My Bit of Heaven - by Kristl Walek

[Kristl Walek]

and my last post for today...close ups of the flowers of Acer rubrum which has so brightened every roadside here in the past few weeks.

[fermi de Sousa]

Thanks so much, Kristl,
for continuing to show us the bit of heaven where you now reside!
The textural combinations of foliage are particularly amazing but those skunks are outstanding!
cheers
fermi

[cohan]

great to see your spring! there are some really nice sites in your area and beyond

[Kristl Walek]

I have had a good dose of cabin fever, being mostly stuck indoors during April filling seed orders during a hectic half-price seed sale. As today was the last day of the sale, I thought I deserved a short outing to reward myself. I decided to explore the back roads close to home; my primary purpose to identify the Amelanchiers that had started blooming this week. This genus is difficult, with many interspecific hybrids.

Allegheny Serviceberry (A. laevis) which lines the roadsides everywhere is my favorite. Lightly fragrant white flowers contrast beautifully with the glossy, spring-bronze foliage. This turns green in summer and then brilliant orange, red and yellows in fall.

The plant still in bud is, I believe A. x grandiflora (A. laevis x A. arborea)--and intermediate between the two--the new leaves are slightly pubescent and purplish.

And lastly, A. canadensis, which is similar to A. arborea; but the flower raceme is more compact and held more upright than arborea.

[Kristl Walek]

Along the roadsides I also saw the male catkins of Comptonia peregrina, pollen cones of Picea and a suprising Viburnum alnifolium in bloom (uncommon in this area and way too early to be blooming).

I also ran into drifts of the delicious Vaccinium angustifolium; mostly still in bud, but some flowers open. This species has a rich spring foliage colouring with greens, yellow, orange and reds all present, topped by the pink buds of the flowers. The tiny chubby blooms, white with wide pink stripes are very endearing.

And venturing just slightly into some nearby woods I discovered Lonicera canadensis in bloom in the largest sea of Maianthemum canadensis I have ever seen, which I hope to return to photograph soon, once they are in bloom.

[Ragged Robin]

A wonderful wild Spring feeling from your locality Kristi, I love this time of year with everything looking so tender from pollen cones to foliage and diminutive flowers.

[Kristl Walek]

During this first stretch of May, I have never quite known which direction to point my car; as a number of sites and particular species were calling to me at the same time. Yesterday I set out on a trip I had been putting off, because of the hiking distance required (about 8km). My goal was to find Primula laurentiana in bloom along the Fundy shore, and to locate Iris setosa canadensis in the same spot.

Reaching Delaps Cove requires a drive across the North Mountain, ending at a T-junction on the Fundy coastline. On my way across the mountain, I noticed that the white blooms of Amelanchier were slowly getting replaced by Prunus. As well, the red blooms of Acer rubrum in April have quickly turned into equally wonderful red seeds, which were now shining against the light green foliage. These I must remember to quickly list on my web site---the seed is ephmeral and must be sown soon after collection. It is an "instant" warm germinator.

I also stopped to get a closer look at large stands of Sambus pubens.

Soon one catches a glimpse of the ocean at the end of the road and it is not far to the entrance to Delaps Cove. By the way, the steep hill, is, indeed that.  

[Kristl Walek]

After my move here last autumn, I had walked the short (less than 2km) Bohaker Trail of Delaps Cove--but to access Charlies Trail, one has to first walk along an old road for about 3km (one way) before getting to the 1.9km loop of the second trail; making this a somewhat more difficult trip for an arthritic lady. However, the terrain is relatively straightforward and moves through a number of interesting habitats and over bridges with lovely sounds and views of water.

Logging activities persist throughout the North Mountain, and operations were also in progress here.

Along the road I found Acer pensylvanicum and Viburnum alnifolium in bloom, as well as stragglers of Lonicera canadensis.

[Kristl Walek]

Eventually entering the woods at the beginning of Charlie's Trail, I was immediately confronted by eye-stretching carpets of Coptis groenlandica in bloom. This is a wonderful tiny groundcover, subtle in all respects, from the small white flowers to the the glossy, lobed foliage which looks wonderful all season. It is one of the many low, creeping species I hope to get established in my new woodland garden at home (along with Mitchella repens, Epigaea repens, Gaultheria, Cornus canadensis and others).

Growing with the Coptis were Maianthemum canadense, not quite in bloom, and Trientalis borealis. I managed to find a few open flowers of this later.

The foliage of Clintonia borealis was in evidence everywhere.

Right in the middle of the path, further along, I found a single Streptopus roseus in bloom, but never managed to locate another plant nearby.

[Kristl Walek]

Urfurling as well were the fronds of Polystichum acrostichoides and other ferns and occasional examples of Gaultheria hispidula and Epigaea repens were seen. The early fresh foliage of a Prenanthes species was everywhere.

