Ice fog When I was young in West Texas, the occasional ice fog occurred when just the right temperature and atmospheric conditions coincided. For us on the airport, it meant the ubiquitous and relentless wind ceased for a short time and airport activity ground to a halt as no one could land or take off. […]
Well, we went up to the rail trail in Sanford today–just past the bridge on M30–lots of the usual flowers. Bouncing Bet, Flowering Spurge, Bee Balm, Black-eyed Susan, Evening Primrose, Wild Parsnip and Queen Annes Lace were prolific. Along the sides of the trail, still unmowed since the flood, were the homes that washed away […]
We went for a drive on Sunday and couldn’t believe how many Oxeye Daisies, Yarrow, Fleabane and clover flowers we saw. There was also a lot of yellow Hawkweed and St John’s Wort as well. The Liatris and Lupine give a blue note to some areas. Lots of Crown Vetch and other colorful clovers are […]
I have enjoyed the Spiderwort (Tradescantia) in many colors in my yard. It looks really nice with the many Canada Anemone and the Sundrops (Evening Primrose). The Coral Bells are waving nice stems of bells and the Wild Geranium is still blooming in spots. My Liatris (Blazing Star) are up and ready to bloom and […]
So, 38 or 40 at night to 90’s during the day in one week! Summer is around the corner. All things Dogwood and Viburnum have burst into bloom. Raspberries and Blackberries are in full bloom. My favorite combo along the trail and in my yard is Canada Anemone and Wild Geranium. About the same size […]
This has been an eventful few weeks. Many of the blooming plants along the rail trail were covered in floodwaters last week and even my back property is still underwater. We did have basement flooding so all of the front flowers were also impacted with the overland rush of water. But nature has a way […]
I’ve wandered around my property and neighborhood and made several trips to the Rail Trail since my last blog. The Spring Ephemerals are really exploding now. I saw the largest display of blooming Bloodroot I have ever seen on the steep western slopes of the Salt River at the high bridge (just past 11 mile […]
It had gotten really dry, and had warmed up significantly. I went looking for flowers and saw that the drier areas were not flowering as anticipated. Near 10 1/2 mile road, there are lots of Trailing Arbutus blooming on the little rises opposite the drainage ditches. Lots of leaves up and near 8 mile road, […]
Dutchmen’s Breeches Chippewa Nature Center published a sighting of Dutchmen’s Breeches this week. They should also be opening up along the trail, especially from 7 to 8 mile road crossings near the bridge over the Salt River. They will be in among the Trout Lilies and Bloodroot. In my yard they are up but not […]
Daisy like flowers always cheer me up. I think that is why I love these Spring Ephemerals. Bloodroot Bloodroot comes up in a cloak, wrapped like Phantom of the Opera and has a large daisy-like flower. Only one flower to a leaf and with 8 to 12 petals, quite spectacular. It can be a light […]
Nancy posed a question about the spotted leaf plant with yellow flowers. That is indeed the Trout Lily, also known as the Dogtooth Violet or Adders Tongue. There is also a white flowered variety. Here are the pictures of each from the website White Trout Lily Yellow Trout Lily In order to bloom, […]
Seems like the off-and-on-again weather has slowed the bloom cycle for the spring ephemerals, but these next few days should produce quite a show. In sunny areas around my neighborhood, the Bloodroot and Hepatica are blooming. The Mayapple and Solomon Seal are sending their tips up by inches a day and the ferny foliage of […]
I hope this finds you all sheltering in place and staying well. In Midland County, most of the trails are open for walking, running and biking with the caveat of social distancing. The rail trail is available, but without the amenities of restrooms. Same for Chippewa Nature Center and Pine Haven Recreation area. I believe […]
We checked the area between 8 and 9 mile roads and sure enough, the Fringed Gentians are blooming. They are in clumps among the many Stiff, Showy and Canada Goldenrod, the New England, Heath and Flat Top White Asters and the remaining Joe Pye Weed and Tall Sunflowers. There are also still the occasional Black-eyed […]
The last week of cool mornings and lots of sunshine were too irresistible for walking the trail. We trekked Duck Hunters to Stark, Averill to the Bridge, 8-mile road to 9 -mile road , and 10 1/2 mile road back to 9-mile road. Each, back and forth is 2 -3 miles–so pretty easy. As anticipated, […]
Well, we are having a few problems with blog notifications, Look for the past 2 blogs for information on Summer Flowers.
I posted last week but the email failed–so be sure and look at the previous post. This week has brought lots of cardinal flower to my yard–and the hummingbirds have found it. In addition, I have a cultivar of the native Rough Goldenrod, called Fireworks, and it is spectacular. The bees and lots of swallowtail […]
When the Bracken Fern starts to brown and the maple leaves begin to look more purple and red, you know that late summer is here. The Early Goldenrod and the Late or Giant Goldenrod have been blooming and you can tell the Canada Goldenrod is ready to bloom. The Rough Goldenrod and Grass-leaved Goldenrod are […]
Well the Michigan Lilies seem to be blooming everywhere, even along Saginaw Road in a few places. Of course there are the Orange Daylilies in the ditches as well, but when you see the recurved “turk’s cap” you have a Michigan Lily. Michigan Lily is a true Lily and generally pretty tall with from 3 […]
Summer heat and rain have really greened up the rail trail. Some flowers have bolted to bloom and set seed. More and more butterflies are joining the bees and flies in pollinating tasks. We saw Swallowtail, Checkerspot, Monarch and many small butterflies on Sunday. The Ninebark is really setting seed fast–some are the bright red […]
