WiseAcre Gardens

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Pale Touch-Me-Not  Impatiens pallida

I’m used to seeing the orange  Spotted Jewelweed growing everywhere I look around home but never ran across the yellow Pale Jewelweed in the north country. It took a 200+ mile trip downstate for me to find the yellow.

I had a hard time believing the size of the plants I found at the old Shaker Settlement in New Lebanon, New York. They were easily 8 feet tall and towered over me. The Pale Jewelweed was common all through the area bordering the NY - Mass state line.

I was especially happy since only a few days earlier I caught a Spotted Jewelweed of  exceptional beauty at home. Now I have the full set

While my field guides state Jewelweed grows in wet shady areas they are not uncommon to find in sunny spots that remain wet. While those in sun don’t reach the size of the ones found in shade I noticed they too seem to grow larger than stated.

A cross?

While the Spotted Jewelweed had a more orange look this one is more yellow. The spur on the back of the flower is longer like the Spotted Jewelweed and the marking are also similar.

My guess is that nature is playing. There is so much variety amoung even the same species that I’ll never know or really care. I’m just along for the ride and take pleasure watching the show.

I’m looking forward to the last act. I can’t wait to go poking the seed pods when they’re ready to pop.

Touch-Me-Not - yea right!

Besides I know from experience Jewelweed is great for relieving the itch caused by poison ivy.

Campanula (whateveritis)

I found this growing along a cornfield. It’s not creeping bellflower. The flowers are not lined up in a vertical row running up the stem.  In fact it doesn’t look like any Harebell or Bellflower in my field guides.  But I’m sure it’s a Campanula. I’m figuring someone left their garden gate open and these guys escaped.

Here’s a decent shot of a leaf joining the stem. Nothing special - just one more clue that’s not helping me identify this plant. I’ll just have to call it Campanula  whateveritis unless someone else can make a positive ID.

Well I had my bell rung this week. One weekend one daughter gets married and the next another moves away to work. I’m happy and sad that that my girls have grown up but right now I’m stuck in disbelief.

How in the world did I ever get roped into helping move furniture?

Joe-Pye-Weed - Eupatorium maculatum

A native wildflower that’s a common sight in St. Lawrence County. It prefers moist/wet low ground and we have plenty of that in the area. They can form huge colonies. I have a couple of acres covered with Joe-Pye-Weed in a spot too wet to grow hay. I appreciate their presence since it seems they are keeping the brush from getting established. Nearly 30 years after we bought the property the field looks much the same. Even the willows don’t seem to have a chance.

They have ‘invaded’ my pond garden this year so I didn’t have to go tramping through the muck to get a photo.

Another visitor was a bit camera shy but I did manage to catch a couple Monarch images.

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