Category: Roadside Plant Finds
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Nurse Log, Trees Growing Out of a Tree
The other day while eating at my favorite lunch spot I noticed a decaying hemlock with deciduous seedlings growing out of it, a nurse log. Nurse logs are rotting logs that support tree seedlings. As the old tree decays it creates a seedbed for tree seedlings. The decomposing wood stays moist and provides organic matter…
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Grape Hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) Tough as Nails
Yesterday I pulled the car over to take a photo of a grouping of grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum). The temperature was in the low 40’s and by the minute the weather changed from overcast to partial sun, to rain showers, to snow showers. The grape hyacinth loved it. When I was a kid we had…
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White Fringetree – Chionanthus virginicus
Last week while driving I spotted the beauty above, a White Fringetree (Chionanthus virginicus) in full bloom. The tree was a sight to behold. I took this picture the first week of June in Zone 6a. Bloom time is in line with the Kousa Dogwood (Cornus kousa), possibly starting a little earlier. Dirr’s Hardy Trees…
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An Evening Walk – The Road not Taken
Last night I went for the best walk I’ve had in a while. We’ve had high heat, high humidity and a ton of rain the last couple weeks which hasn’t encouraged walks. I started around 5:00 PM without much of an idea where I was headed. At one corner left would take me home in…
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My New Favorite Park
For the last week and a half I’ve visited a small park in town. The park starts level by the road but quickly drops off to a small rolling river below. I’ve gotten in the habit of getting a bacon, egg and cheese and stopping at the park to eat my breakfast. It’s on the…
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Yellow Flower on Side of Road
Last week while driving through Newtown, CT I stumbled on this yellow flower. From a distance it looks like a dandelion. It’s definitely not. I took this picture March 25 when Daffodils are just starting to bloom. We’re a long way off from leaves on trees. I checked the US Wildflowers Database and had no luck finding…
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Pumpkins in the Landscape
Yesterday I visited a landscape planted last week. While photographing the landscape I noticed the oddest site. Nestled between a Siberian Carpet (Microbiota decussata) and PJM Rhododendron (Rhododendron ‘PJM’) was a thriving pumpkin seedling. How could this happen? The compost used to prepare the soil was the composting spot of several years of Holden family pumpkins. The moist soil…
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Beefsteak Tomato Roadside Stand
This week I took the kids and dog for a walk and stumbled across a tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum) growing in the crack between the curb and the asphalt. A plant’s will to live is amazing. I can’t wait to return this summer for some Beefsteaks!
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Wisteria – Mother Nature Trumps Man Every Time
Last week I saw a wisteria in full bloom weeping from a blasted ledge. No matter how hard I try to create beautiful landscapes mother nature can beat me without trying. If you’re driving down Whitney Avenue in Trumbull, CT in early-May keep your eyes open for the wisteria on the ledge between the entrance to…