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The Cranesville Swamp, Part 2

2026-06-08T15:43:41.277-04:00

Me at the Cranesville Swamp.

The Cranesville Swamp consists of a flat expanse surrounded by low hills, populated by trees here and there. A convenient boardwalk allows one to walk without interfering with the vegetation or sinking into the bog, though there were some places farther along submerged under several inches of water. I believe one would call it technically a fen, as the water does flow, albeit very slowly, through the terrain.

Skunk cabbage among hillocks of mosses

We'd hoped to see the pitcher plants that grew here that we'd read about, and perhaps some of the sundews, but the skunk cabbage had overgrown everything so much that any pitcher plants and sundews were totally obscured. There were plenty of large Cranberry bushes (Vaccinium macrocarpon) with flower buds on them, their leaves still showing red. The name seems deceptive, these plants grew very low in height.

Large Cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon)

The lowbush and highbush blueberries were a bit taller, but it was hard to distinguish between the two--I'm not sure I have these correctly identified, but it seemed the flowers of the lowbush were paler, as its botanical name indicates, and the highbush blueberry redder.

Lowbush Blueberry (Vaccinium pallidum)

Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum)

As we ambled along the boardwalk some Viburnums in bloom were visible, perhaps wild raisin, (Viburnum cassinoides), or highbush cranberry (Viburnum edulis), hard for me--a non-botanist--to tell. I wish I'd been able to go on the earlier Wildflower Festival walk with some experts, to learn the differences.

Viburnum cassinoides?

The array of low-growing plants along the boardwalk was fascinating, the tiny berries of Wintergreen, the unfurling fiddleheads of ferns (Bracken?) and fruiting mosses were just lovely.

Low growth along the boardwalk

Mosses with spore heads

At the north end of the boardwalk, a few tall tamarack trees (Larix laricina), also known as the American larch, could be seen, only one had rather skimpy foliage. Here is the southernmost occurrence of this deciduous conifer more typical of northern latitudes such as Canada and the upper midwest, and they didn't seem to be prospering. I understand there are a number of insects that can damage these trees, it seemed the few here could use some help.

Tamarack trees (Larix laricina)

The plants in this setting were so beautiful to my eye, that I'd like to try a painting depicting several of them in their environment later on.

Fern fronds unfurling

Small trees or shrubs

Drooping sedge (Carex crinita)

Maleberry (Lyonia ligustrina)

Towards the northern end the boardwalk was submerged in several inches of water, and when we re-entered the woods, the ground there was so soggy one had to tread with care. The recent rains had really waterlogged this part of the preserve and we were really glad we had waterproof boots!

Skunk cabbage among the ferns and cranberries

I'd love to visit the Cranesville Swamp again at another time of the year, like in the fall, to observe how the landscape changes with the seasons. I imagine it would be covered in the bloom of goldenrods and native asters, ripe berries, and some colorful foliage in the background... perhaps this coming fall.

The Cranesville Swamp, Part 1

2026-06-07T16:18:10.186-04:00

Entering the Cranesville Swamp

Towards the end of a very rainy period in late May, a friend and I decided to visit the Cranesville Swamp. We'd missed the walk in early May during the West Virginia Wildflower Festival, and wanted to see this unusual botanical site. Straddling the edge of western Maryland and upper WV, this site is considered botanically unique because it's a "frost pocket", where the cold mountain air collects, making for a much colder environment than its latitude would indicate. The poorly-draining soil has created a classic high-altitude bog that contains some very unusual plants.

Hemlock forest

The woods leading up to the boardwalk of the bog were lush--mostly tall hemlocks and white pine, with remnants of a red spruce forest that was heavily logged up until the 1950's. Today, hundreds of red spruce saplings have been planted by the Nature Conservancy, who owns the site, in an effort to restore the original forest.

Large specimen of red spruce.

There are several varieties of club mosses found in this forest: ground cedar (Lycopodium digitatum), Tree clubmoss ( Lycopodium obscurum), which we photographed--the two others we probably saw, but could not identify.

Tree Club Moss (Lycopodium obscurum) with wild strawberry

Ground cedar (Lycopodium digitatum)

Patches of tiny Bluets bloomed among the wild strawberries covering the ground, and White Beakrush here and there.

Bluets (Houstonia caerulea) and wild strawberries

White Beakrush (Rhynchospora alba)

Cinnamon ferns abounded in the moist forest, with lady ferns and Oak ferns.

Cinnamon ferns (Osmunda cinnamomea)

Oak ferns (Gymnocarpium dryopteris) among club mosses

Butterfly among ferns

After a short walk through the forest, the trees cleared out and we were out in the open, arriving at the Cranesville Swamp.

End of Part 1, see next post for Part 2.

May 2026 Bloom day

2026-05-22T11:22:08.850-04:00

White iris

I's been such a cruel spring this year, with drought and wild swings in temperatures in my Zone 6B Virginia garden! The mid-April frost coming after an abnormally warm week not only blasted the emerging leaves and buds from my flowering trees, but the irises that were in spike as well. Only the patch of irises in the front yard, protected by the house, managed to bloom. As of a few days ago only the white ones, later than the rest, persisted. My peonies, which would be blooming about now, have only a few viable buds, and are late.

Me too--I'm late with this May Bloom Day, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog, because I was taking an intense in-person painting workshop for four days, and had no time to write or post my photos. What you see were taken last week and/or some days ago; welcome to my May garden, such as it is.

Amaryllis on the porch

The Amaryllis I got as a gift a couple of Christmases ago re-bloomed, and decorates my front porch. In the front yard a friend found and brought me some lovely rocks to build up a border edge for the bed under the trees, and I think it adds a little something to the overall look.

Front yard with new stone edging

I like to plant some annuals in this front bed in an effort to camouflage the dying foliage of the daffodils and have something growing there during the summer, but usually deer come and eat most of the plants anyway. This year I'm hoping to foil them with a new deer repellent, but its effectiveness remains to be seen. I bought a few new perennials to add to the Gaillardia I planted a few years ago--a blue-flowered Lithodora, and a blue Pincushion flower (Scabiosa) at the edges of the trees where they'll get some sun.

Recently I planted three bare-root Astilbes under the dogwood tree to the left, but they'll take a while to emerge and bloom during the summer. I'll probably plant some Coleus later on when the daffodil foliage has died out completely.

Lithodora

Gaillardia 'Arizona Sun' getting ready to make a show

Blue Pincushion flower (Scabiosa)

My Viburnum 'Brandywine' on the east side of the house did not sustain any damage, but the climbing rose 'New Dawn' and Clematis 'Etoile Violette' don't look very happy in the prolonged drought, with leaf miners blighting the rose. Neither does the Filicoides Cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa filicoides). Only the dwarf blue spruce seems to have retained its normal lovely spring foliage.

Viburnum 'Brandywine' with blue spruce, Hinocki cypress and

In the east woodland garden all three Japanese maples and the Virginia Fringe tree were blighted and are only now starting to put forth some foliage, but surely there won't be any flowers here this year. The flowers of the two Rhododendrons and the Pagoda dogwood were also blighted. Usually this part of my garden is so lovely during this season, but this year, only the 'Blue Barlow' columbines, which have spread everywhere, are blooming.

'Blue Barlow' Columbines

Rhododendron 'Southgate Brandi' under Japanese maple 'Bloodgood'

I keep adding native plants to my woodland garden: this spring some wild ginger under the Carolina Silverbell tree, next to the Pink Turtlehead planted last year. And, I finally bought a reasonably-priced Helleborus niger, which I planted between the Japanese Full Moon maple and the Virginia Fringe tree. I acquired one bare-root plant of Trillium grandiflora I hope to plant as soon as I find some time.

Moving down to the back yard, the Foxglove Pentstemons are proving indestructible, and the Ninebark Tree 'Coppertina' in the badlands has some decent blooms, though not like in other years.

Foxglove Pentstemon

Ninebark Tree 'Coppertina'

A nice surprise in the back bed--one of the Snapdragons I planted last year survived the winter and is blooming--it seems taller this year, and definitely taller than the ones I just planted, which I think are exactly the same variety. I've learned that deer don't eat Snapdragons, so they're a good choice for my garden. So is Verbascum.

Snapdragons

Verbascum 'Southern Charm'

The red honeysuckle 'Major Wheeler' has been very floriferous, and providing nourishment for the hummingbirds migrating north. The native red Columbines also attract the hummers.

Red Honeysuckle 'Major Wheeler'

Red Columbines (Aquilegia canadensis)

Another shrub that won't be flowering this year is the Philadephus 'Cheyenne'; the shrubs in that bed are so sad-looking! The Beautyberries died down to the ground and are just starting to re-sprout from their bases. The Honeylocust tree was looking dead, but seems to be sprouting some foliage now. Not worth photographing.

On the west side of the house the Salvia "May Night' is blooming with the round-leaved Coreopsis. The pink-flowered Sweetspire (Clethra alnifolia) behind the deer barrier is re-sprouting, but the Clematis I planted there last fall was eaten right down to the ground. Probably not a bad thing--this site is too hot for the 'Betty Corning' Clematis I'd purchased on sale. I bought a replacement, but I'm still trying to figure out where to plant it out of the reach of the deer, where the fragrance can be enjoyed.

Salvia 'May Night' with Coreopsis

Clematis montana 'Appleblossom'

The other Clematis on this side of the house has not performed well either--only a few blooms this spring. It badly needs pruning, but that will have to wait until after it's finished blooming.

