The area has changed quite a bit in the last year. In the center of the loop is where the kids play fort is. It was built around a large apple tree. The woods to one side of the trail are now gone. This is where we cleared the area for goat pasture and an orchard. So it is no longer surrounded by woods, or quite as shaded as it was before. Our focus has shifted to turning the area into a natural play yard for the kids, and a bit less of a focus on the nature trail. Then a surprising thing happened. i began to notice the wildflowers. Plants that i have been transplanting for years, but never seemed to 'take' were popping up all over the area. Not only had the ones i'd transplanted come up, but they had spread on their own.
i counted over 16 trillium. i have a crimson and a white in bloom, and i believe i also have a yellow planted. i found about a dozen lily of the valley, several may-apples, spotted wintergreen, bell wort, Blood root, bluets, wood violets in purple, yellow and white, rue anemone, Solomon's seal, columbine, and jack in the pulpit.
i was extremely pleased to also find signs of dwarf crested iris, although it is not yet flowering...so i'm just guessing as to what it actually is.
While down at the creek releasing frogs, i stumbled upon a patch of showy orchids. i have never seen these on our property before, and was beyond thrilled. i dug up just one little orchid to transplant in my woodland garden. It had a nice bulb attached so i think it will transplant nicely.
It is always interesting how different plants appear according to weather and other factors. i started keeping track of all the wildflowers i came across several years ago, and each year it is different. There is always one or two flowers that will appear one year, then not return again..or something totally new will pop up in a place where i've never seen them before.
i have been told that yellow lady slippers used to grow on my side of the creek, but i have never seen them. i came across trout lily once, but have not seen it again.
Trillium
Bloodroot. Several of these popped up and flowered, and now they are going to seed. So i think they will spread more next year.
May apple just coming up.
Thank you for sharing this. What a lovely "garden" I have adore when people keep the native plants of their area. Simply beautiful. : )
ReplyDeleteBeautiful!!!! We have all those coming up here, but we've just started. The bloodroot has bloomed, but the trillium are just budding- we have tons!!!!
ReplyDelete