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Category: Plant Walks

Ponds, Streams and Rivers of Connecticut

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.

April 23, 2021
Early Spring Blooming Plants – Part 1

I visited the Bartlett Arboretum in mid-April and had a ball looking at early spring blooming plants. Below are some pictures from my visit.

Cornell Pink Rhododendron (Rhododendron mucronulatum ‘Cornell Pink’)

Cornell Pink Rhododendron was in full bloom. Cornell Pink is a deciduous rhododendron and blooms before foliage emerges.

A close up of Cornell Pink Rhododendron flowers.

Winter Hazel (Corylopsis pauciflora)

Winter Hazel in full bloom. I’ve never planted it but I like the compact habit and bright yellow blooms in early-spring.

Winter Hazel flowers aren’t big but there’s enough of them to catch your eye.

Lenten Rose Sp. (Helleborus sp.)

The Lenten Rose was in full bloom. You can see last years foliage under the flowers. If you have Lenten Rose you can prune the foliage back in early winter once it goes dormant or early spring. There’s no harm if you don’t cut back last years foliage before bloom.

Star Magnololia (Magnolia Stellata)

Gorgeous! Absolutely gorgeous.

Because they flower so early Star Magnolia blooms are often damaged by frost. These blooms are as good as it gets for Star Magnolia.

More pictures from my visit coming soon.

May 8, 2017
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!

June 19, 2015
Wetland Plants of CT

Every year Cub Scout Pack 170 cleans up Edmund Road in Newtown, CT. It’s our Earth Day conservation project. My son and I spent an hour one Saturday morning picking up garbage and admiring flora. Truth be told I was the only one admiring the flora.

We cleaned up litter on a Saturday. I was so impressed by the beauty of nature I returned Monday, April 27th 2015 to take pictures.

Edmund Road runs along interstate 84 and cuts straight through a swamp. There’s a large stream on one side of the road and standing water on the other.

At the back of the photo you can see the stream. In the foreground bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is just coming into bloom.

The plants were growing just up from the edge of the water in partial shade and humusy soil.

It was worth the return trip.

Connecticut Wetland Plants

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis) coming into bloom. Once the weeds around these plants fill in you won’t even know they’re there.

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria Canadensis) for scale.

Trout lily (Erythronium americanum ) in full bloom. For a week or two in the early spring it lights up the landscape.

If you don’t look for Trout Lily (Erythronium americanum ) you might miss it.

Red trillium (Trillium erectum) coming into bloom. Look how red those flowers are!

Red Trillium (Trillium erectum) up close and personal.

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) in full bloom.

My childhood home has a small stream and the far side is covered with spicebush. I can still smell the spice when you crushed the leaves or broke the brittle twigs.

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) a little farther away.

Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) growing above the stream. You can see skunk cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) growing on the other side.

Across the street from my childhood home is a large swamp. A friend and I would go to the swamp and beat the skunk cabbage with sticks because it’s a “Bad” plant. The more we hit the stinkier it got. I’d like to apologize to all those poor skunk cabbage plants. I didn’t know any better.

Thanks for joining me.

June 15, 2015