Blackie Finds Pinkie

 They won't get planted out of thier pots until tomorrow (I've been hardening them off and tonight is supposed to be really cold, but then it will warm a bit), but the black sempervivum has found some pink friends. You may remember that a few days ago, I discovered that after year one (or at least in early spring) the 'Black' sempervivum really is nearly black.

The pink flowers are Lewisia. I had one once long ago and it died. I never could understand why, because the rock garden should be a place that makes it really happy. But it was small and came by mail order. These are larger and healthy. They are native to the Rocky Mountains. I think these look great together.

Monica and I went out to the North Country Trail today just for a short while to check on some things for an upcoming event. I had not realized that this wetland was visible from the trail when there are no leaves on the trees!

You know I love new information! This is a wetland that is the headwaters to Tank Creek. I have wandered around there a few times in the past, but got there from a different starting location. The link below is on a nicer day when dog Maggie and I visited years ago.

We didn't walk enough distance to say boo at. I won't count it for Hike 100, but I'll use it to get my yearly mileage back to an even number of tenths.

I did a number of small things I was supposed to do in addition to the time with Monica today.

Miles hiked in 2025: 138.5

See Still Too Early for Flowers

Easter Music 2025

 The music this morning was terrific! I've included our handbell piece (the hardest we've done this year), the choir, and a soloist.

We played "Hallelujah" by Beethoven from The Mount of Olives. Becky is on piano.



The choir sang "Easter Song" by Anne Herring. Directed by Becky, of course.



And Hunter Brown singing "The Trumpet Shall Sound," by Handel. John Taranko on trumpet and Becky on Piano. A little bad camera work, but I discovered I had to hold the camera to get them in the frame, and I wasn't fast enough to get set up in time. Also, these are just recorded through my camera microphone, so he actually sounded even better than this.



I slept 1.5 hours last night. I was fine in the morning, but felt punch drunk all afternoon. I don't seem to be good at taking naps in the daytime. I managed to putter around in the gardens a bit.

I should sleep tonight!

See Handbells- Here I Am, Lord

Getting in Some Hills

 Cathy and I, and another lady named Barb, hiked today on the south side of Ludington State Park. The north part won't be reopened for several more months.

This was partly for fun, and partly my training regimen to get ready for summer. We took one of the trails that is really hilly. Here we are on a ridge, but there is plenty of up and down to switch ridges.

These trails lead to Hamlin Lake, but I learned one new fact today. The north end of my favorite trail loop (see link below and the stone shelter) is just beyond that conifer-covered point. Cathy has spent time on the lake in a boat (I haven't much), so she knew that fact.

More hilly sections.

And I found some white oak acorns that the squirrels and deer hadn't eaten over the winter. A little bitter, but edible. It's a great survival food. (The red oak acorns are truly bitter. You'd have to be desperate to eat them.)

And here's the best news. We did 4.25 hilly miles. I carried a 17-pound pack, and I wasn't too tired to do anything else when I got home. I'll get there!

Miles hiked in 2025: 138.1

Ludington State Park- various trails south of Hamlin Lake. 4.25 miles

See My Favorite Ludington State Park Loop

Rain, Not Quite Singing in the

 Heavy rain last night, and more rain today. But it got briefly sunny mid-day, and I took a short walk.

This is my big garden bed that I am going to slowly work on reclaiming. This is what it looked like in 2003. Hasn't been decent since.



This is the same angle today. I see that I got more autumn olive cleared last fall than I had realized! That's great news, although it needs so much additional work, it's not funny. At least some sunlight can get in there now.

But I'm always more interested in processes than finished results. I see that I did throw a lot of daffodil bulbs in the beds on the far side of the path. In a few more days it will be worth showing you again, even if there won't be much variety. I think I need to give away more daffodils!

I was hoping for wildflowers in the cemetery ravine, but not a glimpse. Not even bloodroot which is often so early I totally miss seeing it. There were only tiny trout lily leaves.

Oh look! There is one flower with buds. Marsh Marigold. Maybe I'm pushing the season. I looked up wildflower dates from several other years, and I guess this is just about average. Maybe I'm impatient because last year was early.

Well, we surely needed the rain.

I edited, worked on a couple of projects including plant records. I'd like to have them in better shape before I start playing in gardens this year. It's a huge job because I decided I needed to update all my "rock maps" when I relaimed the garden in 2023. Not only were a bunch of the old pages filled with notes, so many plants were gone that they really needed to be redone. I don't have those done yet, but I keep working on it. At least the records of what I bought and where I put it are up to date.

Miles hiked in 2025: 133.8

See I Want My Garden Back

Still More Euphorbias

 There are yet more Euphorbias I can show you from the Philadelphia Flower Show. It's such a diverse genus, I never get tired of marvelling at the variations.

This one is Euphorbia decaryi. I thought maybe I'd shared this one before from previous flower shows, but a search says not. There are about 2000 classic species of Euphorbia, making it one of the largest genera.

One thing they all have in common is that the colorful parts aren't really flowers. You know this already because Poinsettia is a Euphorbia, and I'm sure you've been told the red or white colors are bracts, not flowers.

This one is Euphorbia hofstatteri, and I think you don't want to make friends with it. Actually, all Euphorbias have a toxic sap, so you don't want to break the stems and play with any of them, although some are more toxic than others.

Here is Euphorbia polygona, Crested Montrose form. There were two of these plants, and they don't look very similar. I have to assume they were each in a slightly different phase in the life cycle.

I have one Euphorbia in my rock garden by choice. Do you remember which one? You will see it in just a few days. It's getting ready to bloom for the first time. But I'll keep it a mystery for now.

I also have one Euhorbia "weed" that I let grow just as a ground cover where no plants have been placed yet.

Looking like a writhing green caterpillar, we have Euphorbia ammak. You know the only reason I "know" all this is that they had labels, right. I do know a few when I see them, but I suspect that being a Euphorbia expert would be a lifetime pursuit by itself.

Here's another cactus-y one. Some Euphorbias are succulent, some have spines like cactus. Others are neither succulent or spiny. This is Euphorbia aeruginosa.

My favorite for this bunch is Euphorbia crassicaulis. This is native to Madagascar.

Over the years I've shown you pictures of over 30 different Euphobias. Only 1970ish to go. Haha. If you care, Wikipedia has a complete list of over 5000 species which includes several genera that are now being thrown into Euphobia.

In other news, I edited in the morning. The weather was great and I spent some outside time in the afternoon. I continue to remove autumn olive- the never-ending project, and did some other stuff. Still a little early to start weeding the gardens. There are things that aren't up at all yet, and I'm afraid I'll dig things up by accident. Worked on garden records which I hope to get in better shape before I start playing with things for this season. It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow!

See Euphorbias