a botanical interval, in New England and Appalachia

post #83
    I just can't resist.  It is April, after all, the greatest growing month of all. Two of the places where I have been recently have to be shared here before summer takes us over.  So next week I will continue with the alphabet, but today it is NEW ENGLAND and APPALACHIA.

    Last Saturday I visited my sister Robin's favorite place near where she lives, THE GARDEN IN THE WOODS, located in Framingham, Massachusetts, and run by the New England Wild Flower Society.  She's one of their lecturers, and this was my first time to be there.  I hadn't planned to take my camera, because it was sunny and the middle of the day, but, as usual, I appreciated Robin talking me into it.  They feature rare and endangered wild plants, some of which my sister also has in her home garden.  I took the mile long walk while she took part in a training session there about the newly completed digital database that covers all New England plants! 

I was fascinated by the pairing of skunk cabbage and American False Hellebore (Veratrum viride).  I grew up with skunk cabbage in our neighborhood swamp in Connecticut, but I never noticed Hellebore.  The texture on these leaves intrigues me!

Couldn't resist the Appalachian in the name.  I plan to research this soon.  (Appalachian barren-strawberry)

The leaf of the bloodroot plant grows after the flowers have finished.

I've never seen these charmers before, but I went for the artistic view, and now I can't read the signage!

This sign works better!  The mottled look of the leaves covers up somewhat for the sunlight that can so easily make plants look washed out mid-afternoon.

       Any questions about the New England photos can be answered by Robin.  Any at all!  I expect to have a few more precise titles soon.
      When I returned home to Appalachia a week ago, I knew I would have missed many of my April favorites.  So yesterday I precariously sat in one place near our first waterfall and took several photos of different things I saw.  Four of these "seeings" are next.  I love doing that.  I see so much more playing with my camera than if I just walked by.  And the variety invariably astounds me.  Again, I was there when the afternoon was no longer cloudy, so the sun is a challenge for the photos.
      Thank goodness for Aprils every year.  And for treasures in our lives.

behind me

where I came from

the waterfall the stream goes over

right above me -- a photo I need to switch to black and white!

the log bridge on the way back to the house

a bit steep, back near our second

waterfalls....