My Bit of Heaven - by Kristl Walek

[Kristl Walek]

Luit....fascinating information about the Solidago sempervirens. Although the species can apparently grow to 2m, I have not seen any plants approaching that height. Most here are about half that size.

I supply seed to a lot of "horticultural establishments" but the nursery who is requesting it now is the FIRST one in over 20 years that has asked for the seed (they worked on Solidago caesia last season for woodland settings). Considering that there are over 80 species in the genus---there are still relatively few species and cultivars out in the marketplace. I believe Israel has/is doing breeding work on the genus???

The Chicago Botanic Garden did trial about 22 species over a 5 year period- not sure if S. sempervirens was a species trialed.

Interesting--- I really had to think of whether I have ever seen mildew on plants of this genus in the wild, although I have seen rust.

[Robert G]

Kristl and John,

I will definitely plan a trip. Unfortunately not this year, but the idea of fall is appealling. I have long wanted to visit. Kristl, consider the Ontario native plant care package done. We will talk specifics later.

[fleurbleue]

Thanks again Kristl sharing your trips with us and let us to discover your new flora 

Cheers

[Maggi Young]

Today, 1st October, is Kristl's birthday, so I just thought I'd pop in here to wish her Many Happy Returns of the Day! If anyone deserves a lovely day with cake, it is Kristl.... hope that is what you've had to enjoy today!! 

[fleurbleue]

Happy birthday Kristl, full of nice things for you 

[Ragged Robin]

Happy Birthday Kristi and good wishes for everything good in your new home and garden 

[tonyg]

Happy Birthday from Norfolk!  October 1 over here was a good gardening day - hope it was the same for you.

Thanks for the seed which arrived safely

[Kristl Walek]

Thank you for the birthday wishes---and you are absolutely right, Maggi, I actually did feel I really needed something special this year in particular, as I have been feeling rather lost and lonely...

There was no cake....BUT....as soon as I am able to catch my breath I have much to share here (including a very interesting, totally unexpected birthday surpise).

I have been running all over Nova Scotia since last weekend, just walked in the door for an overnight respite, a clean change of clothes and to drop off seed before I leave again in the early morning for another 2 days of it.

Will report as soon as I am able.

And my heart is warmed by the good wishes....

[Robert G]

Happy birthday Kristl! It is still the day by my time.

[Ragged Robin]

What a lovely photo of the Nova Scotia land, sea and sky, Kristi - essential elements to make you feel happy 

Once you have time to 'put down roots' I'm sure you will soon feel less lonely with the Forum spurring you on - I experienced the same feeling when we moved here - uprooted and lost in the mountains...but what a challenge to start all over again and feel at one with the landscape 

I have no doubt your garden and locality will be essential viewing full of skill and love of your native plants 

[Kristl Walek]

My seed collecting partner from Ontario, Graham, arrived in Nova Scotia a
week ago & we made plans for an activity-filled week in the wild together.

Dreary, rainy weather was predicted for the entire time; but we were
determined to forge ahead with our plans notwithstanding....and as it turned
out, the weather gods heard our determination, and we were only soaked to
the bone on one occasion.

I drove the 2.5 hours to Halifax to pick him up last Monday and en route
back to Annapolis Royal, we made our first stop at the sand barrens next to
the highway that I showed you earlier this year.

Our determination was to locate the Hudsonia ericoides, which I had previously not been able to find. Trying to decide where to stop and hike in, we used our intuition for a spot that "felt right" and wouldn't you know that we literally opened the car door and there was the Hudsonia, scattered in among the Corema conradii that I had gone to see in August.

Many of the plants of the Hudsonia had begun to turn a burnished autumn colour and were easy to pick out among the oceans of Corema and Arctostaphyllos.

I can't wait to return next spring to see the yellow of the Hudsonia and the purple haze of the Corema flowers.

The red and white pines were getting ready to drop their old needles and we ran into clones of Quercus rubra with oddles of fruits. I sat on site, sorting the acorns into obvious rejects (insect holes, empties, bug infestations) and did actually end up with a small batch of potentials to list in my catalogue. The native oaks are always problematic with the high level of bug-infested fruits.

[Kristl Walek]

On Day 2, in the face of dark, threatening skies, we probably should have stayed home; but our urge for the wild was too great; so we decided to go somewhere close to home---a half hour drive to "Delaps Cove Wilderness Area" on the North Mountain, abutting the Fundy Shore.

The walk through the woodland to the shore, over basalt rocks,  revealed a number of species including Abies balsamea, Acer pensylvanicum, Aster acuminatus, umbellatus and macrophyllus, Betula alleghaniensis & papyrifera, Coptis trifoliata, Cornus canadensis,
naturalized Daphne mezereum, Dennstaedtia punctilobula, Empetrum nigrum, Ilex verticillata, Iris veriscolor, Juniperus communis & horizontalis, Kalmia angustifolia, Linnaea borealis, Lonicera canadensis, Maianthemum canadense, Mitchella repens, Myrica pensylvanica,
Nemopanthus?, Picea species, Polystichum acrostichoides, Rosa virginiana, Solidago graminifolius, Sorbus americana, Vaccinium angustifolium and macrocarpon and a number of Dryopteris species.

We were not able to identify the grey Carex lining the sides of the path. On reaching the shore, I was able to collect my first batch of ripe Aster umbellatus before the skies literally opened up and soaked us with such ferocity that we had to wring out our underwear on returning home. The remainder of this day was a write-off, which was spent, instead, buried in the Flora Of Nova Scotia, planning our next outing.

[Kristl Walek]

Keji Adjunct National Park on the south shore was on the agenda for the bulk of Day 3. I had been here before in May, during house-hunting time; as the leaves of most species were just unfurling---and I was anxious to see how the site looked now. This is a species rich area but our primary interest was locating Aronia arbutifolia, Ilex glabra, Gaylussacia dumosa, Empetrum nigrum with fruit and Mertensia maritima. With the exception of the Aronia (which we never did locate in 5 days of searching, we found all the rest).

On the early-morning drive east, the sides of the road were smothered with the flowers of the variable and lovely Aster nova-belgii, which was not native in Ontario. In one stretch, we found various colour forms, from the normal lilac to pink and white.

[Kristl Walek]

The 4.8km trail winds through shrubby plants and boggy areas, which eventually open up to lower groundcovers near the ocean, where harbour and gray seals are often seen on the rocks.

The predominant woody plants along the trail were Viburnum cassinoides, Ilex verticillata and Aronia melanocarpa, in strong fall colour. The showy Sorbus americana towered above the others.

It was in this area that we found the small Gaylussacia dumosa, in quantity, with sweet berries to taste, as well as the little-known and evergreen Ilex glabra (Inkberry), with it's very good foliage and symetrical growth pattern.

[Kristl Walek]

We ate our lunch on this rock and then continued to explore the shore species, which showed a lot of damage from the last hurricane.

It took much walking down the beach until we were finally able to locate a few plants of Mertensia maritima, which I had been searching for for the past couple of months.

Empetrum nigrum was here too, in quantity, but it is difficult to find fruiting plants. After looking at hundreds of patches we finally found one with a few berries to photograph. Gaultheria procumbens was everywhere, in beautiful autumn colour and Potentilla tridentata covered earth and rocks.

In wet spots, Vaccinium macrocarpon was beginning to ripen its huge berries and around a corner from where it grew, the beach grasses had been beaten down by the hurricane and here stood a colony of Picea glauca, incredibly loaded with cones.