Wingstem
Ah, wingstem! A vigorous plant, indeed. Early on, in the winter, a friend pointed the plant out and told me that it was locally called “stickweed”. He said that it hadn’t been all that common when he was a kid … Continue reading →
Virginia Knotweed
When Fred First identified this plant as Virginia knotweed, I feared that it was related to the invasive exotic, Japanese knotweed. While both are in the same family (polygonaceae), Virginia knotweed is in the genus persicaria while Japanese knotweed is … Continue reading →
American Basswood
Most of the trees on my property are really tall and I didn’t have binoculars with me to be able to see the leaves in detail. Some of the trees are very recognizable, like black cherry (prunus serotina), because of … Continue reading →
Serendipity
Last year, I worked for two days on a piece that I grew unhappy with and set aside, prophetically writing in a post last year “that I was entertaining thoughts of cutting it in half and using the pieces in … Continue reading →
Breakthroughs
This year was the fourth time I’ve attended the sculpture class at Touchstone Center for Craft in Farmington, PA. Touchstone suffered some severe damage during this past winter – heavy snow brought down the roof of the dining hall and … Continue reading →
Hamelia Patens
This post will complete the series of three that I promised in my post on West Indian Lilac. Hamelia Patens, also known as firebush, is a very attractive shrub with masses of orange-red flowers that are wonderful butterfly attractors. I … Continue reading →
Coral Bean
When I first moved to my present place in 1999, I thought that I knew a lot about native plants. It turned out that I just knew some of the more common ones. I had never seen an inkwood (exothea … Continue reading →
Tetrazygia Bicolor
I’m not sure why, but there are very few native plants in South Florida with showy flowers, unless you include the palm family. The many gorgeous flowering trees present in South Florida, like the yellow and pink Tabebuia, Royal Poinciana, … Continue reading →
Deja Vu All Over Again
I apologize to Yogi Berra for the title of this post. I’ve been backing away from my former intense focus on events in this country lately, sickened by the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, among other things. I subscribe … Continue reading →
The History of Mother’s Day
Today is Mother’s Day, which has its origins in Grafton, West Virginia in 1858. There, Anna Reeves Jarvis organized a number of Mothers’ Work Day Clubs to improve health and sanitary issues in the towns of Webster, Grafton, Fetterman, Pruntytown, … Continue reading →