GSP Outdoors

Follow us on Facebook!

2011-07-10T14:01:00.003-04:00

It's been really busy here out at the site and it's taken me some time to post this but I wanted to let you know that we are not going to update this blog anymore. We are available on Facebook so feel free to follow us there & keep up on what's going on out at the site. Thank you!

http://www.facebook.com/GeneStrattonPorter

SPRING!

2011-03-17T15:48:00.009-04:00

Ok so I know its not "offically" spring (3 more days!)but after the B-E-A-U-tiful weather today, how can one not be excited about it? I was able to get down to the gardens and clear away some of the debris that was leftover from this fall and finish getting seeds started. The snow came so fast this year I wasn't quite able to get it all. While out and about cleaning I noticed a lot of green, a lot of bad but also some good! Some of the herbs are already starting to grow again and its a nice splash of good green. Some of you know about the bad green we have here, the Star of Bethleham. You can read more about that horrible stuff here. But, on to the good! The wonderful skunk cabbage is in bloom andthe coltsfoot flowers are up along the lakeshore. In the wildflower bed we have some hepatica peeking through and some waterleaf showing up. In another bed, # 23, there is a beautiful purple flower poking through the underbrush. I can not remember the name of it for the life of me so if you know it, let me know! For now, enjoy some of the pictures of the site from today.

Skunk cabbage (thank goodness for zoom!)

Coltsfoot along the lake

The Waterleaf (with lots of the BAD green around it....)

Hepatica

That purple flower....crocus! (Thanks Martha!)

The Magnolia tree starting to bud out

Gearing up

2011-02-09T12:19:00.002-05:00

We are starting to get things together for the upcoming Home & Garden shows in the area. Packaging seeds, making flyers and putting the finishing touches on the event guide to be ready for the shows. Come out and see what we have to offer at each of these events:

Fort Wayne Home & Garden Show:
March 3rd & 4th: 11a-9p
March 5th: 10a-9p
March 6th: 11a-5p
Memorial Coliseum
www.home-gardenshow.com

Kendallville Home & Garden Show:
March 12th: 10a-5p
March 13th: 10a-3p
Kendallville Event Center

As for me, I'm anxiously awaiting all this snow to finally melt away so I can get my hands dirty in the gardens again. It's going to be an exciting journey to watch it all start fresh in the gardens. I'm going to try not to mess it up too bad after all the hard work Martha put into it.

Winter beauty

2010-12-28T13:47:00.005-05:00

Funniest looking bird I've ever seen

Ice Anglers Express

I know these guys!!

Nothing coming out of these holes....

The Cabin from the lake

A view from Gene's porch of Sylvan Lake

Ice Angler's Express

Gene's Gardens fast asleep for the winter

These are a few shots of the site over the past week or so. I even went down and checked on a few fisherman on the lake and to my suprise, familiar faces, my dad, brother and great uncle! Granted, they weren't having any luck but they enjoy coming out here to fish, as they did in years past with my Grandpa. It's nice to see they still come out. Enjoy the beauty of Mother Nature as I'm sure Gene did on her winters up here.

Winter has arrived!!

2010-12-20T11:27:00.003-05:00

Winter has arrived here at GSP and I must say its quite beautiful. We are still very busy even though we have closed for the season. We have our Ice Fishing Derby coming up on January 22nd and the ice fisherman are really enjoying the newly remodeled Ice Anglers Express. We are going to be at both the Kendallville (March 12th & 13th) and Fort Wayne (March 3rd-6th) Home and Garden shows this year and we are excited about both of those events! I have been busy getting seeds ready to package for sale and let me tell you, some of them are so tiny I'm amazed at how they grow into these big beautiful flowers in the spring. I will get some pictures up of the beautiful snow and peacefulness as soon as I can. Happy Holidays!

We are also on Facebook now! If you haven't already, "Like" us to keep up on upcoming events at the site!!
http://www.facebook.com/GeneStrattonPorter

Arbor Restoration!

2010-10-10T13:05:00.000-04:00

As some of you may know, the arbor here is undergoing a makeover! A few months ago a hard working crew harvested some Black Locust timbers, debarked them and put them in our barn for drying. Now the time has come to put those timbers to good use! Thanks to Dennis & Dave, they got the wisteria peeled back (and some much needed pruning done as well!) and exposed the rotting timbers. Those were removed and now we are awaiting the arrival of the construction crew that is going to come in and reconstruct the arbor. We are hoping to have this done by the end of the month. I've been taking a few pictures as it changes through each step. Check them out! More to come as it continues to change.

