Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Four Trilliums

Is it terrible that I went down to the utility meadow to do one simple chore and didn't come back to the house for two hours? Some white liatris arrived mysteriously in the mail that no one remembers ordering. I had ten tiny corms to plant. Then I started pulling some of the horrid Clematis virginiana that likes to smother everything, got tired of that and wandered off into the forest.

It is a good time to wander off into the forest. The trilliums are blooming.



In all my spring wanderings I have only found this one group of red flowered trillium. This is Wake Robin, Trillium erectum.



Nodding Trillium, Trillium cernuum blushes after being pollinated. Most of the trilliums around here blush after they have done the deed.



Trillium catesbaei, Catesby's Trillium has narrower petals and the flower is on a longer pedicel according to the book than its near look alike. I didn't examine and measure their pedicels for comparison.



I just gave the petals the close examination. Trillium grandiflorum has bigger fatter petals. I had to look around a bit to find the best examples. There are so many that might be considered to be in the middle. I just bet there is major trillium hanky panky going on down there in the forest.



I spent most of the cool, breezy and cloudy day with the other cherry around this spring before I wandered off into the woods. One loft floor is stained and sealed with one coat of sealer. Sorry, not gonna do two coats if it means I have to sand between applications.

I'd say it matches the cabinet. Today the tile is feeling like it wants to be on the lighter side. I swear these colors are phase shifting on me on a daily basis.



The kitchen ceiling is the underside of the loft floor. Same wood, same stain, same color. The vagaries of light and how the camera reads it is different every time and different from what the eye sees. Objects on your computer monitor may be more or less true in color to reality depending on the light, weather conditions, angle of the camera and other unknown factors when the digital image was initially processed.

That's real close to what it really looks like, for sure, at least on my computer.



Such dramatic change can be a bit unsettling at first. I am going from light to darker. Though as far as stains go, this is on the lighter end of the spectrum. It is a rich color with some depth and I like that.

It was nice to find the normal white flowered, green leaved Anemone quinquefolia today after yesterday's discovery of the maroon leaved and pink tinted flower form of Anemone, how did you get like this?



The Darmera peltata has sent up a single bloom stalk so far this year. Last year there were a dozen. I am more and more convinced as I watch the wild forest and the sunny utility meadow, that plants take some years off as they move themselves around.



It has to be just so to get that spectacular burst of bloom. I am seeing much more Monarda, the Beebalm this year than last and there is a bumper crop of Angelica after last year's lull. Chicory and lupine seed were added to the meadow last fall. Both germinate readily. When will it be their year to shine?

12 comments:

Ben said...

Very nice trilliums around your place, and I go out and the yard too and do not return for hours.

Siria said...

Hi Christopher! I love the way the stain color came out. And your tile selection is great. It resembles native stone, but has the maintenance of ceramic tile. Your cozy cabin will be ready before you know it! The trilliums are beautiful!

Randy Emmitt said...

Christopher,

Enjoyed the trillium photos. I did not know that Trillium catesbaei was in the mountains, we have it here in the Piedmont in richer forests. Swa some in Hillsborough on Sunday just setting out buds.

Lola said...

Sometimes those wanderings can be very rewarding.
Love those trillium's. I had some on the place in N.C. Tried to relocate one one time. It doesn't work or it put it into dormancy for yrs. I never saw it again.
That stain sure looks good. Not long now till you will be sitting on your own front porch in the evening with a cup of joe looking at all that beauty.

Betty Cloer Wallace said...

Those red trilliums are quite rare around here, and you're really lucky to have a patch. Guard and protect them!

Your photos are lovely, and I can see that you live in a beautiful place and that you're making it even more beautiful.

I'm wondering if there's a spring near that old homeplace chimney and if the paved road was an early horse path. Do you know anything about the history of the place?

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Sounds like an acute case of GADS. That red Trillium is stunning. If I could grow them well, I'd have to track some down. What a treat to have such a selection of them growing in your woods.

Christopher C. NC said...

Ben sounds like you are one of us.

Siria I do like the stain. After that blond wood and white walls I knew the coming change would darken the place and none of the choices are dark. The tile is porcelain. Same as ceramic just more expensive.

Randy the book says it is the most common trillium in the state - in the lower mountains and piedmont mostly. It also says the T. grandiflorum is highly variable, so who knows maybe that is what they all are. Up here though we tend to have it all.

Lola I hope it won't be too long before I am sitting on the front porch with a cup of joe made down there. I won't need to move any trilliums. I may add some more.

Betty I sure hope we don't have trillium rustlers too. They come for the sang, the ramps and the morrels. Saw some suspicious activity across the road just this week, 3 times.

There is a small stream 20 ft from the old cabin. A friend sent me some info on the woman Betsy's Gap is named after She is buried near by in Fines Creek. Died around 1910 I think. That info is in my gmail which shuts down between 7 to 11pm. Damn Hughes ISP. I also spoke with some relatives of the more recent owners that my folks bought the land from. It seems the old chimney was a hut that was used when they came up to grub the high pastures, though it was lived in at times as well. I have been told many times the road used to go through Spring Creek Gap and that this route is newer.

MMGD of course I think I need to add the yellow and a few more of the red species of native trilliums to the collection.

Lola said...

Thanks for that bit of info on the chimney site. I was wondering about it's history. What did they grub from the high country {don't wish to sound dumb here}? Maybe cattle grazing!!!!

Christopher C. NC said...

Lola I am guessing grubbing the pasture, yes cattle pasture, would mean digging out trees, blackberries, potential poisonous plants and other unwanted plants to keep it in pasture.

Pam said...

Those trilliums are beautiful (I secretly imagine them filling some areas of my shade garden - but I'm guessing that's in a fictional world). I understand the 2-hour thing too.

I like the stain color too.

Anonymous said...

Looks like a perfect match to me Christopher. So different in the kitchen, but how often will you be looking at the ceiling, unless that is the way you check to see if the spaghetti is done, throwing it and see if it sticks. My kids used to love that. There is probably so much wildflower hanky panky in your woods, who knows what plant hunters might discover there? Or you.
Frances

Anonymous said...

I forgot to tell you that there are promising angelica plants showing now, hoping for bloom this year if not next.