Getting closer to the shoreline, the path became increasingly wetter and muddy and Viola macloskeyi occasionally appeared. Earlier on, in the drier woods I had seen a blue viola, but am unsure of identification.

Here too Cornus canadensis appeared in greater numbers. I had seen them earlier in a non-flowering state. Here, closer to the shore, some had begun to open. The only native Thalictrum, T. pubescens, appeared in its ferny mounds.

[Kristl Walek]

Eventually the trail opens up the the ocean at various points. Needless to say, I was already getting tired at this point, but the prospect of finding the Primula was a huge incentive to keep moving. Luckily the tide was out, so I was able to search for some time along the shoreline and the higher area just above the shore. And search and search and search I did and was utterly disappointed not to locate it.

The Iris setosa canadensis, at least, were found, along with Empetrum nigrum and Vaccinium macroparpon. I suppose this means I will have to add another trip to Brier Island to the agenda, where the Primula is presently flowering.

The long trek back to the car was, well.....very long.....even with a partial hitch with one of the loggers (desperate things will force desperate action), although I did receive a quick education in logging while in his truck.

Heading home I decided to drive along the shore and come across the mountain on one of the other mountain roads (there are many). Along the way, one passes small towns (and sees some wonderful old houses and views of the ocean).
One also discovers new potential spots for buying fresh products from the sea---next time I must leave my house with cash (no form of credit used here).

Along the way I also saw Amelanchier laevis still going strong here. I do love this plant and must determine to plant one on my property. Later today, another adventure as I head back to the skunk cabbage site and bog to locate Lonicera caerulea.

[Kristl Walek]

Yesterday I headed back to the skunk cabbage site I showed you earlier, with the goal of finding Lonicera caerulea, which was supposed to grow on the periphery of that site and the adjacent bog. 

As I had become "bogaphobic" (term coined by my friend, Jill) (definition: fear of falling into a bog hole) since my almost-being-swallowed-up-by-the-bog adventure a few years ago in Ontario, I was somewhat reticent to go on my own, but I feared missing the flowering of the Lonicera more, so off I went.

It was wonderful to be met with the sight of a tropical paradise at the bottom of that slope as I peered hown the hill--the Symplocarpus foetidus in full, glorious leaf, filling the space with luxurious green. The sheer numbers of the large plants made it difficult to find solid footing, as one could not see the wet, empty spaces clearly, so it was a rather nerve-racking and time-consuming business making my way through the plants into the bog beyond. This was particularly the case as the spot had become significantly wetter and more overgrown since my spring outing here with Jill.

I did find the Lonicera, here and there, struggling hard to survive in the scraggy, dense vegetation of the bog.
Rhododendron canadense and Chamaedaphne calyculata were also in bloom, but both also finding it hard to compete in this environment. Ultimately I was happy to be back on solid ground on the road; but still inspired for further botanizing.

[Kristl Walek]

And since I was halfway to Brier Island, and still needing to photograph Primula laurentiana, I decided to forge onwards and head for the first of the two ferries.

Driving up the peninsula of Digby Neck to the first ferry, I noted many further stretches of Symplocarpus, many growing right out into the road ditches.

Two quick ferries later on Brier Island, I headed promptly for Western Light, where the Primula grow. This is a popular spot for tourists in the summer to watch whales.

A two minute climb up to the lighthouse finds one on a rocky outcrop thick with low, dense grass, where Primula struggle. Had they not been flowering, it would have been challenging to find the tiny rosettes. Even in flower, most of these plants were only a couple centimeters tall in this exposed environment.

The area is thick with Iris setosa canadensis, doing better competing with the grass. It is difficult to tell from the photographs, but most of the Iris were extremely dwarfed 6-15cm at most.

[Kristl Walek]

Of course, on any botanzing trip, it is the unexpected that is often the most thrilling---and I had not expected to find the Rhodiola rosea, which also lives in this spot, in full bloom. It tends to grow nearer to, or in the crevices of the large rocks, usually on the less exposed, shadier sides.

[Kristl Walek]

And a second, lovely surprise. Prior to leaving, I explored a "dry bog" nearby because green foliage clumps and white blooms caught my eye from a distance.

It turned out to be more Lonicera caerulea, in fairly good numbers, in fact. These were much smaller, better in habit and full of flower. As many of you undoubtably know, this species (or variety edulus) is the breeding ancestor of the edible "Blue Honeysuckle." Breeders in the Canadian prairies, always after new hardy fruits have been working with clones earlier produced in Russia and elsewhere. I am anxious to be able to taste the fruit of the wild species, once the time arrives.

At this point in time, there was no time left for further exploration, as I had less than 2 hours to make my way back home in time to attend my first meeting of the local Field Naturalists. Tonights speaker was coincidentally, June Swift, the local expert on Brier Island, who was born and bred there.