I enjoy being around ponds, streams and rivers in Connecticut. I find them very calming. Below are some photos I’ve taken through the years.
I hope you enjoy them.
Bartlett Arboretum Stream Stamford CT
I took this photo a couple of weeks ago. Since this is a blog about landscaping I’ll point out that the yellow flowers closest to the camera are spicebush (Lindera benzoin). The Bartlett Arboretum is rarely crowded and a great place to collect your thoughts or learn about plants.
Halfway River Newtown CT
If you need a quiet place to think there is no better. Wear shoes with good tread, it’s a downhill walk to the river with some mud at the bottom. Halfway River Open Space Preserve has some traffic noise but the views are worth it.
Covered Bridge Southford Falls Southbury CT
Southford Falls is a fun park with a moderate climb to a fire tower. If you’re climbing to the fire tower the ‘easier’ climb is found by walking past the pavilion. Going over the covered bridge will get you to the fire tower but the middle of the hike is almost straight up. Here is the Southford Falls Trail Map.
Housatonic River Upper Paugussett State Forest Newtown CT
Every time I hike the Upper Paugussett State Forest I’m amazed at how far from civilization I feel while being so close to civilization. This park has an ‘easier’ trail through the middle with plenty of more, or less, challenging trails around the perimeter. The river you’re looking at is the Housatonic River.
Warner Pond Newtown CT
I tried to find the state forest this pond is in but had no luck. I did find Elia Kazan’s obituary which explains the piece of property. This view of the pond is gorgeous.
Lilypads Oxford CT
While driving down a small road in Oxford, CT I saw this view. I brought my camera the next day. Such a beautiful place.
I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the ponds, streams and rivers of Connecticut.
Nothing says New England like an old barn or a covered bridge. This is the Covered Bridge at Southford Falls State Park in Southbury, CT. I took the picture while hiking last week.
This post isn’t really about the cat, Chloe, in this picture. It’s about the plant label laying a little to her left. She pulled that label out twice the last week. Silly kitty!
Last week while bringing a load of debris to the compost pile I spotted something growing in the mass of leaves, sticks, vegetative kitchen scraps and garden debris.
After a few moments, I realized it was a compost pile potato vine. A few weeks ago I tossed potatoes in the pile and I guess they liked it there.
Here’s a picture of the compost pile potatoes from a distance.
A closeup of compost pile potatoes.
If you think those leaves look familiar they should. Indeed potatoes are in the same plant family as tomatoes, Solanaceae. It looks like tomato plants growing but it’s too early in the season for that.
Below is a comparison of the leaves of the two plants.
My plan was to move the compost pile to where my mulch pile is when I finished spreading the mulch. As a result, I’m not sure what to do.
Next time you’re near Michael’s walk in and have a look around. You never know what you’ll walk out with.
I got this cool magnet to prank my wife while at Michael’s too. What woman doesn’t want a testament to her cat plastered on her car? It ended up on my truck after a day.
I wonder if they sell Pink Flamingos at Michael’s?
This toad reminded me yet again what amazing camouflage toads have. Compare the color of this toad to the others in the blog and you’ll see how much their color varies to match their surroundings. What amazing creatures!
The same guy from the top. It may take you a moment to find him.
I marvel at how much growth is in the tip of a vegetable vine. Whether it be pumpkins, squash or cucumbers. All that potential growth bundled into a little ball.
The image above is the tip of a cucumber vine.
I’ve got a ton of photos of my Square Foot Gardening experiment this year. More to come.
While working this week I spotted this cool fungus. I wish I could tell you more about it.
In the picture at the top of the post you can see a puddle of rainwater on the fungus. We’ve had a very rainy summer which is probably why this fungus looks so healthy.
Looking down at the fungus and the puddle. I bet a frog finds that sooner than later.
A shot from the side showing the fungus attached to the tree. The tree it’s growing on is a Japanese Maple, probably a Bloodgood.
Fungus only grows on decaying matter. This tree has dead wood.
If you notice fungus growing on trees in your yard have an arborist you trust have a closer look before it’s too late and the tree falls injuring someone or damaging your property.
If you know anything about this fungus I’m all ears.
