I have to admit, I am not quite sure whether this is now truly considered a distinct species, or a sub species from Athyrium filix-femina (lady fern). Whatever the case, I added the “forma rubellum” to my yard. This fern can be grown quite easily on rich woodland soils, although it does not like wet […]
Archive for the ‘Flora’ Category
Athyrium angustum (northern lady fern)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Plant bio on May 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
phlox divaricata (wild blue phlox)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on May 9, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
While Phlox divaricata is not native to Cape Cod, or even Massachusetts, this “native neighbor” is just too beautiful a plant to leave out of our woodland garden. Wild blue phlox, or woodland phlox as it is often called, is found from Hudson Bay all the way down to Texas and Florida. For some reason […]
Prosartes maculata (nodding mandarin)
Posted in Edible, Flora, Plant bio on May 9, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Nodding mandarin is another interesting native neighbor (meaning it does not occur naturally in Massachusetts – it is found in a few eastern states from Michigan down to Georgia). This member of the Lily family displays strongly veined light green leaves – it is somewhat similar to Uvularia grandiflora from afar. The flowers are beautiful, […]
The Cape Cod Zoo (in my backyard)
Posted in Fauna, Flora, Guest blogger on May 9, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
It is an incredible testament to nature these past few weeks that the group of wasps living outside my kitchen window has returned to the exact same spot they have nested at ever since we moved to this house. Last fall we waited until the last of the plants and insects were done thriving and got our house […]
Sanguinaria canadensis (bloodroot)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on April 22, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Bloodroot displays flowers that look like white pearls among the leaflitter. Unfortunately, these little gems are somewhat fragile. Rain and wind will drop petals. This could be one of those plants that you may simply miss if you are not looking for it. Despite the short lived nature of the flowers, and the extremely early […]
Recent Adventures in the Wilds of Cape Cod
Posted in Flora, Guest blogger, Rants & Raves on April 3, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
This past winter, the Cape got hit with more snow and stormy weather than I have seen here in a few years, which put a damper on the frequency of our weekend walks. One hike we attempted became impossible because we were literally unable to find the snow-covered paths off the main road, another walk became somewhat […]
Best Winter Walks on Cape Cod
Posted in Fauna, Flora, Guest blogger on February 13, 2013 | Leave a Comment »
Winter is our favorite time to enjoy the natural beauty of Cape Cod marshes and woodlands. The combination of stark frozen landscapes and an off-season peacefulness make these walking paths particularly wonderful. It’s also a great time to enjoy the woods and marshes without worrying too much about ticks (although even on the coldest days […]
Actaea racemosa (bugbane)
Posted in Flora, Interesting, Plant bio on August 1, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
I’ve had bugbane in my woodland garden for a few years now, and while the leaves are beautiful, I had not been overly impressed until this summer. The plants finally matured enough to produce flowers, and they do so in an otherworldly fashion: First these long stalks appear with these slender cornhusk-like appendages. The little […]
Veronicastrum virginicum (culver’s root)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on July 24, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Right now the culver’s root in my yard are cute one-foot-tall plants with beautiful ovate leaves. If they do well over the next few years, however, I should expect these plants to reach 5 or even 6 foot. That is if they tolerate the rather sandy soils – they prefer rich and loamy soil. They […]
Penstemon digitalis (Foxglove beardtongue)
Posted in Flora, Plant bio on June 30, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
This plant is best suited in a clearing in the woodland garden, since it prefers partial to full sunlight. Foxglove beardtongue has beautiful dark green leaves, but the best features are its long flowering stalks which are over 3 feet tall. The tubular flowers are mostly white but they have faint violet lines which serve […]