Hello All! There won’t be any radical changes in any of my gardens this year. Arthritis and age is cracking its whip on my body seriously limiting what I can physically do. I’ve stayed away from doctors and hospitals during this pandemic but I’ve headed back to Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital and soon will have some minor hand surgeries and straightforward treatments on my shoulders. I’m certainly hoping these do the trick I need.
However, I did a lot of work in the last few years out there so I can just do some minimal maintenance and it’ll be fine as long as I can get back at it next year. It’s still sparser than I’d like but I’m happy that it’s pretty self sufficient and won’t suffer for what I can’t get done this year.
This year’s tiger lillies are spectacular. We just need more of them!Sweet Scented Phlox
I found this Aralia hispida, Bristly sarsparilla way into the back yard. I hope it survives the year and I can help it out next year by clearing out the invasives around it.
Third year Sensitive Ferns are growing nicely and spreading out.
Slender Mountain Mint Divided this off the original plant just last year. Already it’s as big and full as the mother plant.
Second year Clustered Mountain Mint Blooming
Butterfly Weed bloomed beautifully this year.
White milkweed grew quite tall this year.
Next we’ll see what autumn brings us. Hang in there!
This night, we need to treasure those values we hold dear that have made our country the democracy that has been guided by the shining light of the Statue of Liberty!
May we restore our land to its’ native biodiverse heritage – PLANT NATIVE!
Ah, the glorious wonders of Spring! After the long winter months, each day something new – the earth springs for with surprising, even stunning delights. Each one I stumbled on, took me aback, drew my breath with welcome feelings of astonishment and renewal, a timely reminder of the preciousness of each new day.
Ordinarily, one would walk over this “lawn” and never look down. Why would you? There doesn’t seem to be anything to see beneath your feet here in he back of our house.Last summer was the first time that Bill was not well enough to go out and mow and what began to grow was quite a surprise. But now that I have a new awareness of what’s beneath my feet with another year of studying native flowers, I’m so much more able to at least be able to pick out what looks familiar and might be native. A few, I can now actually identify.
Potentillasimplex Michx. common cinquefoil, old-field cinquefoil
Common strawbery, Fragaria virginiana.
Hesperis matronalis (Dame’s Rocket)
For much of this week I foraged the lawn and dug up some pretty good specimens and transplanted them in the developing front native plant garden, In fact, all but the Mayapple was hiding underfoot or into the woods and lots more than I can’t fit in one post. I picked up the Mayapple, (one stem of which has drooped off to the ground because the stem was broken, but it otherwise is looking good and I think that stem may plant itself underground) at the annual Sister’s Plant Sale in Reading, MA. More to come, although this work takes a lot of time which is why there’s more time than usual between posts, so hang in there. All of what I do continues to be on nature’s timeline – I just sway from task to task at Mother Nature’s will.
