Seeing culver’s root bloom in the garden brought out the shopping instinct in me – I just returned from the garden shop at Garden in the Woods and got a few more. The store bought plants have already bloomed and have been cut back, but next year they will be on a Cape Cod schedule. […]
Archive for August, 2014
Veronicastrum virginicum (culver’s root)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on August 28, 2014 | Leave a Comment »
Refueling station
Posted in Fauna, Interesting on August 27, 2014 | 1 Comment »
A female rubythroated hummingbird is enjoying the nectar from a pink variety Monarda didyma (scarlet beebalm). Several hummingbirds, mostly females, have been visiting the beebalm colony. They are very territorial and don’t like to share their food source. I’ve seen several skirmishes and chases this summer – they seem to occur almost daily. I have […]
Spigelia marilandica (indian pink)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on August 27, 2014 | 1 Comment »
I forgot all about this plant, since it has long ceased blooming and obedient plant, butterflyweed and blue lobelia have crowded the border and are demanding attention from the eye and the brain. The picture is from early July. The plant is about a foot high. The flowers, of which there are a few, sit […]
Silphium perfoliatum (cup plant rosin weed)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on August 27, 2014 | Leave a Comment »
I brought 3 of these plants home in April, after a visit at NEWFS Garden in the Woods in Framingham. There was not much more to go on than a few basal leaves and the attendant mentioning that “these” would get very tall. That was enough to intrigue me and I put them next to […]
Hanging with the harvestman
Posted in Fauna, Interesting on August 26, 2014 | Leave a Comment »
Although an order of the Arachnids, harvestmen (or Opiliones) are NOT spiders. harvestmen are scavengers. Spiders are predators harvestmen have no venom. Spiders do harvestmen don’t build webs. Many spiders do harvestmen have one pair of eyes (although a few species have none). Spiders have 3 or 4 pairs. (Better to hunt with) harvestmen have […]
Summer memories
Posted in Flora, Interesting on August 26, 2014 | Leave a Comment »
Hate to say it, but the summer is fleeting by quickly. Wetter than usual, and shorter than usual – that’s how I’ll remember it. It is not too soon to capture and post the moment. Before too long we’ll be reminiscing by the fire after shoveling out the driveway… Tall coneflower (Rudbeckia laciniata), swamp milkweed […]
Aralia racemosa (american spikenard)
Posted in Edible, Flora, Plant bio on August 25, 2014 | 2 Comments »
I have had two Aralia racemosa (american spikenard) in an area that benefits from a bit more sunlight than does the rest of my tree covered woodland garden. Too much sun, I feared at first. The young plants did not do a whole lot of growing, that is until this year. While I thought I […]