This morning I spent an hour digging up a dead Ilex bush that was in front of the Clematis, preparing the ground for a new shrub--a dwarf Smokebush. It was back-breaking work in this heat (the outdoor thermometer is marking 96 degrees F as I write), digging up big rocks and the yellow clover taking over--I'm getting too old for this! I wish I could afford to hire two laborers to do this stuff for me, but my budget doesn't permit it, so I try to enjoy it, despite the backaches.

Dutch Iris

Purple Dutch Iris

The pale Dutch Iris flowers also got blighted, but the later-blooming purple ones are making a good show now. The Allium Moly is always dependable.

Allium moly

That's about it for now, awaiting rain. Thanks for visiting!

Early May

2026-05-03T09:39:52.728-04:00

Iris in the front yard

It's been a crazy spring, with unseasonable heat spells in late March and early April, and two killing frosts in-between. The emerging flower buds and leaves of the trees were blasted by the first frost, only to be burned again as they were starting to recover and resume growth. The worst-hit were my Japanese maples and the Redbuds, which are still looking very sad. Many other trees too--the lack of rain hasn't helped.

My iris blooms are much reduced this spring--the patch of yellow bearded iris on the left of the driveway was brimming with flower spikes getting ready to open, even the Dutch iris. The other varieties in the back yard--'Victoria Falls,' 'Blatant,' and the old-fashioned iris from my mother's garden were just putting out their flowering spikes when the second frost hit, and were all blighted--I cut off the pathetic-looking, desiccated stalks. The only flowers to survive were in this small patch right in front of the house.

Bicolor iris

Yellow iris

White iris

A small patch of mom's old-fashioned iris growing under the stairs to the deck was protected enough to survive--not exactly a scenic setting, but the scent is lovely.

Mom's old-fashioned iris under the back stairs

At this time of the year, the east woodland garden is usually remarkably beautiful, with the Virginia Fringe tree in bloom against the pinkish-yellow of the Full Moon maple, 'Blue Barlow' columbines, and the Pagoda Dogwood getting ready to bloom. The 'Berry Poppins' hollies in this bed also got blasted, it may take them the rest of the season to recover enough to put out some leaves. This year, with the fringe tree denuded of its buds, and the burnt foliage of the Japanese maples, only the columbines are blooming, making for a much diminished display.

'Blue Barlow' Columbines

Dwarf Colorado Blue Spruce

In all, I have fewer flowers than usual for this time of the year, when my garden normally looks its best. One Rhododendron in the woodland garden had a few buds, but it's doubtful that they'll open--they seem to be damaged.

Salvia 'May Night'

There are some Salvias and a yellow flower whose name I forget blooming on the west side of the house.

My 'Coral Charm' Peony put out four blossoms a week or so back, but their glory was short-lived, and the blooms are now gone. I hope my other peonies, which bloom later, will put on a better display, but who knows?

Peony 'Coral Charm'

I hope we'll get a good tropical rainstorm soon, so that my garden can begin to recover from this very cruel spring!

April 2026 Bloom Day

2026-04-16T08:20:00.005-04:00

White-haired Leatherleaf flower (Clematis albicoma)

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, the 15th of the month is the day when we share what's blooming in our gardens, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog. Welcome to my Zone 6B Virginia garden!

The month of April started out normally, but has been unseasonably hot and dry, with a killing frost just as the new flower buds and leaves of many plants were emerging, causing a lot of damage in my garden. My cherished Carolina Silverbell tree was budding out when its tiny bells were blasted by the frost. Ditto for the yellow Magnolia 'Butterflies' and 'Viridis' Japanese maple, so sad! That's two years in a row that we've had such killing frosts.

Thus it was a lovely surprise to see the flowers of my White-haired Leatherleaf flower (Clematis albicoma) pop up in the front garden. The plant seems to be doing well in its half-buried pot in the flower bed. This native plant is found in the wild in only a few counties in Virginia and West Virginia.

The Kwanzan cherry is about finished blooming, and so are the daffodils and Poet's Narcissi but the creeping Phlox seems to be spreading nicely--from just three plants of different colors that I put in some years ago, its is re-seeding itself all over under the tree.

My front yard yesterday

The Jacob's Ladder in the east woodland garden is also finishing its flush of spring bloom, while the Foamflower (Tiarella) is starting its display.

Jacob's Ladder with one Mayapple.

Foamflower (Tiarella 'Sugar 'n Spice')

My Hellebores are looking blowsy and a bit faded in the heat, and a few spikes of Ajuga 'Black Scallop' are showing under the Japanese maple tree 'Bloodgood'.

Hellebore 'True Love'

Ajuga 'Black Scallop'

The daffodils and Narcissi in the back bed are about done flowering, as is the Redbud tree. The double-flowering Quince is coming into its own.

My back yard from the deck

Flowering Quince with juniper 'Anna's Ball'

The possum-haw Viburnums (I have two) blooming way in back have reached a respectable height, out of the deer's reach. Yesterday a dear friend came over with her power saw and we cut down out a patch of Japanese bush honeysuckle from this corner of the woods in back. This invasive plant was threatening to choke out the patch of native witch-hazels growing back there. With those now gone, nature's balance can be restored.

Possum-haw viburnum (Viburnum nudum)

The irises and peonies are starting to develop buds, but not ready to open yet--a week or two more for those.

A friend gave me this lovely arrangement of Pansies and Candytuft to decorate my back deck, and I had also bought more Pansies for another pot. The deer eat these mercilessly, so growing them in pots is the only way for me to enjoy them.

Pansies and Iberis arrangement

More Pansies

I have a few blooms indoors, African violets and such, but I've posted photos of these for several months, so I'll spare everyone here. With such a dry spell, I'm having to water my garden a lot just to try to keep everything alive, if not flourishing. Thanks for visiting!

Enchanting April

2026-04-05T13:12:00.004-04:00

My front yard yesterday evening.

My front yard today, Easter Sunday.

April is when my front yard looks its best. This year my Kwanzan cherry blossoms are just starting to open, but aren't fully unfurled yet. I expect the morning rain will speed them along. The Thalia and Poet's Narcissi exude their lovely scents, and the creeping Phlox keeps on spreading, sometimes in the most unlikely places, like under the barberry 'Admiration' which is just leafing out.

Creeping Phlox peeks out under the barberry 'Admiration'

The east woodland garden is getting ready for its annual display, with the Carolina Silverbell tree and the Pagoda Dogwood buds swelling, but it's not quite there yet. A Rhododendron and a Jacob's ladder under the Japanese maples are also getting ready for the show. I'll photograph those when they bloom.

The backyard looks lovely with the redbud tree in full bloom, and lots of Narcissi and Daffodils along the length of the bed. Narcissus and daffodils are the one plant family that deer do not eat, as they're poisonous, so these plantings are free to multiply.

Not so with the flowering Quince, which needs to be protected by a barrier or the deer would eat every bud! They nibble away at my spring bulbs: Glory-of-the-snow, Muscari and Spanish bluebells, but leave the Scillas and irises alone.

My back yard from the deck.

The back bed with Daffodils and Narcissi

Double flowering quince

Back yard from ground level, with double flowering Quince in front.

Closer to the ground, several of the dwarf iris 'Bluebeard' have opened up. Next to them, a couple of 'Prince Alfred' daffodils bloom with some Grecian windflowers (Anemone blanda).

Dwarf iris 'Bluebeard'

'Prince Alfred' daffodils and purple Grecian windflowers

The Fothergilla is blooming, with its honey scented-flowers, and clumps of Thalia Narcissi and Mount Hood daffodils dot the beds.

Speaking of beds, I've spent most of the week cleaning and weeding them, pruning branches and old stems, fertilizing and mulching. The more I plant, the more work there is to do! My plan to eliminate more of the lawn dictates it.

At times I wish I had the money to hire one or two reliable helpers, but I can't afford it. Besides, the old adage that "if you want something done right, it's best to do it yourself" applies.

Fothergilla in bloom

Clump of Thalia Narcissi

The west yard looking towards the back.

This is just the beginning of the flowering season--so many more flowers to look forward to during the enchanting month of April!

March 2026 Bloom Day

2026-03-15T09:42:00.001-04:00

February Gold daffodils in front yard

Front yard in March

After a long, drawn-out winter, spring is finally on its way! Welcome to March Bloom Day, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog--let's see what is blooming in my Zone 6 B Virginia garden today. The daffodils are all coming up, with 'February Gold' being the earliest to bloom--the original clump by the driveway has multiplied greatly over the years, divided and been tucked here and there into beds in the front and back yard.

February Gold daffodils, original clump by the driveway

February Gold clumps in the back bed.

Back beds from the deck.

The scented violet 'Queen Charlotte' has formed a beautiful clump in my east woodland garden, and is spreading. They'd be all over the yard by now if the deer would only stop eating them!

My two Hellebores are both flowering, though they look a bit sloppy at the moment--I need to cut off the old foliage. The blue Siberian squills are blooming under the Japanese Pieris.

Viola odorata 'Queen Charlotte'

Hellebore 'True Love'

Japanese Pieris (Pieris japoinica) with blue Siberian Squills

The dwarf iris (Iris reticulata) I planted the fall before last are starting to pop up--not exactly a spectacular display yet, but they're surviving, and hopefully, will multiply.