Fall is in the air!!

2010-09-04T15:36:00.014-04:00

Fall seems to be rapidly approaching but there are still new and wonderful things to be seen here in the gardens! The canna lily and cardinal flower are in bloom, the pink turtlehead lily has popped open and the seed harvest has begun! We have already collected some foxglove, columbine and poppy seeds but just yesterday I was able to get some butterfly bush seeds. The hydrangeas are drying in the garden shed in preparation for the Dream of Beauty event. I am so excited to see what this fall brings and to watch as the amazing colors of autumn wash over the site. Stay tuned for pictures of this! Also, I just wanted to remind everyone that we have a Volunteer Day approaching. It's this Saturday September 11th from 9am to noon. Coffee and snacks will be readily available for all. I look forward to seeing everyone :-)

A few neat plants!!

2010-07-21T10:31:00.003-04:00

We recently had Lee Casebere out to the site for the Third Thursday Plant lecture on Orchids. When our naturalist, Haley was showing him our only orchid, he casually pointed out another that had popped out without us knowing! We have 3 Spotted Coral Root orchids that have shown up near our yellow lady slipper. Also, while out for my morning "let's see what's blooming!" walk, I discovered that our Indian Pipe has come up as well! We were quite excited to see both these plants popping up for surprise visits. Gene would be proud :-)

garden from after the storm June 2010

2010-07-15T14:11:00.012-04:00

All Images courtesy www.aceofimages.com - Alaina Carnahan

July 10th evening garden tour and wine tasting

2010-07-12T15:57:00.009-04:00

Over 30 guests enjoyed an evening in the Tame Gardens with staff and volunteers on-hand answering questions on particular flora and regarding anything and everything Gene Stratton-Porter related. Light period music performed live set a calm mood as dusk settled over GSP. Visitors also enjoyed assorted cheeses and chocolate covered strawberries accompanied by a wine tasting. While some participants just happened by, all departed the site by the ambiance of softly glowing luminaries topping off a relaxed evening on Sylvan Lake.

All images courtesy http://www.aceofimages.com/

Please join us for our next event July 15th, 6-8 pm- Native Orchid Plant Lecture ($3 fee) with guest lecturer Lee Casebere:

http://http//www.indianamuseum.org/sites/genespec.html

After the Storm June 2010 - Cleanup and Damages

2010-06-27T09:51:00.020-04:00

Amazingly, the cabin, the arbor, the tomb, morning face bench, the visitors' center... the main spots on the site are intact! :D

All Images courtesy www.aceofimages.com

After the storm - Damages and Cleanup

2010-06-27T09:42:00.005-04:00

An impassable Owl Drive due to downed trees.

All Images courtesy www.aceofimages.com

June Photography Workshop

2010-06-05T21:46:00.011-04:00

The site's inaugural photography workshop was a success! Not only did we hit capacity, participants of all ages and experience levels were given access to and toured Gene's Cabin on Sylvan Lake as well as the tame garden. The weather was dreary but hey, that's free light diffusion! :D and the rain held off for the outdoors segments.

Gene not only enjoyed nature, but also sought to preserve native habitats at a time when agriculture demanded the land be drained. She used the photographic medium with a scientific approach as a means to educate and document flora and fauna.

Guests today learned tips and elements of design to better their personal photography with a brief lecture from site naturalist, Haley Samuelson-Couchman followed by a tour of the grounds with Alaina Carnahan (http://www.aceofimages.com/).

Such a successful turn-out on even a gloomy day already has us brainstorming ideas for the next photo workshop; a huge thank you to all who participated!

Garden and grounds -first week of May

2010-05-09T17:29:00.013-04:00

Photos courtesy http://www.aceofimages.com/

more photos from a couple weeks ago and short video from garden on a rainy day

2010-04-27T09:54:00.018-04:00

Photos and video courtesy of http://www.aceofimages.com/

Bugs!

2010-04-21T08:53:00.011-04:00

Photos courtesy http://www.aceofimages.com/

around the grounds, week of April 12th

2010-04-19T17:35:00.009-04:00

Tulips greeting visitors by the pavilion near the entrance to the grounds

Photos courtesy http://www.aceofimages.com/

early April

2010-04-19T17:26:00.008-04:00

Photos Courtesy http://www.aceofimages.com/

Wednesday at Work

2010-04-08T22:17:00.006-04:00

Everywhere I looked, another species of wildflower was blooming.

