WiseAcre Gardens

Here’s one native wildflower that not many people see. The flower in fact hides it’s unique beauty by laying on the ground.

Asarum canadense

The flower has a regal color that would have pleased any medeval Queen. It’s probably as hairy too, both flower and the paired leaf stems it emerges from are quite fuzzy. Even today Goth girls are warm and fuzzy. Or is that Grunge?

Of course I can’t go to the garden without an escort. Itty Bitty Pretty Kitty had to get into the picture. She was such a pest.

Ginger makes a nice ground cover in shady, rich soil that doesn’t go bone dry in the summer. It will tolerate dry conditions – mine do but it hasn’t spread as well as those growing where the soil retains some moisture.

And yes, wild ginger root can be dried and used the same way as the commercial stuff you buy. Just don’t let me catch you digging any of mine up.

The above photo was taken at a friend’s garden last year. He has a perfect spot and his patch has been there at least 20 years.

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And now for something completely different

Got Good Air?

In the local news today:
The air here is among the cleanest in the nation when it comes to short term particle pollution. At least according to the American Lung Association in their annual State of the Air report. In fact we got the only ‘A’ ranking in New York State. We might be poor but St. Lawrence County has it’s health. You don’t need to be afraid to take a deep breath around here.

Anyone want to buy some bottled air?

Without leaving my ‘lawn’ I led a wildflower hunting expedition with my Stinky Buddy and Black Jax. There were Bluets and Pussytoes afoot and we meant to find the tiny prey.

Bluets – Houstonia caerulea

Bluets are one of my favorite flowers. They’re small and simple and will bring any admirer to their kness.

Field Pussytoes – Antennaria neglecta

There are other pussytoes around but these can be identified by the single nerve/vein in the slightly narrower leaves.

I love my lawn. It’s more of a wildflower refuge than a safe haven for grass. Now if I could only get my wife (The Mad Mower) to stop cutting the later bloomers down in their prime it would become a carpet of color.

Cats were used in order to show the relative size of the wildflowers. No cats or native plants were hurt during the production of this post. (One Bluet flower was picked but it didn’t hurt) A can of tuna was opened post production for lunch.

The Trout Lilies have begun to bloom in my shade garden. This time there was no need to head to the woods to take photos of a native wildflower. I might have been better off taking a hike since my furry pests followed me to the garden and proceeded to get in the way.

Did you say Trout? …and don’t call me Lily

Black Jax lost interest quickly but Pretty (fat) Parker wanted to make sure there was nothing to eat. Maybe I should have said Adder’s Tongue instead of Trout Lily when my wife asked what those flowers were. I did manage to get a couple good photos despite the interference. A few lilies were trampled in the process but none were really harmed. BTW Pretty Parker has a number of middle names. Fat, dumb, and cuddly are just the 3 most used. Notice her big eyes – little head and the bear cat rug body. This is a native that came to my garden on it’s own. The surrounding woods are filled with them and they’ve found my garden to be a home away from home.

Erythronium americanum

Anyone who placed money on Trout Lily over Marsh Marigold to be the first to bloom can go to their bookie now to collect the winnings. I’m out big time, I got conned by the budding Marsh dwellers. I really believed they were in the lead.

I really like this plant and not only because it was a work free addition to my garden. How can I not like the mottled leaves and the freckled nodding flower that is one of the first spring bloomers in the yard. A ephemeral woodland plant it will all too soon go dormant for the summer. But by then there will be others to drool over.