Moon Gardening in the Rain

 I had a few goals I wanted to accomplish today in the Moon Garden. I thought I had till about 4 pm before it was going to rain. Ha! The rain started at 1 pm, so I just kept working. As it turned out, we didn't get nearly as much as the forecast said-- less than 0.2 inch. But I got things done.

This is probably all the plants that are going to go in the Moon Garden this year with the possible exception of some from my other gardens that I might split. In other words, I have to stop buying plants for now.

Long shot just for reference. Yeah, it doesn't look like much.

What I wanted to do was get the plants that were still in pots into the ground, and move the variegated Miscanthus grass to it's actual location. It was a darn good thing I didn't wait any longer to move that because the roots had started to dig right in. So here it is, moved, with the other things I planted early showing beyond it. This is one of the plants that will get tall to add a vertical dimension (and wide).

You can see the Guara at the end of the row. It has continued to bloom and look great. It's supposed to get about a foot taller, which will be perfect.

Right now, the best of the low plants in this row are the 'Frosty Kiss' Gazania. I'm hoping I can keep some of those over the winter. My grow light came, so hopefully the winter plants will do better this year.

The 'Steal the Spotlight' Hosta went in the ground. The rain speckles make it look a little funny. The blueish hostas look that way because of a waxy coating on the leaves, and the water temporarily messes with that.

Here's the plant I said that I bought at 60% off. I've waited to show you because it didn't look good when it came. That's not the grower's fault. I'm pretty sure it sat in a hot warehouse or truck overnight. The leaves were withered and burned. However, it's a shrub, so I got it right in the ground and have been watering it like crazy.

It's an 'Ivory Halo' Dogwood. This will also get about four feet tall, and add another vertical dimension in the garden. The twigs are red in winter.

Here's how it looked the day it came. The browned edges of the leaves don't show as much in the picture as they did for real.

Here it is after 2 1/2 weeks of babying. I think you can tell that there are a bunch of new leaves that are much healthier. I think it will be OK. I emailed the company after it came, just in case it didn't recover.

Last goal for today was to get some of the white Deadnettle that I also have in the front garden moved out here to the deepest shade right on the north side of the trunk of the tree.

The color of all these pictures is off a little because of the dark sky and rain, but you can get the idea. Most of what will happen for the rest of this season is continuing to dig up the grass, maybe move a few more of the free plants I can split from other gardens, and build the bench and level up the "nook." I think I have some more broken blocks coming to continue to work on the paths too.

Plants I want to get:
Hosta- "Dances with Dragons"
Santolina
A couple kinds of Artemesia
Heucherella- 'Cracked Ice'
Sedum ruprestre- 'Silver'

There are others on my potential list, but these are top priorities.

So, I got this done before it started raining hard. Also edited a bunch, did some volunteer stuff and watched a movie.

See Bonsai Apple Tree is Getting Friends

Plants Along the Trail

I met up with some members of the trail chapter this morning to meet and train a new volunteer in a low-key way. That all went well. Walked a portion of my section of trail as part of this. It's quite clean- we flipped some sticks out of the way and trimmed a few berry bushes. That's about it.

There were some plants in bloom. I was not aware that there was Bunchberry (Ground Dogwood), Cornus canadensis, in my section of trail. But here it is! Nice find.

There is always a ton of Starflower, Trientalis borealis, in the dry woods. I do think this is the best picture I've ever gotten of it though. Usually, the bright white flower just gets all blown out.

Some of you will think this is the best find. It's a pink lady's slipper orchid, Cypripedium acaule, but it's a very dark pink one. Kind of unusual.

But I'm really partial to this shrub. I know that it grows in the bottomland hardwood swamp along the railroad berm in my section. But I never get tired of finding it. It's not technically rare, but one doesn't find it too often. The leaves are large enough at this point that it was easy to spot.

It's done blooming, and it has already set seed.

The name comes from the flexibility of the wood. It's extremely bendable. See link below for more pictures of the whole bud/flower/seed cycle.

The mosquitoes were impressive. Dan and I chose to leave the deep woods and walked out along an old two-track that I'd never gotten around to exploring. Not too interesting, but now I can say I've done it.

And since I drove right past one, and near a second, garden center, I stopped and looked at plants. Yes, a couple more came home with me. You'll see them in due time.

Not all miles today counted for NCT. Miles walked in 2026: 171.2
NCT Hike 100 Challenge: 58

North Country Trail, Lake County 1.8 odd miles, and another 1.5 old road/dirt road/snowmobile trail. Total 3.2 miles.