Dwarf iris

'Delft Blue' hyacinths with Sedum 'Angelina'

Hyacinths are also popping up along the front walk, in blue and white.

White Hyacinths

Last spring I bought a White Forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum), a rather uncommon shrub of Korean origin that is part of the Forsythia family, and planted it in the front bed by the garage. I hadn't realized that deer would find it appealing, and they munched the tips back before I had a chance to protect it. Despite this, my little plant has put out a few flowers, and they are wonderfully scented! I hope I can protect it better this growing season to grow into a lovely shrub next spring. This is a plant that deserves to be seen more in gardens.

My yellow Forsythia in the back yard is still about a week away from blooming, but the buds are showing a little color.

White Forsythia (Abeliophyllum distichum)

Indoors, my Thanksgiving cactus has decided to bloom again, and is looking very pretty. My miniature Dendrobium orchid is also re-blooming.

Thanksgiving cactus (Schulmbergera hybrid)

Miniature Dendrobium orchid

The other morning when I came downstairs to open the blinds, I saw what looked like a dried leaf in the middle of the foyer. I went to pick it up, but it moved! Turned out it was a small toad, perfectly camouflaged. He must have come inside in one of the pots when I brought in the houseplants last fall, and has been living in here all winter. By the time I got my phone to take a picture, he'd moved into one of the pots.

Toad in a pot.

Thanks for visiting--there will be more flowers next month!

Wakulla Springs Jaunt

2026-02-27T16:56:00.000-05:00

Wakulla springs late afternoon.

We arrived at the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs Lodge around 4:30 in the afternoon, checked in and then I went outside to take some photos. I remembered our first trip here in 2015, and how cold and windy it had been that afternoon... I'd sat on one of the benches in the hotel's garden to paint the lovely scene, and managed to stay there for about an hour before being so thoroughly chilled that I had to come in to thaw out. I was grateful the lodge had a roaring fire going in the fireplace in the lobby.

This time around the afternoon was pleasantly warm and still, and there was no fire in the fireplace--the spring water was crystal clear. Later on Herb and I ordered a bottle of champagne to drink in the lobby before going in to dinner.

We had reservations to go on the "Jungle Cruise" on the Wakulla river the following morning. We'd done this on our previous trip and it was a joy to be able to do it again. We'd seen so many birds and wildlife on that first trip! This time around our boat tour guide was the "Singing Ranger" the nickname of Collin Johnson, who regaled us with his songs about the Wakulla River and its denizens at the beginning and the end of our tour.

Wakulla River bald cypress

I remember photographing this iconic cypress above the previous time we'd taken the Jungle Cruise--it was still standing, a little more weather-beaten, but still so beautiful!. I find these moss-draped bare bald cypresses so romantic...

The brown stuff floating on the surface is burnt Hydrilla, an invasive weed that the park is trying to combat by burning, in order to avoid herbicides that could compromise the rest of the fragile ecosystem.

More cypresses on the Wakulla

Cypresses on the Wakulla

There were lots of Anhingas perched on the cypress knees drying their wings, ducks--wood and Hooded Mergansers--Ibises, little white and blue herons, Gallinules, alligators (naturally) and turtles basking along the banks of the river.

Female Anhinga drying its wings

A little white heron

A group of Hooded Merganser ducks

Male Hooded Merganser

The cruise travels only about a mile or so down the river, and then turns back along the far bank to go behind a small island toward a densely wooded area where Sally Ward creek drains into the river. The movie "The Creature from the Black Lagoon" was filmed here in the 1950's. The cruise was coming to an end much too soon, but there were many manatees swimming around the spring. We must have seen at least fifteen, possibly more.

Manatees swim in Wakulla Spring

Manatee mothers with their babies

After the cruise ended, we went up on the observation tower to continue watching the manatees--one seemed to really enjoy rubbing against one of the floats in the roped-off swimming area. Their slow yet graceful movements were so relaxing to watch! They are very sociable mammals, and usually stay in small groups, the mothers with their babies, and often with another yearling nearby.

I made this short video as they were swimming away.

After our cruise and manatee watch, I went out and painted this small watercolor of the view from the Lodge's garden. The harsh overhead mid-day light isn't my favorite time of the day to paint, but gives a sense of what the scene looked like.

Wakulla Springs Afternoon, watercolor, 6" x 9"

After finishing my sketch, the afternoon was warm enough for me to dare a quick dip in the spring--I changed into my bathing suit and went out for a swim. The water was a bit chillier than I'd imagined--69 degrees--so I stayed in just long enough to swim to the float and back to the shore. I can now say that I've experienced almost everything that Wakulla Springs has to offer.

The next morning it was time to check out and start the long drive back home. Goodbye Florida, it was nice to get a break from the winter blues for ten days! I hope we get back there again soon, and visit Wakulla Springs!

A Winter Jaunt Continued

2026-02-18T12:54:00.001-05:00

Sunset from the Ozello house

I'd hoped to be able to paddle down the Weeki Wachee River, while we were there, as we had several times before, but sadly, the concessions in the state park had stopped offering the kayaks and canoe rentals with a pick-up downriver, in Rogers Park. If one wanted to go down the Weeki Wachee, one would have to paddle back upstream. We did that fifteen years ago when we rented a house with kayaks right on the Weeki Wachee, but we remember what it was like to paddle upstream with the six-knot current--no, thanks! We're a lot older now.

The same for an outing on the Chassahowitzka River, the current is too strong for both Herb and I at our age. So, we contented ourselves with walks around the neighborhood and enjoyed the views from the house. Evenings were particularly lovely, as the mangroves lit up with the reddish light of the setting sun.

Sun setting over the mangroves

One afternoon we watched an osprey eating his lunch--the bird had caught a large fish in one claw, and perched on a nearby palm tree trunk, he maneuvered to get a better grasp on his struggling catch. After some time, he finally subdued the fish enough to eat it slowly, relishing each bite!

The Osprey's lunch

In the afternoons, I painted my plant specimens indoors--a sprig of Spanish moss (Tsillandia usneoides) that I'd collected turned out very nice. I noticed that my specimen had several dried seed pods, and wondered what the flowers looked like and when they might bloom. I found out the yellow, inconspicuous flowers bloom during spring, from April to around June. This member of the Bromeliad family is so intricate, it took me a long time to figure out its growth pattern well enough to draw it credibly.

Spanish Moss (Tsillandia usneoides)

Another afternoon I walked over the causeway and met a gentleman who had waded in the chilly inlet to fish, and caught several. His fishing gear included an electrically-aerated tank to keep the fish alive until he got them home. I photographed him with his catch: three nice-size sea bass and a large mullet.

Fisherman on the causeway

Fisherman's catch

I loved some of the yard decorations and gardens in the neighborhood--only in Florida!

An Ozello garden

Prickly Pears and driftwood

Yard decorations

Our time to leave came too soon, but we still had two more days in Wakulla Springs at the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs Lodge.

Florida Coonties (Zamia integrifolia), a Cycad.

Elena on the back deck.

On the drive north to Wakulla Springs we decided to take a short detour to have lunch in Cedar Key, a small island off the west coast. Friends had told us about it when they'd vacationed there years ago, and I wanted to see it.

What little we saw was charming, another piece of the Old Florida. I would have loved to have had more time there to explore, but our reservation called for us to arrive at Wakulla around 4 PM, and we were still a ways away. The next time, maybe we'll stop there longer, or even stay for a while.

Herb in Cedar Key.

To be continued--Wakulla Springs...

February 2026 Bloom Day

2026-02-15T09:48:00.002-05:00

First Crocus of the year.

On February's Bloom Day this year, snow still covers most of my back yard, but the snow has retreated from the south-facing front yard. Yesterday I spotted a tiny species Crocus peeking out from the clumps of dried vegetation.

A couple of snow drops and a couple of clumps of the buds of 'Orange Monarch' were also coming up. The green buds of daffodils and narcissi are showing too, along with the foliage of the Sternbergia planted last fall.

First snow drop (Galanthus elwesii 'Mount Everest')

Buds of 'Orange Monarch' Crocus.

The front yard in February.

The east yard yesterday morning.

The Witchhazel on the west side of the house is in bloom, though the showy 'Diane' in the back yard has yet to display anything. Hopefully today's rain will melt more of the crusted snow in the back yard, starting the process of growth.

Southern Witchhazel in bloom.

There are more flowers indoors: some orchids in the master bath and elsewhere, and an African violet.

Orchid display in master bath.

Miltassia orchid in bloom

The miniature orchid, Epidendrum polybulbon is still displaying its one bloom, and the African violet is still covered in blossoms.

Epidendrum polybulbon

'Optimara' African violet with succulents on a windowsill.

Downstairs a pink Pahlaenopsis has re-bloomed. I'm hoping that spring will bring more of my Phalaenopsis orchids into bloom in the next few months.

Pink Phalaenopsis.

Let's hope spring arrives soon, I'm so tired of winter! Thank you to Carol Michel and her May Dreams Garden blog for hosting Garden Blogger's Bloom Day every 15th day of the month.

A Winter Jaunt in Florida

2026-02-14T09:21:00.001-05:00

View of Ozello from our house.

We'd planned a Florida vacation this winter, as a belated celebration of our 50th Wedding Anniversary, and had booked a rental house for a week in February on the Ozello Trail, just south of Crystal River. As luck would have it, our week turned out to be the ideal time to get away from Virginia--there was snow and ice on the ground when we left, and another storm dropped more snow in our area the day after we left--then sub-zero temperatures set in.

