My Bit of Heaven - by Kristl Walek

[semp man]

Hi Kristl, I'm new the forum, but I really enjoy your posts. The skunk cabbage here is beginning its start also. But like you say, the spaths aren't as big as the ones in your pics. The cornus canadensis is still in winter color here also. I look forward to more of your writings and adventures.
Semp Man
USDA hardiness zone 4/5
and a long time friend if you can figure it out

[Kristl Walek]

Well, dearest Mike Kanter, you gave yourself away with the "Semp Man".
Welcome to the best on-line botanic forum in the world!!!!
You've visited me in Ontario; now you will have to see what you think of Nova Scotia.

[bulborum]

Hello Kristl

Is there a possibility to get some seeds or bulbs of the symplocarpus
and if you are in that area again there must grow Maianthemum trifoliata
I am interested too
to swap if you like the shape of the flower I grow the not hardy
Ambrosinia bassii see:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/taurielloanimaliorchidee/4217839574/in/set-72157622998178733/
and
http://www.flickr.com/photos/taurielloanimaliorchidee/4342860271/in/set-72157623068380680/

Roland

[Kristl Walek]

Roland, I actually have a seed company and both Symplocarpus and the Maianthemum trifoliata are normally on my list at Gardens North. I've sent you a personal message.

[WimB]

Kristl,

beautiful pics. I had never heard about those yellow and salmon coloured Sarracenia purpurea's. They are wonderful. If you go back when they are flowering be sure to put some pics here.

[Kristl Walek]

Kristl,

beautiful pics. I had never heard about those yellow and salmon coloured Sarracenia purpurea's. They are wonderful. If you go back when they are flowering be sure to put some pics here.

Yes, Wim, that was the botanic high point that day and I already have June marked on my calendar to return for flowering. In the meantime, I have heard of another site quite close to home (being destroyed) where there is a single colony of all (confimed yellow-flowering) plants, which I hope to check out soon in the hopes that some/all the plants perhaps still exist.

In the near 20 years of looking at pitcher plants in the wild in Ontario, I never saw a single variant.

By the way, the form status relates to the FLOWER colour---some normal RED-FOLIAGED plants can still produce yellow flowers, so this is why it is crucial to see the plants flowering. What I wish I knew is whether they will come true from seed, or the rough percentages. Guess I will have to do my own experiments.

[WimB]

Yes, Wim, that was the botanic high point that day and I already have June marked on my calendar to return for flowering. In the meantime, I have heard of another site quite close to home (being destroyed) where there is a single colony of all (confimed yellow-flowering) plants, which I hope to check out soon in the hopes that some/all the plants perhaps still exist.

In the near 20 years of looking at pitcher plants in the wild in Ontario, I never saw a single variant.

It's a shame that colony of yellow-flowering plants is being destroyed. Will you be rescuing some?

[Kristl Walek]

As we proceeded along the short (2.4km) trail towards the shore, we passed areas where the moss was in breathtaking colours---a feast for the senses. Never having seen this phenomenon before, I have now educated myself to discover that sphaghum does indeed vary in its hues and the reds, oranges, pinks are a normal phenomenon. You Scots would certainly have known this.

Ginny Proulx (Nova Scotia native plantswoman extraordinaire....who I will introduce you to in the very near future), and to whom I owe the location leads of many of these early plant wanderings in my new home has told me that "...the sphagnum moss color variations are likely different sphagnum species and/or the amount of sun they receive."

Tackling ferns and Sedges was challenging enough. I admit to utterly no knowledge whatsoever about mosses!!!!

[Kristl Walek]

While they are not the Rockies....one can pretend.
The Annapolis Valley has two "mountains,"  unpoetically the "North" and "South" Mountains.
North=basalt
South=granite

I live close to North Mountain, which is at best, 200m tall and where I
would like to do a fair amount of plant exploring this season.

One does get some nice views of the Annapolis Royal area and the Annapolis River on the way up the mountain.
One also runs into some interesting "dumps" along the side of the road, such as this pile of crabs.

Even though this is a hill, more than a mountain, on this 25C day, with all snow long gone at the bottom, there were still vestiges of it up at the top.

On Easter Sunday Jill and I had gone on a quick explore to see if the small colony of
Sarracenia pupurea f. heterophylla was still in existance.
The site was, in fact, right next to the road (you can see the plants just on the right behind my car).
The area had obviously been much disturbed, and tons of large gravel dumped down on top of the population closest to the road. Some of these were struggling hard to find their way back to the light.

