I was torn between posting another, more detailed garden update, or showing you the lovely things I've found in the woods this week! But with a much-needed rain today and the coming heat wave, I'm sure things are going to happen so rapidly in the garden that I'll have to update that again in a couple of days anyway, so for now we will turn to the woods! I decided to explore a different section the other day with the intention of looking for Pink Lady's Slippers (Cypripedium acaule) and any other orchids that might be out there. The first flowers I found were these Twinflowers (Linnaea borealis). They are said to have been a favorite flower of Carl Linnaeus, after whom they were named. I don't blame him at all for being so fond of them. The flowers are tiny and I had some difficulty photographing them, but I was struck by their delicate beauty! And they are fragrant too if you get down on the ground next to them like I did! I was just beginning to think that I'd better turn back before I got lost, since I wasn't at all familiar with this part of the woods, when I emerged from a very thick and marshy area and saw this lovely hill! I felt like I could have spent all day here! It was so lovely and peaceful (except for the mosquitoes) and the heat yesterday made the shade actually feel pleasant instead of chilly! It turned out to be a Lady's Slipper lover's paradise as well! There are little groups of them scattered all over the hill. I went back out there twice yesterday and took over 100 pictures! Do you see the spider? He spread out his "arms" when I got close with the camera! There are quite a few white-flowered plants too. The flower on the right in this picture is the darkest one I found...most of them are a very pale pink. Does anybody know what this is? They look like tiny evergreen trees but seem to creep along the ground. On my way back I came upon these, which I'm thinking might be Broad-leaved Helleborines. I guess it is considered weedy and invasive, so it may not be such an exciting find after all, but still I intend to go back and watch them grow and bloom! I just love being out in the woods, always finding something new! :)
6 Comments
So many orchids! It must have been breathtaking to see so many. The small evergreen is club moss (Lycopodium). I think Broad-leaved Helleborines are beautiful, esp. when viewed up close. I've never seen so many as to consider them weedy or invasive, but that may be just here.
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Thank you for identifying the Club Moss. :) I love its other two names...Ground Pine and Creeping Cedar!
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Veleria
6/28/2018 06:27:20 pm
You pics are just lovely. I think the last one might be a ginger of some sort. They will spread. I have a couple of different gingers. They have lovely blooms. Some pink, some white, some red. The pinecone ginger is red. They make nice cut flowers. Thanks for sharing your part of the world. I'm in Fl and it is horribly humid and hot. Our heat index last week was 111°. Not a dry spot on you when outside. Actual temp 101°.
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I never saw ginger flowers before, so I looked them up. They are stunning! But I don't think they would grow here as we are in USDA hardiness zone 4a.
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AuthorI am a passionate gardener and seed-saver, who also enjoys playing the violin and accordion, running, spending time with my 4 golden retrievers, keeping chickens, photography, and reading. Archives
March 2019
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