It wasn't exactly balmy when we arrived in Crystal River on Saturday afternoon--I made a wrong turn and ended up at Fort Island beach just as the wind was picking up. I dashed out to snap this photo and the sand was blowing so hard it was like being stung by tiny missiles!

The beach at Fort Island, near Crystal River.

We had dinner at Crump's Landing, just across the causeway from the house in the gale and barely managed to enter the restaurant--the storm brought 40 MPH winds to the Florida coast that night, and subfreezing temperatures. The wind subsided the following day and the sun came out, but we had temperatures below freezing the next couple of nights too.

Fortunately, our hosts had provided two portable heaters and warm blankets for us, but Herb hadn't brought any warm clothing with him, so I went out and bought him a sweatshirt and a polartec jacket at the Goodwill store in Crystal River.

Our vacation home.

The view of Ozello from our house, watercolor sketch.

I did this little watercolor sketch on our first day there, looking out over the back deck from the glass doors.

On the next night, the full moon rising over the marshes was a wonderful sight!

Moonrise over Ozello

Driving along the 10-mile Ozello Trail back and forth from Homosassa Springs to shop for groceries, I kept noticing these bushes with colorful red berries all over the place, and wondered what they might be. My curiosity got the better of me and I stopped at a pull-off by the side of the road to snap off a branch from a bush to take back to the house for identification and painting.

Watercolor sketch of Brazilian Pepper Tree branch.

I had thought this might be one of the Florida native hollies, but I was mistaken--my specimen turned out to be an aggressive invasive plant known as the Brazilian Pepper Tree (Schinus terebinthifolius), which is related to poison ivy and poison sumac. I washed my hands as soon as I discovered this and handled it with suitable care from then on. Fortunately the plant's sap is not as toxic as some of their relatives, but it was still enough to cause me some itching later that evening. I disposed of the specimen as soon as my sketch was finished.

Brazilian Pepper Tree (Schinus terebinthifolium)

By Tuesday morning the weather had warmed up enough for us to try an exploratory walk around our neighborhood. I collected some botanical material to paint in the afternoon, inside the house. For my first specimen I picked a couple of small branches of a mangrove with flower buds, and some of its unusual, viviparous fruit, called "propagules."

Red Mangrove (Rhizophora mangle)

My sketch of the Red Mangrove

The following day was the warmest, and we walked down the other side of the road towards a small beach and park. The tide was going out, and there were lots of birds: white pelicans, ibises and a little blue heron.

The beach at Ozello

Little blue heron

Ozello park.

I went out to paint that afternoon, thinking I might visit the Crystal River Archeological Park, but decided to stop along mile 5 of the Ozello Trail instead--the typical landscape of our surroundings--the watery expanses, the marsh grasses with their hammocks of native vegetation, were very appealing. I pulled off at a boat launch, parked and climbed up to a hammock--the highest elevation around--for a vantage point for my painting.

View from the Ozello Trail, watercolor

The Ozello Trail view

To be continued...

Two New Artworks

2026-01-20T10:11:00.001-05:00

Big Meadows Wildflowers No. 1, watercolor on paper, 21"h x 14"w.

I've been working on these two companion paintings for the past couple of months or more. My compositions were inspired by last summer's excursion to Big Meadows, a lovely area in Shenandoah National Park about an hour's drive from where I live.

Last year's copious spring and early summer rains fueled a spectacular blooming season for the wildflowers in this area. Unfortunately, no one is allowed to take any plant material from a national park, so I had to work from my photos--I took plenty, and began with drawings of the plants, and went on to combinations of these.

The orange hues of the Turk's cap lilies are echoed in the colors of the Butterfly weed and the Monarch butterfly in the other painting, and the mauve-pink of the wild roses in the pinky-lilac of the Milkweed. Together, they make for a nice set of companion pieces.

Big Meadows Wildflowers No. 2, watercolor on paper, 21"h x 14"w.

I hope to show bot of these at Art at the Mill this coming spring, will have to get them framed.

January 2026 Bloom Day

2026-01-16T09:18:00.002-05:00

Creeping Phlox in front yard

It's January Bloom Day for garden bloggers, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams blog and here in my Zone 6 garden in Virginia it's very cold today. The weather predictions had called for snow flurries this morning, but they never materialized, and neither did the rain yesterday, so the sun started coming out mid-morning.

I was surprised to see that the Creeping Phlox under the cherry tree in the front yard still has a few open blossoms--they must have emerged during the extra warm days earlier this week, and miraculously, haven't frozen. The only other blooms in my garden are some snowdrops that I planted two years ago.

Snowdrops (Galanthus elwesii 'Mount Everest')

My indoor garden is sporting a few blooms--I pruned my gardenia tree hard a couple of weeks ago but saved one branch with flower buds, which are opening.

Gardenia tree (Tabernaemontana divaricata)

One of my Phalaenopsis orchids still has a few flowers hanging on, and some new buds about to open. The Jewel orchid in bud I bought at Floradise has opened a few of its tiny white flowers, while my other new orchid, the Pahpiopedilum's flower is still fresh.

Pink Phalaenopsis orchid

Paphiopedilum orchid posed for painting.

Jewel orchid (Ludisia discolor) in bloom.

My miniature orchid, Epidendrum polybulbon has two flower buds getting ready to open. The African violet below is very pretty when in bloom too.

Epidendrum polybulbon orchid buds.

African violet (Saintpaulia 'Optimara' hybrid)

Hopefully, I'll have a few more flowers outdoors and indoors next month, thanks for visiting!

Starting the Year with Orchids

2026-01-04T15:30:00.001-05:00

Prize hybrid Cattleya orchid.

Yesterday I visited the aptly-named Floradise, a business in Gordonsville that specializes in orchids, in search of some paintable orchids for my botanical art projects. It was a lovely way to start the New Year off, not to mention a welcome respite from winter. Inside this greenhouse it's tropical every day or the year!

Another Prize-winning white Cattleya hybrid

They had quite a few prize-winning hybrid Cattleyas, Phaphiopedilums and others with astronomical price tags, among them the beauty you see above, with flowers over eight inches across! The owners have bred some prize-winning orchids. I learned while reading "The Orchid Thief" that orchid growers are very a competitive lot, and the monetary rewards of breeding a prize-winning orchid are considerable. These prize-winners are sold for hundred-thousands of dollars!

They had an incredible variety of species as well as hybrids, from huge plants with enormous flowers to miniatures, it was hard to take it all in. I wish I had better photos of them (I missed so many gorgeous ones)!

Hybrid Paphiopedilum with Rothchildiana genes

Steve, the owner, showed me so many appealing varieties...the fancy ones were unaffordable for me, but others were very reasonable priced, it was hard to choose. Eventually I focused on slipper orchids, the Paphiopedilums, some of which have interesting markings on their leaves, and amazing flower colors.

A complex hybrid Paphiopedilum.

Yellow hybrid Paphiopedilum

A table full of Paphiopedilums.

After a lot of back and forth I selected this lovely hybrid Paph. identified as Supersuk 'Eureka' AOS x Raisin Pie 'Hsinying' x sib.--quite a mouthful for such a beauty! Here it is in my bathroom after bringing it home. This flower was very similar to the Paph. that I painted at the U S Botanic Garden when I took my first orchid painting class there with Carol Woodin, a decade ago. The coloring of the flower was similar, and the side sepals had the same spots and hairy edges. The leaves of this one have some nice markings too. I hope to be able to do a better rendition of this orchid than my first one.

Paphiopedilum Supersuk 'Eureka' AOS/x Raisnin Pie 'Hsingying' x sib.

Floradise had many other orchids that intrigued me. These Masdevallias were fascinating! Steve told me that the red color of one was due to the purple hairs that cover the surface of the petal, which is actually orange underneath. This combination gives them a rich red color.

Masdevallia hybrids.

So many orchid species and hybrid varieties to see, it was mind-boggling! Miltonias, Miltoniopsis, all colors and sizes of Phalaenopsis, Dendrobiums, Oncidiums, Vandas, Zygopetalums, Bromeliads...

Another beautiful Paph.

Oncidiums in bloom

Table full of orchids and succulents

I ended up buying another small orchid--a Jewel orchid (Ludisia discolor) in bud. I'd been wanting to grow one of these orchids, and am curious to see what the flowers will be like. These orchids are grown mainly for their foliage, which is unusual--the veining in the dark leaves seems to glow from within.

Jewel orchid (Ludisia discolor)

As my friend and I were driving away, I spotted an unusual shrub with white buds in front of the owners' house--I hopped out to get a closer look, and the lady of the house came by and confirmed what I had suspected--I was looking at an enormous Edgeworthia in bud. She told me they'd been growing it for quite a few years now, and the flowers opened in early spring. Apparently this shrub does well in their Zone 7, but not in my colder Zone 6 garden.

Edgeworthia in bud.

I hope to get back to Floradise this spring in time to be able to see the Edgeworthia fully open, sketch it and take in its wonderful scent.

Merry Christmas 2025!

2025-12-25T10:09:00.000-05:00

Our home at Christmas

Our Christmas decorations this year are much the same as last year's, except that I changed the green light bulbs on the garage to LED. The new LED's are so much greener, it's overpowering! I don't know that I'll repeat this next year...

