Back in March of 2011 I wrote about the appearance of bobcats on Cape Cod, now we are actually seeing what some have predicted – the return of the black bear to Cape Cod. The black bear, according to Mass Wildlife, has not been seen on Cape Cod since the 1700s. I refer back to some […]
Archive for May, 2012
Lions, and tigers, and bears! Oh, my!
Posted in Fauna, Flora, Guest blogger, Rants & Raves, Tips on May 28, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Geranium maculatum alba (spotted geranium (alba))
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on May 13, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
I was very happy to see this fall addition bloom for the first time – I wasn’t quite sure which plants were going to deliver the traditional blue-purple flowers, and which ones were the alba variety. As it turned out they ended up in the right spot juxtaposed with the pink flowers of the creeping […]
From the non-native dossier: Stellaria media (common chickweed) and Cerastium fontanum (mouse ear chickweed)
Posted in Edible, Flora, Interesting, Invasive, Plant bio, Recipe on May 9, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
It makes sense to discuss these two plants in the same blog, as they are both very common, look very much alike, and can often be found next to one another… Both forms of chickweed have leaves that are elliptical in shape and alternate on the stem. Common chickweed leaves are hairless while the mouse […]
Pretty in pink
Posted in Flora, Interesting on May 7, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Dodecatheon meadia bio page
Delphinium tricorne (dwarf larkspur)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on May 7, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Dwarf larkspur is somewhat of an unexpected guest in my yard – just like some of those mail order brides may not be exactly what you expected, I acquired some mail order rootstock for what I thought was dutchman’s breeches. It turned out to be Delphinium tricorne instead, which calls the mid-Atlantic states and the […]
hummingbirds back in action
Posted in Fauna, Interesting on May 7, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
I started to worry that the hummingbirds had forgotten their way to my garden – the feeder’s been out for 3 weeks but it had not seen any visitors. Until today that is – the female hummers are back feeding. I have yet to see a male…
The April that was…
Posted in Flora, Interesting on May 6, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
This April brought some surprises, which I have written about in separate posts, but the overall April 2012 themes were re-birth, continuity and establishment. A lot of the plants pictured have been in my yard for a year or two now, and they are slowly but surely becoming a defining presence in the woodland garden. […]
Iris cristata alba
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on May 1, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Just like the common sky blue version of Iris cristata, the white flower form (alba) is a low-growing (3†to 6†high) spreading plant. I got this plant from a local garden center (you’re probably familiar with Mahoney’s if you live in eastern Massachusetts) and barely 3 weeks out of the pot they have started […]