There were some red-foliaged plants here, but only a few. The majority were green or yellowish-green (not the beautiful intense yellow with red markings we had seen on the bog).  But, apparently all of the green-foliaged plants here ARE yellow-flowered.

[Kristl Walek]

All along this road, on the verges of the woods was almost solid Epigaea repens. And it continued forever, it seems. The sunny borders of the trails into the woods were also Epigaea-lined. To my surprise, having marked Epigaea flowering in the May 1st slot of my calendar---there were many plants in bud already, a few just on the brink of bloom. I will have to return in the next 10 days.

And a bit further down the road, cascading down cliffs (seemingly dry cliffs, which had me wondering) was Linnaea borealis, just barely coming out of dormancy. From the remnant seed stalks, it obviously flowers well in this spot. Behind it, further up the cliffs, running clubmoss, Lycopodium clavatum, was a beautiful fresh green.

And right across the road from where we stopped for the Sarracenia there was a sign "35 acres for sale" attached to a beautiful piece of woodland with an equally wonderful stream rushing through it, where we spent some time walking and wondering what else might be here in these woods later. All one can see, of course, this early in the season, are the trees and the evergreen species (Mitchella still with last years' berries, Gaultheria, more Coptis and ever more Epigaea).


First thing this morning, out of curiosity, I called the owner of the woodlot.
He is asking $11,000 for the 35 acres.

[Kristl Walek]

When I drive to the nearby town of Digby along the old, (scenic) route, rather than the Highway, which
is my usual tendency, this is my view on the right side of the road.

Yesterday the views were also full of spring promise, with the chartreuse and pale greens of newly budding trees and shrubs. In between were red maples, Acer rubrum, providing the only splash of strong colour. These can be large trees to 35m, but also often seen here as shrubs in poorly drained or disturbed sites on the road verges.

[bulborum]

Hello Kristl
I am just back from a show in Paris
Happy because I won a first price in my class
a Disporum sp. with beautiful white flowers
the seeds arrived today with the post and
will be planted tonight
I have first to unload the truck with the plants and bulbs
thanks a lot for the seeds and if you need other var
seeds I grow just let me know

Roland

[Kristl Walek]

This morning, on a cool (+6) day, I headed back up the North Mountain to photograph Epigaea repens in bloom. This early-blooming woody member of the Ericaceae is also known as Mayflower, or Trailing Arbutus. Appropriately, it is the floral emblem of Nova Scotia. I could not imagine having chosen a more beautiful plant.

The very fragrant flowers are predominantly white flushed pink; although pure whites and some deeper pinks were also seen.

[Kristl Walek]

From North Mountain I drove a short distance up the Annapolis Valley to revisit the sand barrens I introduced you to last year. My main goal at that point had been to see Corema conradii, a species that was almost entirely unknown to me until I began studying the flora of Nova Scotia, prior to moving here.

Also called "broom crowberry" this is a dioecious member of the Ericaceae (formerly classified in the Empetraceae along with the Empetrums to which it is closely related). It resembles a heath in shape and texture, with tiny dark green needled foliage whorled along delicate stems.

I knew it was not showy in flower; it's primary garden attributes being its very good foliage and structure. Nevertheless, drifts of it in flower produced a wonderful coppery haze that gave an unusual, autumn-colouring to the landscape on this mid April day.

It is easy in the garden in sandy, acid soil and full sun.

Being dioecious, the orange tones you see are produced by the male flowers, and the green that is visible are the female flowering plants.

Don't you just love seeing those guys working so hard!!!!

[Kristl Walek]

Wandering around the site this early in the season also enabled me to easily find Hudsonia ericoides, which I had searched and searched for last fall here, but could not find in all the voluptuous vegetation.

This member of the Coastal Plain Flora has a very restricted range and is ranked "sensitive" in Nova Scotia, although it is at risk in the few other areas on the eastern seaboard where it is native.

I knew the other member of the genus (Hudsonia tomentosa) in Ontario, where it normally grew in sand, on the beaches along lakeshores.

Although this low-growing, mat-forming plant is still some time away from flowering, the scale-like leaves are lovely and of a beautiful gray-green; softer than H. tomentosa. The new foliage was a good fresh green.  It is known as "False Heather".

This area also has large drifts of Arctostaphyllos uva ursi, mostly pink in bud, but with some in bloom. Many still had last seasons intact berries.