I'd love to re-do all our decorations at some point, buy new strings of lights, wreaths and bows, but with the prices this year, ouch! And some of these new lighting gizmos are so garish... maybe when things are less expensive, or maybe we'll be more affluent next Christmas.

My next door neighbor's Christmas decorations have those LED displays that cycles through the color spectrum, and by coincidence, it was in the green mode when I took my photo--it almost matches our garage lights--weird!

Merry Christmas everyone!

December 2025 Bloom Day

2025-12-15T08:56:00.001-05:00

Streptocarpus 'Wow'

It's the 15th of December, Bloom Day for garden bloggers, when we show what is blooming in our gardens, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog. There is nothing in my USDA Zone 6B garden in Virginia in bloom--in fact, yesterday we woke up to a thin dusting of snow outside and it's bitter cold today--16 degrees!

Streptocarpus 'Wow'

You can see the expansion of Herb's bed very clearly in this shot taken from my studio's window, with the path not quite finished. That'll have to wait until warmer weather comes around.

Back yard on the morning of Dec. 14.

My Thanksgiving cactus was full of flowers a couple of weeks ago, but those have dropped off and new buds probably won't open for another couple of weeks.

Thanksgiving cactus in November.

There are a few blooms around in my indoor garden: a couple of orchids, a Streptocarpus and an Episcia. Two of m orchids are blooming, the Oncidium hybrid just barely--three little flowers.

Pink Phalaenopsis orchid

Oncidium hybrid orchid

The Episcia hangs down over the two-story foyer along with a pothos vine.

Episcia on balcony over the foyer

Looking down at the foyer.

My foyer garden offers a refuge from the wintry conditions outside for both my plants and my spirits. On a sunny day it's lovely to be surrounded by these!

Lower level of foyer

I've still to find an affordable Helleborus niger for my garden, a plant that might bloom at this time of the year outdoors. Still looking, though.

May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white!

November 2025 Bloom Day

2025-11-15T14:39:00.006-05:00

Pink Petunia

It's November Bloom Day: the day when we garden bloggers share what is blooming in our gardens on the 15th of each month, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog. Now that the overnight temperatures in our area are dropping, there is less in bloom in my Zone 6B Virginia garden, as is to be expected.

Most of my tender tropical plants have been brought indoors for overwintering, only a few linger on the porch to take advantage of its shelter. Above is the pink Petunia that wouldn't die--it seems to me that these end-of-the-season flowers are larger than those earlier in the summer, and the color more vivid--a last hurrah, so to speak. As an annual, it will be left on the porch to die.

The Datura 'Purple Ballerina', another annual I acquired rather late in the season, I hope to keep alive indoors for next summer, but it may not make it. In the meantime, I bring it in overnight and take it out on the porch on sunny days, and it has put out a few of its lovely flowers.

Datura 'Purple Ballerina'

I acquired another goldenrod, a Zigzag variety (Solidago flexicaulis) on a recent trip to Maryland's Eastern Shore, and while it was awaiting planting in my garden, is blooming on the porch.

Zigzag goldenrod (Solidago flexicaulis)

Other than these, there is little bloom left outdoors now. About a week ago the autumn-flowering Crocus speciosus I planted in early October were in bloom, but those have gone, leaving only vestiges. I think the colors of this combination by the front entrance are very seasonal: purple mums persisting in pots along with the flowers of Irish Moss (Sagina subulata) and the colorful foliage of a dwarf Nandina with dried Gladiolus foliage.

Irish moss and mums in pots by the front entrance.

My Viburnum 'Brandywine' has now lost most of its leaves, only clusters of blue berries hang on the bare branches. The Winterberries (Gaultheria) recovered enough from last winter's deer damage over the summer, and produced a few berries. I'll have to try brewing some winterberry tea with them.

Berries of Viburnum 'Brandywine'

Gaultheria 'Fiesta'

The leaves have come down from most of the trees in the woods out back, the ones that persist are not as colorful as they were two weeks ago, when they were at their peak.The mild weather has allowed me to continue my project of expanding and consolidating Herb's bed with the bed along the veggie garden enclosure, where I've planted more herbs. Only a few more linear feet to dig--hopefully I'll have time to finish it before the ground freezes hard.

Expansion of flower beds and new mulch path.

The native Witch Hazel trees in the back woods are in bloom--I can't take any credit for these, a cluster of several trees was there when we bought the house. The two Witch Hazels I planted in my garden open their blooms in early spring and the species, Hamamelis vernalis, is different. My other witch hazel tree is the hybrid, 'Diane.'

Native Witch Hazel trees (Hamamelis virginiana) in bloom.

The Beautyberries are still holding on to their berries--all these subdued shades blend so well with the surrounding dried leaves to make wonderful combinations!

Beautyberries (Callicarpa dichotoma)

Dried Hydrangea flowers and Shasta daisies.

Blooms from my indoor garden will soon be taking the place of the outdoors as winter overtakes us. The yellow hibiscus is one of my indoor favorites. I brought in the Pelargonium I had outdoors and it put forth another round of blooms.

Yellow Hibiscus

Pink Pelargonium

Both my Bearss lime trees began to bloom once I brought them inside the house--the older tree is covered with flowers and setting fruit. The Meyer lemon is barely surviving--I can't imagine why there would be such a marked difference between the two varieties of citrus growing in the same environment, with the same potting soil.

Bearss lime blossoms.

That's all for today, folks, thanks for visiting!

November Color

2025-11-07T08:19:00.001-05:00

The back yard in November

Our fall hasn't been as colorful as on other years, but the trees finally started to turn in earnest in late October. The first few days in November was when I took this photo-- the oaks in the back woods were at the peak of their color. But after last night's high winds, much of the foliage is gone today.

My Japanese maples have been putting on quite a show too, and Viburnum 'Brandywine' is still looking wonderful, though the birds have eaten most of the berries.

Japanese maples in the east woodland garden.

Closer look at Japanese maples

Japanese maple "Amber Ghost'

Viburnum 'Brandywine'

The days continue to be mild, despite overnight temperatures dropping below freezing, we haven't really had a hard frost yet. The inch and a half of rain we got last week prompted the autumn-blooming Crocus speciosus I planted in early October to finally bloom. Such a lovely sight!

Crocus speciosus

Most of my tropical plants are back inside the house, and the tropical Salvias are under a blanket of mulch which I hope will help them to survive the winter outdoors. Most of my mums are looking a bit beat-up, but these potted ones under the front porch are holding their own.

Mums by the front porch.

The pink asters with the yellow centers that I got as a mother's day gift re-bloomed, with a little smaller size flowers the second time around. The Blanket flowers 'Arizona Sunset' (Gaillardia) in the front yard are still blooming.

Pink florist's asters.

"Arizona Sunset' Gaillardia

I missed photogaphing the spectacular color of the Fothergilla shrub, most of its leaves have now fallen. A few aromatic aster flowers linger on.

Aromatic asters with Fothergilla beyond.

I wonder if there will still be any flowers in an other week for November's Bloom day?

October 2025 Bloom Day

2025-10-15T16:03:00.001-04:00

Yellow Chrysanthemum

It's October Bloom Day: the 15th of the month is when garden bloggers share what's blooming in our gardens, as hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden blog. Fall is gradually showing its signs--the leaves are turning, the seeds are setting, and the last flowers of the season are displaying their blooms. Let's take a look, shall we?

In the front yard, the neon-pink Petunia growing in a pot still has some blooms--the cooler temperatures don't seem to have had an effect on it yet. The Gaillardia 'Arizona Sunset' has slowed down but still has some blooms too.

The newly-opened blooms for the month are the Chrysanthemums, and I have several--this deep red-purple one in the front, a beautifully-shaped yellow that a fried gave me for my birthday, and a pink that I've have for several years.

Pink Petunia

Gaillardia 'Arizona sunset'

Deep red mums.

The changing foliage seems to be the main feature in my garden at this time of the year. The 'Brandywine' viburnum is very appealing with its red foliage and the berries turning blue.

Viburnum 'Brandywine'

The east garden.

The 'Autumn Blaze' maple on the west side of the house is brilliant with color.

'Autumn Blaze' maple from the front.

'Autumn Blaze' maple from the back deck.

I used to have several huge mounds of Aromatic Asters blooming at this time, but in the last few years, deer in our area seem to have developed a taste for this plant which they never bothered before, so these are the only flower buds they left--a fraction of the original blooms!

Aromatic Aster.

Aromatic Asters with Fothergilla in back.

Grasses are another striking feature of my autumn garden; the Muhly grass 'Flamingo' in Herb's bed is among the showiest--the ordinary Muhly grass is shorter and more feathery. The Little Blue Stem grass is another grass that I enjoy--its tiny fluffy seeds look like little stars. I notice that it's being used a lot more in landscaping around our local buildings.

Muhly grass with pink mums.

Muhly grass 'Flamingo'

Little Blue Stem grass.

The Threadleaf Bluestar (Amsonia hubrichtii) in the Little Indians bed is turning gold, and the woods in back are starting to show some color too. But thus far it's rather subdued. The oak foliage will probably not turn until later. It's time to harvest some of the Jerusalem artichokes--their blooms have all gone to seed.

Amsonia hubruchtii

The back yard in early morning.

A few roses linger on, but the porch baskets are looking very past it. There's no sign of the Crocus speciosus that I planted in the back bed a few weeks ago--I wonder if they will still bloom or if their time has passed?

