500 Species of Plants

Some of you know that one of my never-will-be-finished projects is to build a database of my photos so I might actually be able to find things. I keep working on it, usually a little bit each day.

One of the categories of pictures is, of course, plants. So yesterday, I hit 500 different species entered. This is out of a total of over 3000 photos entered so far. There will be lots more than 500 ultimately. I thought for today, I'd just pick some of my favorite plant pictures from the photos that are, so far, in the database.

I'll start with this bromeliad from the 2010 Philadelphia Flower Show. Of course, these are used in displays a lot because they are so colorful and showy, but that doesn't keep me from liking them. Genus Aechmea variety 'Blue Tango.'

Not all of the favorite plant pictures are going to be exotic things. For example, here is a large white oak tree, Quercus alba, that is found along the Finger Lakes/North Country Trails. It's named for the family that owns the property it's on, the Yorski Oak. With few of the leaves out yet, you can see the great bones of this tree that is probably 200 years old. Picture taken in May 2010 on the hike on which I finished all of the NCT in New York.

This one is last fall in my rock garden. This is the Sedum 'Dazzleberry' making a large bumblebee very happy. See the full pollen baskets?

This is also last fall with late afternoon sunlight on Ostrich Ferns, Matteuccia struthiopteris, Near Round Lake.

This one is a little more exotic in that it's not commonly found, but I did find some very near my house in 2010. This is a Grape Fern, sometimes this group is called Moonworts. But those are both just names for a whole group of ferns. The Genus is Botrychium, and I think this is matricariifolium, or the Daisyleaf Moonwort. It's one of the more common ones in the group. That said, I've only ever seen two of species in real life. I'm pretty pleased that I found this one on my own. You can see why they are called "grape ferns" because the fertile leaves look like a small cluster of grapes getting ready to ripen. This whole plant is maybe an inch-and-a-half tall.

I'll end this collection with another from last fall. In the database, I've been alternating entering more recent months with older pictures, so the dates are all over the place. This is just Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, in full autumn color, with berries, and contrasted with some ash leaves.

Aren't plants great?

Today I found out that I can get the dental work I need started tomorrow! And that I have to only eat very soft food for two weeks. So, I went shopping because I don't want to have to face that if I feel really bad when I get home tomorrow.

Worked on all the usual projects. Vacation from DMS is up to 41,630 words.

See Best Photos of 2020

Almost a Boat Ride

We were going to have a pontoon boat ride, but it got too dark. We'll just have to have another meeting that starts earlier!

This was our first Spirit of the Woods Chapter of the NCTA board meeting under recently elected President Dan Driesinga. We had a lot of important things to cover, and he did a great job of keeping us on track. We decided we needed to finish the agenda rather than have playtime on the water.

I'm really happy to have our chapter getting things put together and so many people stepping up to fill roles.

Got a fair amount of other things done today too.

See This is Also Trail Work

Looking for Some Color

I'm certainly not trying to rush the season. But after bell choir practice I took a walk in the Ludington School Forest (as I so often do because it's right there). I thought there might at least be a brightly colored fallen leaf or two. Nope. Only color is this tree that always seems to turn a little earlier than everything else.

Found one lonely berry from a Lily of the Valley.

Best thing is that they've put a sidewalk along Bryant Road beside the forest. That's because a few years ago they took away about a quarter of the forest and built a new elementary school. Finally, there is a safe way to walk there.

Again, I spent a lot of the day running around. A couple of the things I found out are good. The news from the dentist... not so much. To fix the problem correctly is going to cost about $5000.

I'm working on some book marketing materials.

Miles hiked in 2025: 365.5

Ludington School Forest. 1.5 miles, various loops

See Ludington School Forest in the Fall

Visiting Margaret's Garden

I am going to try to get some plants going for the gardens over the winter. I do not have a track record of being very good with this, although I did OK last year. I'm going to try some coleus this year. Friend Margaret gave me cuttings from two different ones, a dark purple and this interesting variegated one. Look at the scalloped edges on the leaves.

She has a huge fenced garden- her whole back yard. She has vegetables and all kinds of flowers. A lot of them are tubers and bulbs she has to take in every winter. I don't have the patience for that at all. These are begonias that should only be good for one season. But she says she takes them in and every year they come back.

This is her back porch. Look at all the plants! She apologized because it's not at peak beauty. Hey, it's September. I think it looks great.

This is a really healthy Jimsonweed. She called it a moonflower. Common names are all over the map. It's Datura stramonium. Ingesting any part of the plant can cause severe altered mental states and even death. So, enjoy looking, but don't get the sap in your mouth!

There were lots of other things I could have taken pictures of, but I didn't. Oh well. These are the annuals along her front walkway. She says the petunias have bloomed all summer even without very consistent deadheading.

I enjoyed the tour! I'm glad she was home to show me. We had left it that I would come snatch some coleus from the front whether she was there or not. But I got the full tour.

I spent a big portion of the day doing errands. There weren't any big glitches with any of them, so that's good. I have a preliminary dentist appointment tomorrow.

I also edited and answered various correspondence, blah, blah.

See Margaret's Garden

Mid September Garden Color

Things are looking really good! We haven't had a frost yet. In fact, it's a little warm this week, but at least I don't have to watch to see if things have to come in or be covered.

This is a rock garden space you've seen fairly often, but this is from a different angle, and the Hylotelephium 'Rosentaller' is almost in full bloom. Behind it is 'Wildfire' and some Lamb's Ear.

This one maybe doesn't look quite as nice, but I'm pretty happy that it's this good. In the center is 'Lime Zinger' and around it is the Moneywort, Lysemachia nummularia 'Goldilocks.' The moneywort was a bad choice for this rock garden because it's so dry. But against all odds, the plant is actually spreading a bit. The leaves stay bright yellow-green all season. There is also a tiny puddle of Sedum hispanicum, but I can no longer tell which is 'Pinkie' and which is 'Blue Carpet,' because they have migrated all over.

Now we'll move out of the rock garden for just a minute. This is probably the best the Marigolds are going to look, although there are still a couple of plants with buds. The Coleus I stuck in there are practically invisible. If I do Marigolds again I need to start the seeds about a month earlier. I'm going to try some Coleus cuttings from friends this fall. Need to concentrate on ones with darker leaf colors.

Now back to the rock garden. This is kind of a fluke. It was a couple of days ago, and on the left are a few blossoms of pink Moss Phlox (a spring blooer) and the bright magenta Bloody Cranesbill (a summer bloomer) that decided to pair up with the not quite yet blooming Sedum 'Autumn Joy' on the right. Just an unexpected combo to bring a smile at this time of year.

This one is hanging out by itself, but I am loving watching how the flower progresses since I've never seen it bloom before. This is the dark purple-leaved 'Oriental Dancer' that I bought this spring.

Finally, another one you've seen often, but from a new angle. I continue to be amazed at how long the beauty lasts in this space. In the front is, again, the Sedum 'Coraljade.' Behind it, the white is an Artemesia 'Silver Mound.' The green is Sedum 'Weihenstephaner Gold,' and the orangey is Sedum 'Angelina,' which did not bloom this year, but the foliage gives good color.

A few people have told me this year that they like that I explain what all the plants are and show details. That encourages me. You know who you are. Thank you!

I tried to give myself a rest day today. I did some things but didn't work too hard at any of them. And I watched a movie.

See Late Summer Color