My Bit of Heaven - by Kristl Walek

[Afloden]

Gerd,

 The little rhizomatous bits in picture three does not look right for Panax. Also the growth points don't look right.

 Go with Kristl's second choice, Aralia, but try Aralia nudicaulis, Wild Sarsparilla.

 Aaron Floden
 Knoxville, TN

[Kristl Walek]

Yes, Gerd, I have looked very carefully at the pictures and agree with Aaron that your plant is 99.9999% Aralia nudicaulis.

Panax quinquefolius has a thick, underground (not surface) rhizome...and the growing point at the surface of the soil emerges curled-over and only straightens up once it advances.

Also, the leaf should be palmate with all leaflets coming from the same growing point on the petiole.

I will try to photograph my Ginseng plant and post it later.

[Kristl Walek]

Kristin,

The fern is the fertile frond of Matteucia struthiopteris---which in late season has a dark metallic brown color, which in certain lights actually looks like this.

[Kristl Walek]

Allium tricoccum, the wild leek with beautifully contrasting early flower buds.

The well-known and widespread Tiarella cordifolia.

And Trillium cernuum, the last of my four native Trillium to bloom.
From above all one sees is the large leaf.
The small flowers dangle underneath, and one needs to crouch/lie down to see them.
The least showy of all the native Trillium here in flower, but nevertheless, a pretty little thing.
And unlike T. undulatum, growable in gardens.

Lastly, Sambucus pubens the first of the Elders to bloom here.

[Kristl Walek]

These few pictures were not taken on my own property, but in the wild very close to home.
It was another long seed collecting day (more Dicentra cucullaria and Claytonia caroliniana), and a seed-readiness determination day (checking the Erythronium americanum pods and Hepatica/Claytonia virginica seed).

I also needed to photograph this pretty spot which I call "Caulophyllum Hill" so I could remember it because in another year it will disappear to the housing developers as so many other pretty spots have. This particular site is almost sea to sea Caulophyllum thalictroides.

I absolutely ADORE this species for it's gorgeous clean, fresh, thalictrum-like foliage all season. This would be one of my first choices to plant as a large scale groundcover under trees/large shrubs.

Always found in rich woods--one can see Trillium grandiflorum still flowering amidst the almost solid mass of the Caulophyllum.

Unfortunately it is challenging to germinate---requiring a gibberelin (unknown, not GA-3) thought to be found in woodland soil/leaf mould where it grows.

[Kristl Walek]

Some of the native orchids have finally begun in the garden....

First the tiniest and rarest of the local Cyps...Cypripedium arietinum.

Cypripedium acaule.

And of course "everypersons Cyp" Cypripedium parviflorum.

The pretty Galearis spectabilis is utterly happy in ordinary garden conditions.

Arethusa bulbosa bud and flower, growing in the pseudo-fen.

[Carlo]

Thanks for the pictures Kristl. The arietinum in particular was wonderful. I've got parviflorum and a very pale form of acaule blooming here now.

[Kristl Walek]

The tiny, precious Polygala paucifolia (Gay Wings) is very hard to photograph.

A good-coloured Lonicera dioica.

Maianthemum canadense.

The fertile fronds of Osmunda regalis, O. cinnamomea and O. claytoniana--our three native Osmundas (all with green ephemeral spore).

Fertile fronds of Botrychium virginianum.

Ceanothus herbaceous, a small shrub which grows in hot, barren spots in the wild.

[Kristl Walek]

Gerd, these are for you....


Panax trifolius.

Aralia nudicaulis.

Panax quinquefolius.

[Kristl Walek]

This morning was Hepatica seed collection time. My favorite local spot is a particularly rich woods that is also a fine site for Trillium grandiflorum. These were mainly at the fading stage now, but hopefully you can still get an idea of the almost solid mass of flowers.

I still found this one pristine and very large-flowered plant.

The Hepatica was a sea of flower here before the Trilliums emerged, and the forest floor is a mass of seedlings at various stages.

The Erythronium americanum seedpods were also checked, having mostly drooped to the forest floor by now, but still attached by their umbilical cords. Soft and unripe inside; I figure they are still about a week away from ready.

Mitella diphylla has pretty foliage but is often dismissed by gardeners because of it's small flowers. How I wish you could visit these woods with me to see a sight that might cause you to plant a small drift of these in the garden. These pictures do not capture the beautiful ethereal effect of these plants, which simply takes your breath away, particularly when back-lit.

[Kristl Walek]

And after Hepatica seed collection, an outing was made to Alfred Bog, hoping it was not too late to see the Rhododendron canadense in bloom (they had already finished in the garden). This bog is the only site in this province where this species can be found and I am fortunate that it is close by.

Brown peat-water in the all the open ditches.

A general view of the open part of the bog.

Aronia melanocarpa.

Cypripedium acaule was common in all the lowest, wettest spots; many still unopened.

Eriophorum vaginatum, a clumping species, is one of the best of the cotton grasses.

Gaultheria procumbens, with last years berries.

Kalmia polifolia with K. angustifolia to come later.

Maianthemum trifolium is the fourth of the native members of this genus. It only likes wet spots. It was near here where I sunk into a "bog hole"....

Nemopanthus mucronatus has beautiful coloring at this time of the year.

[Kristl Walek]

After about a one hour hike, and a few other sink-holes, I finally spotted some violet-pink in the distance....and sure enough..

Rhododendron canadense.

Followed by Rhododendron groenlandicum (Ledum), still largely unopened.

Of the Vaccinium species in the bog, only V. corymbosum was blooming.

[art600]

Kristl

Thank you so much for brightening up a miserable morning with some more wonderful photos.  We had monsoon rain last night so gardening is off for today.

[Kristl Walek]

Carlo, It's amazing to see the incredible colour variation of Cyp. acaule in the wild--from almost fuschia/maroonish shades to almost white/flushed pink. There is a (secret) spot that is literally a sea of C. acaule, which I hope to visit next week, and will try photograph some of the variants.

[Joakim B]

Kristl
Nice to see such nice orchids in the garden and it must be even nicer to have them.
Great to see them. Is acale and the others in different part of the garden? I thought that acuale needs a bit extreme conditions to grow (acid). Much more than the other Cypripediums.
Are the increasing for You? Have You tried scattering seeds aroud to see if You get more? (I know the seed is small so the chances are not that big but it works in the nature so with enough seeds.......?)

Kind regards
Joakim