requirement.  Our several attempts to grow this plant in our dry soil always result in the plant's slow decline.  This specimen self seeded in a crack at the top of the stone wall.  Located on the outer edge of the garden it benefits from frequent supplemental watering.

This bleeding heart is an alien plant here.  Native to another part of the world it is out of place in our wildflower garden.  A longer time in flower and its compact size make this plant a winner.

Maidenhair fern is among Becky's favorites.  Fallen trees in our woods have prevented us from visiting this plant in its natural surroundings here.  This is another native plant that is slow to establish itself following transplanting.  Fearing that it did not survive, we purchased it in two consecutive years.  Both plantings eventually took hold and we now have easy access to this beautiful, delicate, lacy fern.

Jack in the pulpit is a must have because of its unusual structure.  Late frosts have ended the flowering cycle in the past while the plant persists.  Frost is forecast for tonight and covering buckets are now nearby. The red seed clusters are well worth seeing so we will try to keep the frost away from these plants.  Wild or cultivated, alien or Native, plants these days need a little help from their friends to get through Mother Nature's mood swings!

Wildflower Drive, Photos by Ed

This morning started with the delightful sight of the tree swallows chasing the red squirrel from the garden.  They will swoop on anything and with their flying skill they get your attention.  It was fun to watch them chase him to the woods.  Both Ed and I spent the morning in the garden.  There is too much to do, but with the scent of clove currant in the air just being in the garden  was a pleasure.  For a relaxing break after lunch, we decided to drive by our favorite wildflower spot.  It's a great place to see a lot of wildflowers in a short time  without getting out of the car.  The unpaved road runs along the bottom of the posted and wildflower covered hill.  I had the fabulous view and Ed hopped out of the truck to take pictures from the ditch.  This lovely yellow plant is marsh marigold.  We have long thought about getting this plant to put back by the pond.  We did that with yellow flag and it really took hold.  I wonder if this one is a good choice?

Usually the wildflower hill is covered with white trilliums. There seem to be fewer flowers and their stems are shorter than in past years.  Even though the area is still much wetter than home, I think the lack of rain is having an impact.

We do have red trilliums in the woods at home.  Here the advantage of being at the base of the hill makes taking photographs easier.

I wonder if we have missed the trout lilies at home.  Here they seem to have finished blooming.  This plant has lost most of its petals leaving a swelling seed capsule.  This hill does get more direct sun so we might still have a chance.

Partridge berry grows at home too.  Here Ed got a great picture of the two navels on the red berry.  They are formed by two paired white  flowers.  These berries are from last year. Partridge berry  flowers bloom later in June or July.

This seed head belongs to a colts foot plant.  The yellow flowers are beginning to go and the leaves are starting to appear.  There was just one seed head still intact. The wind scatters the seed like dandelions.

Ed got a great picture of this flower.  A search of four of our wild flower books has yet to reveal the name of this plant.

We saw several clumps of these beautiful violets.

The foam flower is just starting to bloom.

These yellow violets are another plant that we would love to own.  I bought some yellow violets at a native plant place and they are nice, but they are not the same as these.

Red elderberry grows at home too.  This is a small plant.  It can grow into a fairly large shrub.

Break over, we headed home and back to work.  Ed had things he wanted to finish before the rain.  Our garden has become dusty and dry.  It is raining now and we are grateful .