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Category Archives: winter
Celandine: Sweet Young Thing
One of the best things about writing a blog is that it gives you a reason to look at everything with new eyes. I’ve always enjoyed plant-watching, but now I eye the green ranks like a Hollywood casting director: Have … Continue reading
Thistle: No More Waiting
Last December, I was at the Beacon train station, and I noticed a really magnificent specimen of a thistle. It was growing, still green in December, thriving among the gravel so carefully placed to keep weeds down (see Thistle: Waiting for the … Continue reading
Posted in adaptations, leaves, plant parts, spring, Uncategorized, winter
Tagged thistles
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Red Osier Dogwood: Winter Fire
This time of year, all the color seems to have drained from the world. No flowers yet, no butterflies. Even the birds are hiding till the warm weather comes. In the early spring drabness, this shrub stands out like flame … Continue reading
Posted in edible, native American, plant parts, spring, Uncategorized, wildlife, winter
Tagged plants for basket weaving, red osier, red osier dogwood
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On the Road
Thanks once again to Wells Horton for another lovely photograph. http://wells-horton.smugmug.com/ “The Road,” as Bilbo Baggins often remarked, “goes on and on, down from the door where it began.” In the words of J.R. R. Tolkien: “He used often to say there … Continue reading
Thin-leaved Coneflower: What’s in a Name?
A cold and dreary winter field. In summer it’s a green and golden wildflower meadow. In winter it’s brown stalks. Peeking out from under this abandoned piece of haying equipment (I think it’s a baler?) is a not-very-well-known wildflower. In summer … Continue reading
Posted in plant parts, seeds, Uncategorized, winter
Tagged coneflower, Linnaeus, thin-leaved coneflower
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Frost on the Sky
The sky in February. Can’t seem to make up its mind. Clouds racing along, shoved by the sub-zero winds high above us. Is it clearing? Clouding up? Blizzard? Flurry? Even the Weather Channel doesn’t know. One minute, spring coming. The next … Continue reading
My Friend Bud
Under the snow, the leaves of spring are waiting. Thanks to Wells Horton for capturing this photo. http://wells-horton.smugmug.com/ One of my naturalist friends, Glenn Humphrey, likes to teach kids about “my friend Bud.” Buds, in strict botanic terminology, are those little brown bumps … Continue reading
To Feed a Mockingbird
Another day, another parking lot. Now this might not look like a National Park or anything. But I drove into this parking lot in Guilderland, NY the other day, parked, and sat there thinking about nothing in particular for a … Continue reading
Posted in birds, environment, great ideas, plant parts, seeds, wildlife, winter
Tagged birds overwinter, cottonwood, mockingbird, pokeweed, wild grape
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Cold Winter Day
A cold day today. Snow, and then sunshine that seems colder than the snow. A hard day for chickadees and goldfinches and redpolls and nuthatches and such to keep warm. Good thing my backyard has a lot of birdfeeders in it. … Continue reading
Merry Groundhog Day
Best wishes for a joyous and festive Groundhog Day! Thanks to Frank Knight for this lovely close-up of a young woodchuck (groundhog, same thing.) It’s my favorite holiday. You think I’m kidding? Not at all. Don’t underrate the simple pleasures of … Continue reading
Unmowed 