spring wildflower walk, warner park

we had the opportunity to take a guided wildflower walk in warner park yesterday. first, our guide deb beazley walked us around the nature center and showed us just what is actually growing in our lawns. we saw chickweed, bitter cress, red dead nettle, henbit, speedwell, bluets, black mustard, wild onions and field pansies.

these plants were all over the common area at the nature center and all are considered weeds. most of them are beneficial to honeybees and are also edible. we have many of them in our own lawn and we plan to keep them for the bees we will be adding soon.

after exploring the lawn, we ventured out around the other buildings on the site to look at the many plants in bloom. we saw many more than are featured here and we also saw many other plants such as sedum, many different ferns, shrubs and trees that are currently blooming or setting buds. there were too many to photograph and remember so i suggest that you go over to warner park and take a guided walk sometime, it is well worth the time.

bloodroot-sanguinaria canadensis

virginia bluebells-mertensia virginica

the creek that runs through the nature center was a beautiful sight.

at this point, we broke up into groups and travelled to the deep well trail head to hike on the mossy ridge trail and see what was in bloom.
it's not hard to see why it is called the mossy ridge trail. this is a north facing slope and there were many outcroppings covered in moss.

false rue anemones-isopyrum biternatum

stinging nettle...i was standing there and i looked down and asked ever so ignorantly-"what's this plant?" luckily, i was wearing long pants and didn't have to worry about it stinging me!

the bell of the ball, trout lily-erythronium americanum

look carefully, this hillside was covered in trout lily blooms

the largest tree in the park, a tulip poplar estimated to be about 150 years old

speedwell

we finished the day where we started, a picnic lunch at the visitors center with a table next to a small gravesite for the children who were born and died in the original house on the property.

get out there and see what's around you!

welcome back spring!!!

you know it is spring when the hellebores bloom

the toad lily has begun to sprout

daffodils are blooming

the goldfinches are eating thistle seeds like there is no tomorrow and the males are now sporting yellow feathers

and it is warm enough for the shiitake logs to start pinning and fruiting!

critters that go munch in the night

okay, i can admit it. things are a little out of control in the garden. darry was baiting the feeders to attract squirrels to entertain the cat-she stays indoors. he discovered that we have any number of interesting visitors at night...

the little bandit stealing squirrel food. actually, it is snacking on peanut butter sandwiches.

sorry about the photo quality, the only camera i could use at the time was the one in my cell phone.

on the left, bubba, the biggest possum we have ever seen and a dedicated snacker of peanut butter sandwiches.
bubba and rocky. bubba doesn't like rocky in his tree and he was turning around to try and bite him or at least scare him away from the sandwiches.
this little guy was out in the yard and he froze when i approached him to take his picture

a front shot of big bubba

we also have a fox that stops by but so far, no photos