See Leatherwood

Walking Around Pleiness Lake

  I haven't made any sort of goal to walk around various lakes, but I recently learned that you can walk around this one in my county, so I went and checked it out. This is Pleiness Lake. I think this is only the second small lake I've walked around- Tallman Lake in the link... Oh no, third. I've also walked around Idlewild Lake. See... now it's officially a collection.

There is a public access so it gets used a fair amount. There were two boat trailers parked when I got there, and another was just taking his boat out.

However, the walk around is only 2.2 miles. I wanted it to be a little longer, but not bad. The road does not connect all the way (probably to keep people from just racing around and around), but you can walk through to connect the two road sections. That's where I put the dotted line. Mix of sun and shade, even mid-afternoon, so that was OK. If one lived there it would make a nice daily walk, but not really worth the drive just to do it.

Here's the view looking south from the north end.

There is a public boat access and a latrine, but no picnic table, bench or any other amenity. There is a picnic area, but it's private for members and guest of the HOA. You don't get a lot of views of the water because it's completely ringed with homes and cottages. I should walk around a couple that are in the National Forest. Might be more satisfying. And that reminds me that I've walked around McCarthy Lake, too.

Nice gray dogwood berries, Cornus racemosa.

And in someone's garden, this luscious 'Cranberry Crush' hibiscus.

I learned that there is a section of Ordway Road that is dirt and curvy and shaded. It would be a lovely place to take a walk, but it's less than a mile long, so hardly worth the drive to do it.

I also found another tiny lake, more like a pond. But it has a name, Dockery Lake. I think it's private, but there was someone out in a boat, fishing. Hopefully, either the owner or a friend of the owner.

In addition to this mini adventure, I worked on all the things I am supposed to be doing. Yeah, me. And I finished cleaning up the entire front garden (if nothing more exciting happens, you'll see it tomorrow). Right now, all the gardens are getting a drink.

Miles hiked in 2024: 390.6

See Walking Around Tallman Lake

Spencerville Sweets - Day 426

The rain was tapering off as I started hiking, so I took a chance on not needing the poncho. For once, I made a good choice. The woods was damp and the skies mostly gray, but I didn't walk in the rain.

The pink lady's slipper or moccasin flower, Cypripedium acaule, is just starting to bloom. This is a true orchid.

I've already posted Gaywings this year, but it was the most frequently seen flower today, and this was a particularly nice display with raindrops all over them. These are not an orchid.

Another flower that's just starting to bloom is starflower, Trientalis borealis. They are delicate and pretty, but the white is always so bright it's hard to get nice pictures.

Now we come to the dreaded roadwalk on 5-Mile Road. Everyone hates this, but there is a new reason to like it. At the corner of Big John Road, for several years now, there has been a sign that makes it look like there is a village, but it's just someone's house. The sign says, "Spencerville." This always got my attention because of my ancestors coming from Spencer, NY. Anyway, now there are also signs like this.

So I looked up the road. Just a few feet away is a cute little hut with a bench outside. This just opened over the winter months. Korrina Spencer does all the baking herself. You won't find all her items on any given day. Today there were cookies and cinnamon rolls. She also makes pies and cakes. This is self serve so you need to have the correct change. A pack of six decent-sized cookies was $4. I chose macadamia white chocolate chip. They were delicious. She loves NCT hikers, and the bench is big enough for 2 or 3 people. I took a rest stop there. If you must have a roadwalk, let's add cookies! Spencerville Sweet Shop

The other amenity on 5-Mile Road is that a homeowner has put a nice bench in their yard. The cooler has free water, juice, and snacks. Several people have already posted pictures of this on Facebook this year.

This section included the Big Sable River and the Vince Smith Bridge, but I've showed you so many pictures from there, I'll skip it this time.

The other really nice part of today for me is that the flowering dogwood, Cornus florida, is in full bloom. I passed by multiple trees full of flowers. Hint... you can drive north on Tyndall which jogs to become Hamilton and see quite a few of them from your car. If you like to take a Sunday drive, this would be the week.

In case anyone has forgotten, or maybe just because they are so pretty, here is one flower.

Miles today: 9.9. Total miles so far: 4699.5. Can you believe that? So close to the next 100. Well, I have one more official hike I can do here before we go back to the UP.

Someone came to look at the lawnmower for me today. It's SO easy when you know what you are doing. He stuck the multimeter probes into a few spots and in about 5 minutes determined that it's not the switch, it's a bigger problem. So the mower has to go to mower hospital. I can't fix it. It's good to have answers, but the lawn is going to be out of control before I get it mowed yet another year.

