Lichenwood Rambles

Plant Spirits of Stonehouse Pond

After so many days of rain, I have had the pleasure of hiking Stonehouse Pond twice this week.  The Spring ephemerals are blooming along the trails and it is thrilling to encounter them in this very special wild land.  Painted Trillium is a standout in the speckled light of the newly leafed out forest floor.  I had never seen this flower in the wild before so this was a very special experience!

Clintonia, or Blue Bead Lily is another Spring flower that I have been yearning to see in a wild environment.  There are quite large colonies of Clintonia along the path to the top of the stone cliff, nestled in amongst plants that are more familiar to me, such as Goldthread,Trailing Arbutus, and the beautiful Lady Slipper.

When my hiking companion Lynn and I reached the top of the stone cliff, we spent time admiring the view and searching for the Sassafras that seemed to disappear from view when I brought my friend Deb for a hike on Tuesday.  Indeed, the leaves of Sassafras were unfurling today and Lynn and I had no problem finding them.

 
The Chokeberry was blooming more intensely than just a few days prior also.

 But the most special find of all was this tight colony of Lady Slippers nestled next to a tiny Hemlock and viewable from a seat on a horizontal Jack Pine limb.  Note the seed pods on the plant.

My admiration for Lady Slipper must have showed.  I talked to her and took many more photos.

When I took the last photo, a strange thing happened.

I choose to believe this orb was the plant spirit letting me know that she was there and felt the love I was sending.  

Positive Changes in the Lichenwood Landscape

Changes are happening quickly in the Lichenwood landscape.  We are beginning to see the results of our planting efforts.  Last fall I planted these daffodils around the pergola and how rewarding it has been to watch this naturalizing blend bloom and provide a changing display of one of my favorite flower species. The wisteria vine is healthy and happy and we are keeping our fingers crossed for flowers as the leaves unfurl.

The Greenman greets visitors in the garden at the entryway.  Efforts are being made to consolidate all the violets that pop up here and there throughout the gardens.  We have plans to transform the front steps sometime this season, so look for updates on that project.  There are many wonderful green friends occupying this particular garden space including Bleeding Heart, Wolfsbane, lamb's ears, and Blaze Improved Rambling Rose.

Daryl is adding a huge new raised bed to the backyard.  This will allow us to produce more of our own food and medicine.  I have promised to grow twice as much Calendula as in years past to supply not only my own needs, but the needs of several herbalists in the region.  Lichenwood Calendula is rich and resinous and creates wonderful oils, extracts, and teas.

The raised bed herb gardens at the side of the house have been greatly improved with new deeper sides.  We also planted 3 little Apple trees and look forward to the day when we will harvest the first fruits!  In the back yard we have planted two tiny peach trees and a pear.  

So much beauty and so much promise!  There will be many opportunities for flower essence co-creation and the harvesting of medicine, but for right now we are happy with the simple harvest of beauty!