This is the first year this Magnolia has bloomed! It was bred by a friend, who gave it to us in 2011, in a little 3″ pot. It spent its first winter buried under a large pile of wood chips. In the spring, I dug it out, only to find that it had become separated from its label, so we’re still not sure of exactly what kind it is. It was planted in its place right here, where it still lives, 7 years ago.
I’ve learned that the stripe might provide a clue as to what cultivar this is.
The “milkweed river” swath stands out from the newly greened grass. The roundish area in front of the round sculpture was the burn pile. When the pile is well built, everything burns so much more thoroughly and efficiently. After burning, I raked wood chips over it, so it’ll be ready for cover crop seeds. Logs in the foreground await a second life as edging.
Symplocarpus foetidus (skunk cabbage) is quite beautiful coming up, and is an important plant not to step on for a number of reasons, the least of which is that it could be stinky!
It’s true – amphibians travel between the vernal pools nearby here. At night, you see them frantically hopping across the road in the headlights, so it’s a good idea to go slow.
The vernal swamp area between our pond and the neighbor’s pond has formed.
The scent of the large, white, puffy blooms of tree lilacs adds to the charm of this walkway down to the pond. Sherwood Frost arborvitae is in the foreground with purple sage and pink rose campion.
The pond is at its high water mark on a misty day. Beyond the pond, on the left, is an area I’ve been planting a native corridor for wildlife cover. Formerly, it was full of invasives, along with an old fence, shack and sunken backhoe. Quite improved now, from a human perspective also!
Just for jollies, here’s what it looked like 6 years ago, in May of 2011:
Among native dogwoods, willows, viburnums, false spiraeas, clethra and buttonbush the colorful foliage of the Smokebushes is beginning to stand out.
