Back in January I had put in the preliminary work to create a walking path through the wasteland area that is part of my property. Some rudimentary tree limbs marked what is now a pleasant corridor with grass underfoot, flanked by wildflowers (with dominant players such as jewelweed, milkweed, and pokeweed). What a difference from […]
Archive for June, 2012
What a difference six months make
Posted in Interesting on June 30, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove beardtongue)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on June 30, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
This plant is best suited in a clearing in the woodland garden, since it prefers partial to full sunlight. Foxglove beardtongue has beautiful dark green leaves, but the best features are its long flowering stalks which are over 3 feet tall. The tubular flowers are mostly white but they have faint violet lines which serve […]
Filipendula rubra (meadowsweet)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on June 30, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
This showy plant is native to the Midwest, the mid-Atlantic states, New England and eastern Canada, but it is listed as threatened in several of those areas. Queen of the prairie (or meadowsweet) likes moist prairies and meadows, particularly along streams and rivers. It is normally considered an indicator species of high quality habitats, but […]
Heuchera americana (coral bells)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on June 12, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
When you see Heuchera sp. (coral bells) in the plant center you usually find cultivars accentuating distinctive leaf features or larger flowering stems. Heuchera americana (coral bells or alumroot) pales somewhat by comparison, but it is still a worthwhile contribution to the woodland garden with its distinctive leaves and spires of greenish-white flowers. This native […]
Will the real native sac spider stand up?
Posted in Fauna, Interesting on June 3, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Honestly, it may take a quiz show and the willingness of the participants (spiders in this case) to help identify the right species of sac spider. The native sac spider (Cheiracanthium inclusum) is very similar to the one introduced from Europe in 1978 (Cheiracanthium mildei). In the picture from my yard I believe I have […]