Shrub rose 'Petal Pushers'

Front porch.

We're expecting our first frost tonight, and with it, the beginning of winter's repose in the garden. Happy Bloom Day, enjoy the last of the flowers--thanks for visiting!

Early Fall in my Garden

2025-10-01T16:26:00.000-04:00

Salvia 'Amistad'

It's been such a busy week for me with my Botanical Art Intensive class at Blandy this past weekend, that I had barely any time to even look at my garden. Today I finally get to catch up and take a look at what's blooming. The strange effect of a breeze blowing across the Salvia 'Amistad' created this unusual iridescent effect in my photograph--weird, but beautiful!

The dogwood is losing its colorful leaves, a few other leaves are turning and dropping, but our nighttime temperatures haven't been low enough to cause much change in the leaves yet. We're told that we won't be having a very colorful fall this year in our region due to the warmth. A few of the hickories in the back woods are turning gold, others brown.

Front garden

And yet my collection of potted plants are still blooming, if not as profusely. My two Mandevillas haven't bloomed at all this summer--I can't figure out why, other that they've been in those pots for a few years, and may be too pot-bound.

Potted plants along the front walk.

Pink Petunia

A nice surprise was to see the Sternbergias I planted among the strawberries pop up-- their golden blossoms only last a few days--so short-lived! I want them to multiply, but I also bought ten more bulbs to plant nearby, as well as some Crocus speciosus (autumn-blooming crocus). My Colchicums are done flowering, they came up very early this year, and with the recent hot weather, didn't last long. My 'Waterlily' Colchicum hasn't come up at all. Wonder what happened to it--is it the drought?

Sternbergia lutea

Sternbergia

My small plant of Japanese Anemone 'Honorine Jobert' opened its first bud today, but it was caught in the nylon mesh that keeps the deer from devouring them--sadly, I cut it off when I tried to detach it to photograph--here it is fallen on the ground, surrounded by plantains. I'll move the barrier forward after the next rain to prevent this from happening and give the plant more room. I so envy the giant clumps of this flower in Blandy's courtyard, I wonder how many years it will take for mine to make a decent show?

Anemone 'Honorine Jobert'

Among the late bloomers are Roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) that I grew from seed collected at the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley (MSV) last summer. The deer ate these earlier, so it took the plants longer to bloom, but they finally have. Like all hibiscus, the flowers only open for one day. I hope some will set seeds so I can grow this again next year. The two plants I have were the only ones that sprouted from those seeds.

Roselle flower (Hibiscus sabdariffa)

Roselle plant.

The Shasta Daisies have some blooms this year--behind the net enclosure, the deer didn't get them! There should be more soon, these tend to bloom very late.

Shasta daisies.

The Muhly and other grasses are one of the highlights at this time of the year, along with the swamp sunflowers.

Herb's bed with Agastaches and grasses (Little Bluestem, Calamagrostis)

Muhly grass 'Flamingo'

Swamp sunflowers (Helianthus angustifolium)

I love those airy wild asters blooming next to the Muhly grass! The beautyberries (Callicarpa dichotoma 'Early Amethyst') have acquired a gorgeous color that complements the yellowing foliage.

Beautyberries

The deer have been munching the aromatic aster buds, I don't know if I'll have any flowers. They've been munching on the Chrysanthemums too, so mine don't look like much. The Abelia Panoramic Color' is still blooming.

Abelia 'Panoramic Color'

The seedpods of the Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles' are as interesting as the flowers. Unfortunately, I seldom get to see them, as the deer eat the flowers back a lot. These are some they left me.

Flowers and seedpods of Ceanothus 'Gloire de Versailles'

There's still some Indian summer weather left before out first frost cuts everything down. I wonder what else may be in store for my garden?

September Bloom Day

2025-09-15T09:23:00.004-04:00

Blue Lobelias

Hard to believe September Bloom Day is here--Bloom Day on the 15th of every month is hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden Blog--welcome to my Zone 6B garden in Virginia, friends! It's been a dry August and even drier September so far, with no relief in sight--my garden isn't looking its best, despite lots of very expensive watering.

My native blue Lobelias, which normally bloom during August, started to bloom quite late this year but are still going, though the foliage is yellowing (admission: some of my photos were taken from two to ten days ago). This year I kept them sprayed so the deer wouldn't eat the flower buds, and that worked.

The one original plant I bought and put under my 'Bloodgood' Japanese maple has multiplied amazingly over the past twelve years--this year I have several white-flowered mutants in this expanse under the three Japanese maples in my woodland garden on the east side of the house.

East garden woodland with blue and white Lobelias

Blue Lobelia clump

White Lobelias

Tropical Salvias are a great attraction for our hummingbirds at this time of the year--I love seeing them come by to feed. This summer I expanded my previous purchases of 'Black and Blue' and tried again last year's 'Bodacious Hummingbird Falls' which hadn't done well the previous year. I added 'Amistad' and 'Faye Chapel' to my selections. The 'Bodacious Hummingbird Falls' in the hanging basket seems to be the star this year--the hummers have visited this one so much--they can't leave it alone!

Salvia 'Bodacious Hummingbird Falls'

'Amistad' and 'Black and Blue' in pots along the front walk have attracted their share of hummers too, and the Fuchsia 'Billy Green' on the front porch.

Front walk in the evening


Salvia 'Black and Blue'

Miniature yellow Dahlia along front walk.

The big red Salvia 'Faye Chapel' also on the front walk, proved too tempting for the deer (they'll eat some salvias!), they kept eating back the buds until I moved the pot to the deck, where they can't get at it. It finally started to bloom earlier this month, but it hasn't attracted as many hummers as the others--why I can't imagine, with that luscious color! Perhaps it's getting late in the season--I have the feeling that most of our local hummers have already left for more southern parts, and the ones we're seeing now are migrants from farther north. The nights have been getting cooler and these hummers sure are hungry!

Salvia 'Faye Chapel'

Double Tuberose blooms

My double Tuberose finally put out two blooming spikes--better late than never, the scent is delicious!

The foliage of our dogwoods is turning, which is normal for this time of the year, but a number of other trees are exhibiting early signs of fall, probably more due to drought than the season. We're still getting eighty-degree days.

Front walk in early morning.

Reworked stone path

A few weeks ago, tired of seeing the stone path across my long island bed drowned in crabgrass again, I decided to take up all the stones, get rid of the crabgrass, and put down some weed barrier cloth before setting them back. I thought a bit of gravel between the stones might look nice and keep the path weed-free.

Good Lord, was it hard work--now I know why they call it "hardscape"! A bag of pea gravel weighs a ton, carrying it out from my car to the back yard was almost more than I could do! My husband Herb couldn't help--doctor's orders--so I had to do it all by myself. But it's finally finished--next spring I'll try to do the same with the stone threshold of the veggie pagoda. I wish the contractor had had the presence of mind to put down weed cloth there before he laid out those stones!

In addition, I expanded the bed in front of the enclosure to put in three new Salvia plants--'Pink Nebula'-- and re-planted the 'Purple De Oro' daylilies that the deer were eating back. The light blue Salvia that was there got moved to the left side of the path. The soil in that part of my garden is 100% rock and clay, very inhospitable, I worked in two cubic feet of clay-breaker mulch in there plus compost--more back-breaking work! I sure hope to see the rewards next spring.

Herb's bed with Texas Red Salvia

'Autumn Joy' Sedum with Muhly grass

Moving to the right of the enclosure in Herb's bed, the Sedum 'Autumn Joy' blossoms are turning pink while the Muhly grass is getting ready to put forth its airy plumes. The Agastaches and blue Ageratum are still blooming, but starting to slow down, showing stress from the drought. The pink Gaura is blooming beautifully.

The 'Autumn Joy' in the other bed keeps getting eaten by the deer, despite my barriers, so it looks very skimpy. The few Chrisanthemum plants I have left are starting to open too.

Agastaches in Herb's bed

Pink Gaura

The autumn-blooming Colchicums I planted last fall have started to pop up in the back bed, with a little bit of watering, but they're not very impressive at this point.

Colchicum bornmuelleri

Colchicum album

Another expansion project I'd like to undertake is joining up Herb's bed with the one just outside the veggie enclosure. I don't know if I'll be able to do it this fall, as I'm teaching three art classes; one class in Maryland's Eastern Shore is a two-day class, and will require two nights' stay at a local hotel. I may have to put off this project till next spring. I want to have more herbs in my garden, and perhaps a tiny water feature like a tub for a waterlily. One can always dream.

The Badlands bed has the Prairie sage showing its sky-blue blossoms right now--the native sunflowers that complement it so well had most of their flowers eaten by deer. But these are still blooming in the veggie enclosure, along with some companion plant Marigolds and Asian eggplant.

Prairie blue Sage

Native sunflowers (Helianthemum annuus)

Marigolds and Asian eggplants in the veggie garden

A friend gave these native wild Poinsettia plants, but the deer kept eating them--after spraying them I finally got to see the red flowers--they're tiny but so cute!

Euphorbia Cyathophoria

My Viburnum 'Brandywine' is now at its most spectacular--when the pink berries start to turn blue, and the bush exhibits both colors--with the foliage turning red, it's just stunning this year!

