Great Work NPW KB. Your goal was 10 flowers by the end of June. You’ve already sent me five -so you are WELL on your way😄
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This is not my yard😄. As we turned the corner on the Meadowlily Woods Trail it opened up to the most magnificent field of dandelions.
Weed or Wildflower? Weeds, simply put, are just plants in the wrong place. So, since we think dandelions are fabulous, we are going to call them wildflowers. We hear they can be tasty too! You can toss them in a salad, boil, or stir fry them. Do you think Ray should make me a dandelion salad when they pop up on our lawn? You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom & Dad Caution: Do NOT eat dandelions from an area that has been chemically sprayed. Do you like to get your feet wet? Marsh Marigolds LOVE wet feet (roots).
We can usually identify wildflowers by colour, the number of petals, and their leaves. But another thing to consider is their habitat—the place or environment where a plant naturally or normally lives and grows. Last Saturday we found these beauties beside the stream on the North Perth Trail in Gowanstown. Since Marsh Marigolds love habitats with wet or moist soil, can you think of other places you might find them in North Perth? You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom & Dad. The trillium debate continues. NPW KB sent us the results of their survey—half loved the red...half loved the white. It’s the same in our house. I like the red—Ray likes the white. Although I might change my mind. Yesterday we went on a long wildflower adventure walk with our granddaughter and found thousands of white trilliums. It almost felt like we were in an enchanted forest. Let us know if you find your own batch of magical trilliums. And thank you for the wildflower finds you’ve sent us so far—keep them coming. You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom and Dad. Your Wildflower Finds
A huge thank you to NPW KB for sharing the photos of their class tulip garden. Although tulips aren’t wild flowers they are definitely a sign of Spring.
Did you know that tulips actually came from Turkey (Constantinople)? When they first arrived in The Netherlands in the 1700’s the Dutch went crazy for them! Legend has it that during Tulip Mania a wealthy family offered a fancy house in Amsterdam in exchange for a rare tulip bulb. I might offer a Tim’s Coffee for a nice tulip bulb, but definitely not my house😄 What do you think you would be willing to trade for a fancy tulip bulb? You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom and Dad. It’s the season for trilliums. The White Trillium has been Ontario’s floral emblem since 1937. However, four less famous trilliums also grow in Southern Ontario. They are the Red Trillium, Painted Trillium, Drooping Trillium, and Nodding Trillium. The Drooping Trillium is considered a species at risk. So, if you do see one DON'T pick it!
This week, on our walk on the Stevenson Tract near Brussel, we found both the white and the red! Which one do you like better? You are Always in my Prayers Love Mom & Dad For more information on trilliums visit Ontario Parks at https://www.ontarioparks.com/parksblog/trilliums/ Look down—way down—and you might just find some tiny Early Blue Violets. We found these beauties by the trail at Listowel Memorial Park, but we actually have some growing in our front lawn.
Early Blue Violets are native wildflowers. If a plant is “native” to Southern Ontario it means it has been here forever and wasn’t brought in from anywhere else. Just curious—take a look—do you have any of these violets in your garden or front lawn? You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom & Dad. Welcome to our Wildflower adventure! There are so many amazing things to learn close to home.
We love to walk or bike on the North Perth Trail. Now, in early spring, you can see the Bloodroot in the leaf litter just off to the side. When the flowers are just starting to pop out the leaves curl around them and give them a big hug to keep them safe. Can you imagine what it would be like to be protected by a nice soft leaf? We are excited to hear what Spring Wildflowers you have discovered. You are Always in my Prayers. Love Mom & Dad |
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Ray & Diane HomewoodSharing the Blessing of Travel Archives
August 2021
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