See Make New Friends See So Wrong About the Dogwood

What a Great Day!

  I worked hard in the morning, and then headed out for an afternoon on the trail. The North Country Trail, of course. Can a shadow look happy? I think this one does.

Almost immediately there was this lovely treat growing right beside the trail. Flowering dogwood, Cornus florida. The brach is arranged so gracefully.

The flowers aren't all the way open yet. I haven't ever caught pictures of it at quite this stage.

My next call to adventure was this interesting map. I haven't yet explored this world. OK... it's just a cut birch tree. But doesn't it look like a map of some ancient land with a sheltered bay and two small pointed hills?

There were four creeks I crossed. This is Bear Creek.

And Tank Creek. I actually camped over beyond the upper left corner in 2016 when I did a short backpacking trip here.

Speaking of backpacking, I met one fellow, Loren, who is hiking the whole Lower Peninsula. It's so very, very cool to find that there are more than a handful of people who are doing longer hikes on the NCT now.

I walked until I reached the mileage I wanted, and took a short rest on this log. And look! The sloth hiking team has been there. (You know, the ones who say, "We will get there when we get there.")

Mostly just came directly home, but I did take one little mile of new back road. Talk about a dream day! The temperature was just warm enough for no long sleeves, but not too hot. Things are really getting green. The sunshine made the water blue. Pretty darn wonderful!

I walked 10 miles, collecting info for the data book. Just 5 more Newaygo County miles to go (so 10 to hike them out and back). Total North Country Trail miles for 2021 is at 276.

In other news: I edited in the morning. I'm a little tired tonight- I didn't get to sleep until about 2 am, so I'll probably fall asleep early.

North Country Trail, Newaygo County, MI. Oak Savannah to north of Tank Creek and back. 10 miles total

See So Wrong About the Dogwood See another sloth face

Hello, River, My Old Friend

  Made a stop at the Scottville Riverside Park today to see if the Pere Marquette River was beginning to look spring-like. I think so. Pretty much ice free. Blue sky = blue water.

The Red Osier Dogwood is starting to color up. That's typical for March.

And here's a nice pattern picture. This was a reflection of some trees in the river.

It's really all other news: I painted for 6 hours again today and did a little bit of editing. I'm tired, but it's all good.

See P is for Pere Marquette River

Buckeye Trail Completion, Day 7- End

 
Although this was the last day, and only 9.4 miles, we still managed to get in some superlatives. But first things first. It's always sad to break camp. Nothing left but a yellowed square where the tent was. And the trash can.



The redbud was beginning to fade, but the dogwood was coming into its full beauty.



There is something about the curve of a lonely road that just calls to me. The loose gravel and my feet aren't friends, but that's another story.



We crossed the Muskingum River, a large tributary of the Ohio River at Stockport. The building across the way is a mill, now restored as an inn.



If you remember the "lesson" of yesterday, we've now reached the largest waterway in the area, so there's no where to go but up (unless you switch to floating!). The road curved back up a hill from the river at a ridiculous angle, climbing 900 feet in 0.7 mile. (Actually it's the tallest one to the left of the mill.)

At the top we did have a nice surprise. We knew there was going to be a little more trail that was "off road." It began here. We had assumed from the looks of the map that this was simply an abandoned road. Actually that was true, but it turned out to be more like a farm lane, and was very pretty (no gravel either!). We found a comfy log for lunch. I'm not sure why Marie looks mad. We were having a wonderful final day. There were clouds threatening rain, but we thought we might beat it, and if not... there was a warm car ahead.





At the bottom of that road we forded Scott's Run.



On the one last piece of trail there was a register box, about two miles from the completion of my hike. Nice timing!



But, just to keep me humble, there was one final indignity- the worst hill of the entire hike on a road with loose gravel. We crossed the next ridge and dropped down to Aldridge Creek. Then we climbed 660 feet in 0.4 mile. Whew! But it made the ending feel so deserved!

Because the Buckeye Trail is a loop, there is no big deal end point. There was just a road sign where I connected to a previous hike at the corner of Lightner Ridge and Tabor Ridge Roads.





Please notice that we beat the rain! (But not by much) We immediately headed for Stockport in search of pie and iced tea, which we found at C-J's Restaurant. The pie was strawberry rhubarb, quite good.



Thus I have completed the entire Buckeye Trail including the "Little Loop" and the "Wilderness Loop" and the spur in to Cincinnati. I haven't checked my total miles, but it's something around 1450.

This is plenty enough for today, but I'll share flowers and some other post-trip details in the coming days.

Happy hikers!

	See Day 6
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