Viburnum 'Brandywine'

I created a painting of this plant recently to put in a show presented by the Botanical Artists Society of the National Capital Region (BASNCR), the chapter of the American Society of Botanical Artists (ASBA) that I belong to. Our show, titled "Autumns Splendor" is now at Montclair Library in Dumfries, VA, where it will hang until the end of October.

Viburnum 'Brandywine' and Clearwing Hummingbird Moth, watercolor and graphite.

The porch baskets are showing seasonal wear and tear--these purple petunias have the most wonderful scent I've come across in a petunia. They came from a mix called 'Pretty Grand' that a local nursery was selling. Oddly enough, the other colors barely have any scent, but at night these purple ones permeate the air on the porch. I hope I can find these again next year, though I'd prefer all-purples ones.

'Pretty Grand' Petunias

Porch basket with Bacopa, purple Ipomoea, Petunias and Pelargonium

Indoors, a miniature Dendrobium is blooming--the plant was so vigorous that I divided it into two during the summer, and both are blooming now!

Pink Dendrobium orchid

Dendrobium orchid with two blooming spikes.

That's it for this month, thanks for visiting!

Hiking on Dolly Sods, Part 2

2025-09-03T15:12:00.001-04:00


Red Spruce forest.

We were still on the Wildlife Trail, which is about 1.6 miles long. Eventually we crossed a stream, and the terrain began to change. The forest became denser, darker, and mossier, the ground rockier. We must be getting closer to the junction with the Rohrbaugh Trail. It was getting on toward four in the afternoon.

Getting on the Rohrbaugh Trail.

The junction with the Rohrbaugh Trail was marked by a sign; one could see the trail dropping downhill on the right and the light through the trees hinted at the deep canyon beyond. Taking the left hand side, the Rorhbaugh Trail continues towards some towering cliffs. We crossed another smaller sod, where we saw a couple of Monarch butterflies--too far away to photograph. The bees were having a feast on the Goldenrod.

Bee on Goldenrod

Heal-all (Prunella vulgaris)

Getting closer to the cliffs one could see the mountains on the other side of the canyon through the Mountain Ashes in fruit. In this more exposed area, being drier, grassy spaces bordered by Rhododendons, mountain laurel, blueberry and huckleberry bushes opened up.

The western side of the mountains through the trees.

Rhododendron and Mountain laurel meadows.

Ground pine and reindeer moss grew under the dwarfed spruce on the sparse soil near the cliffs.

Ground pine spore structures with reindeer moss and ordinary moss.

Side paths near the Rorhbaugh cliffs.

Climbing over the rocks toward the overlook, one can begin to appreciate the size and splendor of this vast wilderness--the view is spectacular!

Climbing towards the overlook.

View from the overlook.

The Rorhbaugh Cliffs.

Getting back to the main trail we wandered through through thickets of Rhododendrons and Mountain Laurel so dense they overhung, forming tunnels.


Getting back on the main trail from the overlook.

Rhododendron forest.

Beyond the climax of the overlook, the trail stepped back into the shelter of the forest. The forest once again changed character, becoming very mossy and lush. The rocky trail was intersected by a number of small streams and run-offs, and the Rhododendrons were taller, shaded by red spruce and hardwoods. The tree roots intruded upon the trail as much as the rocks, making it difficult to walk smoothly. The muddy patches continued, and we had to skirt around them as best we could.

The Rorhbaugh Trail beyond the overlook.

Big Belled Web Caps (Cortinaria largus)

Stream on the Rohrbaugh Trail.

Mushrooms began to appear again, though not in the profusion and variety as on the Wildlife Trail. Mosses carpeted the sides of the trail and rocks, Sphagnum moss in the wetter parts.

Moss on the sides of the trail.

Sphagnum moss.

The tall trees, Rhododendrons, and mosses gave the forest a magical, fairy-land atmosphere. Imagine how lovely it would be when the Rhododendrons and Mountain laurel are in bloom!

The Rorhbaugh Trail

This was the last photo I was able to take--my phone ran out of power completely right after this. The rest of the hike was very similar, rockier and muckier in some places, up and down, mostly up, with many beautiful sights. We harvested two more Lion's Mane mushrooms along the way, fortunately well within our reach without needing any sticks. More than enough for a great supper for both of us and our spouses!

We were totally exhausted by the time we reached the trailhead and my friend's car, well past six PM. We'd been hiking for over five hours to cover the 5.2 miles of both trails. We drove back to my car at the Wilderness trailhead and drove down the dusty mountain road as the sun was leaving the tops of the trees on the heights--it was after 7 PM and starting getting dark. We were still a two and a half hour drive from our homes--I didn't get home until a quartet to ten that night.

I "left it all" as they say, at Dolly Sods that day, but I'd love to come back in the spring to see some of the bogs in the lowlands, as well as the Rhododendrons and mountain laurel in bloom!

Hiking on Dolly Sods, Part 1

2025-09-01T12:11:00.000-04:00

The view east from Dolly Sods Road Overlook

My friend wanted to hike on Dolly Sods Wilderness in West Virginia. I remembered that Herb and I had done a hike on the Wilderness Trail and part of the Rorhbaugh Trail up to the spot where the rock cliffs are located, about a decade ago. I had always wanted to see the rest of the Rorhbaugh Trail, so I suggested we start our hike on the Wilderness Trail and continue to the end of the Rohrbaugh Trail, a total of about 5.2 miles according to my trail map. We each drove our own car so that we could leave one car at the Rorhbaugh Trailhead and ride together in the other to our starting point at the Wildlife Trailhead. This would save us a long walk back.

The weather was marvelous, so we agreed to go out last Friday, the beginning of Labor Day weekend. We arrived at Dolly Sods Wilderness around eleven-thirty in the morning after a long dusty ride up the rough mountain road. The clouds were just breaking up on the plateau, allowing a clear view of the mountains to the east from the panoramic overlook at the entrance. It was windy and chilly, probably in the mid fifties, and I put on my lightweight raincoat for an extra layer of warmth.

Goldenrod and Jewelweed at the Wilderness Trailhead.

We drove down to the picnic area and had our lunch there, parking my friend's car, then drove back up to the Wildlife Trailhead in my car. There were lovely wildflowers everywhere, a hint of fall showing in the foliage and flowers.

We hadn't gone more than forty or fifty paces into the forest when a ray of sunlight highlighted a whitish fungal growth up on a tree trunk... it was Lion's Mane mushroom! Thank heaven my friend is an expert forager, and had her forage bag with her. She found a stick long enough to reach the Lion's Mane and coaxed it down. If we could find a few more, we'd have a tasty supper.

Lion's Mane mushroom

We started looking around more closely--and more mushrooms began to crop up. A group of large polypore-looking mushrooms was scattered upon the forest floor. We picked a sample for later identification, not sure of its edibility. I think they may be Hedgehog mushrooms (Hydnum repandem) which are considered edible.

Hedgehog mushrooms (Hydnum repandem)

Closer look at Hedgehog mushroom.

The trail was impossibly muddy in places, indicating that the summer rains had been plentiful. To make matters worse, a group of horseback riders had ridden on the trail recently, and their tracks made our going more like an obstacle course.

Although it had been dry for the past couple of weeks in our area, it's obvious this plateau gets a lot more rainfall than our area of Virginia. The Allegheny Front forms part of the Eastern Continental Divide, with the western side draining into the Mississippi River Basin, while the eastern side drains into the Atlantic, the Chesapeake Bay specifically.

Violet-stemmed mushroom (Laccaria ochropurpurea?)

The quantity and variety of fungi in this forest was amazing: lots of Polypores were growing on fallen and standing tree trunks: Turkeytails, and False Turkeytails, but the Horseshoe conks on this tree (Fomes fomentarius) were unusual.

Horseshoe conks (Fomes fomentarius)

Coral fungi (Clavulina coralloides?

This high-elevation forest is botanically rich in many unusual plants such as club mosses, known as ground cedar (Diphasiastrum complanatum), ground pine (Lycopodium obscurum), ferns, as well as many plants more likely to be found in New England and eastern Canada, such as red spruce and birch. We spotted and harvested more Lion's Mane, one specimen high up on a trunk required a large branch to bring it down.

Lady Ferns and Ground Cedar.

A big tree with a unusual seed pods caught my eye, and on closer examination turned out to be a huge Cucumber magnolia (Magnolia acuminata). A group of several large Mountain ashes in fruit brought seasonal color to the late summer forest.

Cucumber magnolia with ripening seedpods (Magnolia acuminata).

Mountain ash trees in fruit (Sorbus aucuparia)

Beechdrops, a parasitic plant that feeds on the roots of Beech Trees, were still flowering, if a bit past it. We also collected a bit of Chaga mushroom on a trunk--these black fungi look like burn scars and associate only with Birch trees. They have medicinal properties and are used in Russian folk medicine to treat a variety of conditions.

Beechdrops (Epifagus virginiana)

Chaga mushroom (Inonotus oblicuus)

Everywhere we turned, there were different kinds of mushrooms. A piece of greenish spalted wood on the ground gave evidence that Green Elf Cups (Chlorociboria aeruginacens) had at one time colonized it--the elf cups are a rare sight. All these mushrooms and we had barely covered a mile! No wonder we were walking so slowly, it takes time to take it all in!

A mushroom with Volva--an Amanita?

Spalted wood indicates Green Elf Cup colonization.

