My Bit of Heaven - by Kristl Walek

[Kristl Walek]

This second site I have shown you before; when I was picking blueberries here. It is also the spot where Polygala polygama and Lithospermum caroliense grow.

This is an acid sand environment.

The predominant groundcover at this time of the year was the beautiful, fine-textured Carex pensylvanicum.

I was here this time to collect seed of the Lithospermum, Helianthemum canadense and Aralia hispida. The first yielded almost nil, the second was a rather tedius process of removing only the ripe pods, the last was a snap.

Here in the open in full sun and dry conditions grows the rare, tiny Cyperus houghtonii and along the edges of the woodland, an unidentified Solidago and the woodland sunflower, Helianthus divaricatus, still in bloom.

[Kristl Walek]

In the woodland area of this same site, Gaultheria procumbens was in bloom.

And I collected more berries of the delicious Gaylusaccia baccata, and early Anemone cylindrica.

My last task was to try to find the scarce shrubby Ceanothus americanus, which I have been looking for in this area for some years. C. herbaceous is abundant here, but the former I had been unable to locate. A botanist friend helped with good, specific coordinates---and voila---the plants were there---and still with unripe seed that can be collected over the next month!!!!!

[Kristl Walek]

The third stop of the day was an area along the Ottawa River, which is very rich in plant species, both in the water and on shore.

Here is one section of the water that is almost solid Pontederia cordata (including the drift you see in the far distance)!!!!

Along the shore:
Shepherdia canadensis
The beautiful developing acorns of Quercus macrocarpa
Almost ripe berries of Cornus amomum
Early coloring of Celastrus scandens (almost displaced in the wild by the Asian C. orbiuculatus).
Anaphalis margaritacea.
Drifts of Physocarpus opulifolius, with the seed receptacles at a beautiful warm salmony colour right now. 

[Kristl Walek]

This area is also one of the few local spots where colonies of ornamental grasses can be found. Most of these are common in the Canadian prairies and being warm-season grasses, they are just now coming into their own and will not be at their prime, with outstanding foliage colouring, until after first frost.

All are clumping grasses.

They are very difficult to photograph...

I was not able to photograph Andropogon gerardii, although it grows here.

Sorghastrum nutans (Indian Grass) is one of North Americas most beautiful ornamental grasses. It can grow to 150cm, is upright, clumping with almost blue foliage, maturing to yellow then burnt orange. The plumes were a golden bronze today. Spectacular!!!!

Schizachyrium scoparium (Little Blue Stem) is just at the barely-flowering stage right now. It will turn intense colours of purple, bronze, and foxy-red later.

[Kristl Walek]

My last spot of the day was another alvar. I bet you think I keep showing you the same ones---after all, how many can there be???? But there have actually been no alvar-repeats (yet).

This particular alvar is actually one of my favorites, not only because the plants are interesting here, but the rock is more fascinating than in other alvars.

Firstly, the limestone pavement is much more exposed---which is wonderful on its own---but the limestone is also chock full of fossils, so wherever you walk, you walk on visible history.

[Kristl Walek]

Here are just a few of the rock impressions.

I would be happy to know what some of them are....????

[Kristl Walek]

There are large areas of the limestone pavement covered with moss and in the moss there are thousands of Saxifraga virginiensis, now at their resting-rosette stage...

Mats of Arctostaphyllos uva ursi with their beautiful red berries.

A tiny, beautiful (no name for now) Solidago (10cm at best).

And the only slightly taller Solidago nemoralis, just starting to open its elegant blooms. It is only found on alvars.

[Kristl Walek]

A few more woody species:

The small heat and sun loving Viburnum rafinesquianum.
Cornus racemosum on the open alvar.
Symphoricarpus albus along the woodland margins with Cornus rugosa.

[Kristl Walek]

These are the last pictures from the alvar---and of one of my favorite ornamental grasses---which only grows in this spot.

Over the years, a large corner of the alvar has grown into a colony of these beautiful plants. Once you know the distinctive pink drift, you can always recognize it in the landscape.

Sporobolis heterolepis is a tightly clumping, hummock-forming, medium sized plant that looks fantastic in the garden.

[Gerdk]

Kristl,
I am just overwhelmed by the impressions and plants you posted - what a show!

Gerd

[Luc Gilgemyn]

Kristl,
I couldn'nt think of a better name for this thread - you're definitely showing us a bit of heaven !!!!! 
Thanks again for sharing it !!! 

[art600]

Kristl

Thank goodness for digital photography.  You continue to 'raise the bar'  The Usain Bolt of plant photography.  A gold medal hardly seems sufficient.

The fossils were amazing - thank goodness the area is not easily accessible.

[Paddy Tobin]

Kristl,

Of course, the plants are beautiful and perfectly photographed but the fossils were so different that it was they which took  my interest. Fabulous place, obviously.

Paddy

[Kristl Walek]

Kristl

Thank goodness for digital photography.  You continue to 'raise the bar'  The Usain Bolt of plant photography.  A gold medal hardly seems sufficient.

The fossils were amazing - thank goodness the area is not easily accessible.

Thank you Gerd, Luc, Art and Paddy....I always think to myself, if only I had the time to do it right (with an actual tripod, energy and more time) not always juggling backpacks with seed....plus the ever worrisome camera and shaky photographers hands, running here and there, trying to fit it all into too-short days. But it is what my life has become, and my greatest wish would be to have more time "out there" instead of needing to run my business as well.

So I am always happy if just a few of the shaky images translate into a "feeling" for these places and plants that I love.

And Art, you would not believe how absolutely accessible that particular alvar actually is- right off the main road.  In fact yesterday I saw evidence of a four-wheel drive vehicle having been in there (again)-disturbed rocks lying here and there, tire tracks etc.  

[David Nicholson]

A brilliant set of pictures, as usual, Kristl. Thanks for taking the time to post them.