An unexpected wildfllower
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| An unexpected sighting of Virginia bluebells |
Virginia bluebells are easy to grow, if you have neutral pH soil (uncommon around here), so I was surprised to walk by a lovely patch this morning.
I was on my way back from the first North Asheville Tailgate Market of the season. An anticipated event, it was full of Asheville folks, unlike the mix in mid-summer, when it becomes a bit more "touristy."
I didn't buy anything, although I was tempted by spring asparagus and stored apples from a Hendersonville farm. There were beautiful cool-season transplants for sale, along with perennials, too. And of course lots of interesting baked goods -- a staple of tailgate markets throughout the year.
But it was the wildflowers that caught my attention walking back. Wonderful, I thought. They were accompanied by bloodroot and Jeffersonia. How nice is that? Obviously a previous or current gardener had amended the soil to accommodate woodland wildflowers. (Sadly, the current gardener had abandoned the nice low hoop-house vegetable beds that used to be in the front garden).
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| This was a great patch |
And coming back home, the tulips from the Colorblends selections last year are illuminating our front garden.
Thanks, Colorblends!
Beautiful! This time of year is magical. We went up to the Folk Art Center on the Parkway today for some art demonstrations. They had Tim's Wildflower and Plant Communities book in the gift shop and we bought a copy. I came home and took some photos around the property and look forward to trying to identify what I discovered. What a great book!
ReplyDeleteOh, I'm so glad that you bumbled on Tim's book -- it's a good one. I'm biased, of course, but he spent a LOT of time on it and UNC Press did a great job. Lots of folks have really appreciated it. (And as the first editor, I'm glad to have a small imprint, too).
DeleteI miss the spring flowers of my youth in Maryland. Although I have plenty of color here in Portland, it's nice to see that you have my earlier favorites there!
ReplyDeleteSpring wildflowers are a treat here in the Eastern U.S., that's for sure!
DeleteHappy to say Virginia Bluebells grow well for me. I love it. I'm guessing you have acidic soil?
ReplyDeleteWe DO generally have acidic soil, unless you're lucky enough to live in a rich cove forest. Most of us don't. So to have VA bluebells requires soil amendment for most of us -- I imagine the previous gardener had done that for this patch!
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