Yellow Waxy Cap mushrooms (Hygrocybe flavecens)

Eventually we came to the first of the sods--the season was too advanced to see many butterflies, but there were a few Great Spangled Fritillaries on the goldenrod and thistles. I remembered these meadows buzzing with countless butterflies and bees when Herb and I visited so many years ago, but that was in early August, at the height of summer, and now it was getting on toward fall.

The first of the sods.

Great Spangled Fritillary on Thistle

We reentered the forest, finding yet more mushrooms we couldn't identify.

On the Wildlife Trail.

Cluster of brown mushrooms.

To be continued in Part 2.

August 2025 Bloom Day

2025-08-15T08:51:00.003-04:00

Clearwing Hummingbird Moth on Buddleia

Now in mid-August, the heat of July is subsiding, the mornings are cooler. Today is Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Garden Blog. Welcome to my Virginia USDA zone 6B garden!

Yesterday afternoon we had a huge storm that dropped almost an inch of very welcome rain--we'd had no rain since the first of the month. We'll start with the best photos-- a Clearwing Hummingbird Moth nectaring on my pink Buddleia.

Clearwing Hummingbird Moth (Hemaris thysbe)

It's not the first time he's visited, last week he (or a buddy) was thrumming about my Agastaches when I was watering Herb's bed, but I didn't have my phone with me, so I missed the opportunity to get photos.

Stepping back a bit, the pink Buddleia at the back of the Little Indians bed is surrounded by blooms of Queen Anne's lace. You may wonder why I call it the Little Indians bed--when I first moved here, there were ten little Arbor Vitae planted in a row which brought to mind the "Ten Little Indians" rhyme. I planted an eleventh one to take the curse off the even numbers, but the nickname of Ten Little Indians has stuck.

Pink Buddleia with Queen Anne's lace.

Long view of the Little Indians bed.

Fennel tops the plantings in the Little Indians bed.

Over the years I've expanded the Ten Little Indians Bed to be a long deep bed, with lots of herbaceous plants, mostly natives, against a backdrop of evergreens--Korean boxwood, variegated boxwood, Amsonia Hubrichtii and Itea virginica in front of the now huge arborvitae. The bed is weedy, but it works for me: the riotous feel of it, rampant with a variety of blooms over the entire season despite all the deer browsing.

Herb's bed is still a work in progress: started as a sunflower bed, I've expanded it over the years. By August, the peonies and spring flowers have gone, the Agapanthus is fading, and now the Agastaches and red Salvia are the main attractions--hummingbirds and butterflies love them! I couldn't identify the butterfly on the Agastache, perhaps a Silver Spotted Skipper?

Herb's bed with red Salvia in front.

Towards the back of Herb's bed, blue Ageratum and Agastaches.

A butterfly on Agastache 'Licorice Candy'

Butterfly on 'Pink Licorice'

Native sunflowers bloom profusely inside the protected veggie pagoda--I have plenty elsewhere in my yard, but the deer eat them so I rarely see the flowers!

Native sunflowers (Helianthus annuus)

Moving along to the other side of the veggie pagoda, one lavender plant is still blooming there with some thyme.

Lavender with Thyme.

In the long island bed, a few Rudbeckias bloom among the Bouteloua 'Blonde Ambition' and a small unidentified annual weed that grows in my yard--it has a pleasant minty smell that I like--and the deer won't eat it, so I leave it to grow and re-seed itself. My bush Clematis 'True Love' was eaten back so much it hasn't flowered at all.

'Baby Joe' Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium purpureum) blooms nearby, and the wild Petunias are indestructible despite much deer-browsing.


Rudbeckias with Bouteloua 'Blonde Ambition'

A wild mint?

Joe-Pye weed "Baby Joe'

Wild Petunia (Ruellia humilis)

This odd unidentified Hydrangea is loved by the deer, to see some blooms I have to protect it within a mesh enclosure.

No ID Hydrangea

On the west side of the house, the Russian Sage (Salvia yangii) is blooming. Abelia "Panoramic Color Radiance' in the front bed is presenting some blooms--the deer have been eating them, or there'd be more.

Russian sage (Salvia yangii)

Abelia 'Panoramic Color Radiance'

In the front west garden my 'Natchez' Crepe Myrtle is developing into a respectable-sized tree. The peeling bark of its multi-trunked form is one of its best features. I've still to come up with some decent under-plantings for this spot. I've been trying to grow a variegated Fetterbush (Lyonia lucida) under it, but the deer won't allow it to grow well, and the soil is obviously too alkaline for this plant's liking.I'll probably dig it up this fall and grow it in a pot. I need to find more suitable deer-resistant plants for this bed.

Crepe Myrtle 'Natchez'

My front porch and deck offer protection for the more often-devoured plants, but my hanging baskets are looking a bit bedraggled after July's heat. I wish my porch was a lot wider and bigger, so I could have some furniture there where one could hang out--but this being a developer's house, with the usual lack of sensitivity to architectural design, they left only room for my potted plants.

Sunpatiens, purple basil,black cotton and Celosia on the front porch.

Hanging basket on porch.

The deck is my outdoor living room during the summer, but the afternoon sun makes it too hot to hang out there during the summer until very late in the day, more like evening. This summer the deck got a complicated re-build, as the wood structure was starting to rot. It's not quite finished yet, but at least I can move back some of my plants there. Maybe an awning for it would be a good addition?

Cuphea 'Honey Bells'

Salvia 'Bodacious Hummingbird Falls'

That's it for this month's flowers. Happy Bloom Day, gardening friends!

Wildflowers in Shenandoah National Park

2025-08-03T17:02:00.008-04:00

Turk's Cap lilies (Lilium superbum)

Already midsummer, and so busy I hadn't had a chance to visit Shenandoah National Park all year. Living so close to the north entrance, I like to go up there in the spring to enjoy the panoply of wildflowers at that time of the year. However, there are so many beautiful wildflowers in the park at all seasons except winter, that I decided to go up there with a friend in late July, to see what was blooming.

Fairy Candles (Actaea racemosa)

All along Skyline Drive there were so many Fairy Candles, as the blooms of Black Cohosh are known around here, that we had to stop at one of the overlooks to photograph them. Bees were buzzing everywhere, and yellow Jewelweed was blooming close to the parking area. You can see leaves of a native Clematis curling around the stems in the photo below, but without flowers, it would be hard to identify the Clematis.

Yellow Jewelweed (Impatiens pallida)

Our next stop was the Hemlock Springs overlook, where we found a profusion of wildflowers. The day was cloudy and we drove through few showers on the way down--merciful in July's heat--we couldn't have asked for better weather for our walk!

Hemlock Springs overlook

In the shady, moist environment at this area we found Joe-Pye weed, Purple-flowering raspberry, and white Bergamot by the side of the road.

Joe-Pye weed (Eutrochium maculatum)

Purple Flowering raspberry (Rubus odoratus)

Close-up of Purple Flowering raspberry

White Bergamot (Monarda clinopodia)

Farther down, by a rock wall, there was Alum Root, its flower heads going to seed. Wild hydrangeas were in bud, and the Goldenrod was starting to bloom--so early! There are so many varieties of Goldenrod in this area that without a closer examination I couldn't begin to identify the species, but I'd guess it's Solidago canadensis.

Alum root (Heuchera americana) with Purple Flowering Raspberry


Wild hydrangeas (Hydrangea arborescens) and Goldenrod (Solidago canadensis?)

Back by the parking area, we saw one flower I haven't been able to identify-- my photo isn't very good, could it be a very late-blooming Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis)? Correction: this is Tall Thimbleweed, Anemone virginiana.

Tall Thimbleweed (Anemone virginiana).

From there we drove on to Big Meadows to stop at the Visitor's Center, where there was a planter full of native plants, nicely labeled. The Bunchflowers (Melianthium virginicus) here were enormous, although others we saw scattered through the meadows weren't so tall. Yellow Coneflowers and wild Bergamot bloom beyond.

Planter at Big Meadows Visitor Center

Bunchflowers in the meadow.

We hiked on the Story of the Forest Trail, where we encountered some Poke Milkweed, more Fairy Candles and a variety of ferns. We missed a turn and ended up at a campsite, and had to backtrack to reach the Visitor's Center, where we ate our lunch.

Poke Milkweed (Asclepias exaltata)

After lunch we set out on the open meadow, hoping to find the white fringed orchids that another friend had told me about. We looked and looked, but never found it--so many lovely flowers instead! The ordinary milkweed was luscious, but nary a Monarch butterfly was to be seen. I've never seen such deep orange Butterfly weed--amazing color!

Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) with Yellow Toadflax (Linaria vulgaris)

Close-up of Yellow Toadflax

Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Nodding onion (Allium cernuum)

Canada thistle (Circium arvense)

We wandered through the meadow all afternoon, coming across lots of gorgeous Turk's cap lilies, wild rose, yarrow and Interrupted Fern growing along a seep. I've never seen this fern growing in such a sunny location, but I guess it happens.

Turk's cap lilies (Lilium superbum)

Turk's Cap lilies

Wild rose (Rosa silvestris) with yarrow leaves.

Interrupted Fern (Osmunda claytoniana)

St. John's Wort (Hypericum perforatum?)

Starry Campion (Silene stellata)

As we were leaving the meadow, we walked by some yellow indigo shrubs.

Yellow Indigo (Baptisia tinctoria)

The afternoon had slipped by and all too soon it was time to head back home. What a wonderful day, filled with the beauty of nature!