Way Too Cool Fragrant Lady's Tresses

When Ed and I first moved here  after 30 years of living in the village, we explored every inch of the 36 acres that we could.  I spent a lot of time looking for wildflowers that grow here with my wildflower identification book in hand.  Once I found a type of lady tresses growing at the gravel bank.  I was never able to find it again.  When we went plant shopping at The Fernery this May, a pot of Fragrant Lady Tresses brought all that back.  Even though Ed had finished shopping, I couldn't resist digging in my purse to purchase one more plant.  It was not until later that I did some checking and discovered that New Jersey and Maryland are the Northern extent of the comfort range for this plant. It's bloom time is Sept. through Dec.  In spite of all that the plant seems to be fairly happy where we planted it.  This picture was taken early in September.

Just a little later in September the  stems were much taller and  it looked like maybe I would get  

to experience  the flowers of lady tresses again.  I am hoping that the new USDA 5A zone rating for this neck of the woods is right.  It helps to assuage my plant buyer's guilt.  I must say I have been watching this plant like a hawk. 

The green buds spread out in a spiral and began to show white.  It was after October 1 that the flowers began to open.  Ed and I took turns getting down on our knees to get a close look at these lovely little white orchids.   Both of us thought we could catch a whiff a pleasant fragrance.  Skies have been overcast and it has been cool during the day and cold at night.  We even had a frost.  When I went down to check on the plant after that I thought I might find a sorry looking sight.

I am delighted to report that the plant still looks great.  If we get some warm sunny fall days like we sometimes do, perhaps these flowers will enjoy them and fill the air with fragrance.  They already managed to bloom where they are planted.  Needless to say if the plant survives to come back in the Spring I will be thrilled.

Frost Warning

NOAA has warned of frost for tonight all week.  Their sensors for our area are located at the Binghamton airport with our temperatures usually running four degrees colder than forecast.  If that holds, we will see temperatures in the mid twenties tonight.  Cleaning up basil, pepper and tomato plants that been frozen and frosted is unpleasant.  We avoid handling that black slime by removing these plants before the cold hits them.

Our gardens will not be totally wiped out tonight.  Many of our plants will take the freeze without damage.  Fringed polygala is evergreen so it will take tonight's freeze in stride.  The pictured plant is among several transplanted from our woods earlier this year.  Its leaves will survive the winter and supply nourishment early next spring while the plant sends out new leaves.  This plant grows two types of flowers.  Beautiful purple butterfly like flowers float above the ground while the seed producing flower is active nearly underground.  That tiny green dot where the stem enters the ground may prove to be a new plant.  Polygala dies without warning so we are eagerly waiting to see if they will survive being moved and appear here next year.

Herb Robert, the H is silent, came here uninvited in with a potted plant of another variety purchased at Catskill Native Nursery.  Many of the early spring native woodland plants complete their above ground growing cycle before the trees leaf out.  That results in wide patches of barren ground for the remainder of the year.  We are considering allowing Herb Robert to widely spread across ground that will also send up Trillium, Bloodroot and Jack In The Pulpit.  It may be that the special plants can easily manage being inter planted with this lasting spot of green.  It is shallowly rooted and easy to remove.  We will watch and perhaps learn.

The tag identifies this Foamflower as a purchased plant.  It also grows in our back woods with several of our plants growing nearby.  Familiar weeds are also neighbors and that dandelion really needs to go.  One of our transplants has sent out impressively sized runners.  We will see just what spring will bring us with regard to these plants.  We do not expect that tonight's frost will end the growing season for Foamflower.

We moved Summersweet and Cardinal Flower to the western edge of the new shade garden this year.  The new rosettes of Cardinal Flower are evergreen and will continue to grow under the snow.  Each single stalked plant is producing several new plants around the base of the old soon to die stem.  We expect to see the brilliant red Cardinal Flowers growing among the white flowered Summersweet next summer.  If these plants survive next spring's fierce changeable weather, the combination of red and white flowers should be amazing.  It is interesting that the coming death by freezing tonight has us looking at plants that will take it without harm.  In some instances attitude is everything.