The twinleaf by the Cabin bloomed. I love the leaves even more than the lovely, short-lived flowers though. The leaves will be opening in a few days.

Dave Fox, the property manager, showed us the Jack-in-the-pulpit blooming in Sower's Woods, which is part of the site.

The marsh marigolds are blooming by the spring.

Just across the boardwalk, the large spice bush was in bloom. I like to chew on the twigs and I've heard it makes a wonderful tea.

Yes, that is a flower bud on the Mayapple or mandrake as Gene called it.

As you drive down Owl Avenue, watch for the patch of Virginia bluebells blooming on the east.

But I spent most of the drizzly day in the garden, entertained by the visitors in the trout lilies or dog-toothed violets. But the visitors were neither fish nor canine.

See them now?

And I enjoyed the hyacinths in the formal garden marching up the hill.

The yellow lady's slipper returns!

2010-04-06T19:01:00.003-04:00

Last spring, an executive with Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites gave us a yellow lady's slipper for Wildflower Woods since our slippers disappeared about ten years ago. I researched where to plant it, making sure the amount of light, type of soil and even grade was suitable. And then I prayed. (Gene admitted to praying over some of her transplants also.)

I was afraid to move the leaf cover, but took a peek last week. Nothing. So I covered the spot again with leaves and pretended I didn't look. As I walked away, my steps were as heavy as my heart.

I peeked again today and there it was - emerging foliage! I covered it with leaves as that's its natural condition. But, oh, I can't wait to see it bloom.

Opening Day

2010-04-02T23:30:00.005-04:00

The site opened on April 1, a hot sunny day. There was a steady stream of visitors including these 5 lovely females. The picture proves that I am not biased even though these are brother's daughters and granddaughters.

There were other openings that day such as the bloodroot above.

And these Dutchmen's breeches. These are not quite open but will be very soon. I heard that trout lily blooms were sighted also.

Yesterday and Today

2010-03-31T17:50:00.003-04:00

This is yesterday's plant marker.

This is today's plant marker. We are adding a few markers around the site, native plants and Gene's original plants. When you visit, tell us what you think of them.
Yesterday, water was not singing in Singing Waters. Today it is.

Yesterday the rue was not blooming.

Today the large bed of rue between the Cabin and boardwalk is starting to bloom.

Yesterday the hepatica started to bloom. Today it is in its full glory.

Come visit and then come back again. You will be surprised by the changes.

It's Spring!

2010-03-29T20:59:00.001-04:00

It's spring at Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site and the wildflowers are busting out all over. The colt's foot (not a dandelion) has been blooming for over two weeks. This picture was taken March 17.

Then the scilla started blooming and every day they put on a better show.

And today I saw the hepatica in bloom.

It won't be long before the Dutchmen's breeches and trout lily are blooming as the foliage of both are coming on strong.

Come see what you can find in bloom.

February 6th Inaugural Ice Fishin' Derby on Sylvan Lake

2010-02-12T16:19:00.024-05:00

All Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

The Patrick Bolman Heritage Tree Trail and donated historic homestead.

2010-01-22T15:02:00.010-05:00

I trekked through drifted snow with my faithful (and inexhaustible) dog during the Artic Blast of earlier this month. If you are capable, I highly recommend taking the hike in the off season. Absolutely gorgeous!

All Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

Bright beautiful day for fishing in January

2010-01-22T14:49:00.010-05:00

Tracks of the anglers' sleds lead north out onto a frozen Sylvan lake.

Please sign in at the red box upon each visit!

All Photos courtesy http://www.aceofimages.com/

Ice Fishing Derby and Family Fishing Fair

2010-01-22T12:37:00.004-05:00

Did you know our lot is filled with cars all winter long? At least every day that the ice is safe. The ice fishing is usually excellent on Sylvan Lake and public access to the ice is through the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site.

To celebrate this traditional pastime, on February 6 we are hosting an ice fishing derby plus a fair for beginning anglers with free family-friendly activities.

Derby
Check-in: 6:00am – 7:00am
Derby: 7:00am – 11:00am
$3.00 (pre-registration recommended)
Prizes will be awarded in multiple categories and participants can have fish identified by DNR Fish & Wildlife experts.

Family Fishing Fair
8:00am – 11:00am
FREE
Guests who want to warm up may enjoy the fishing activities in and around the Carriage House. Beginners to expert anglers may browse ice fishing equipment, learn how to identify unwanted species, try their hand at ice fishing games and discover the unique fish that reside in Sylvan Lake.

Tournament Rules:

This is an open event and everyone is welcome. Fishing totals will be based on the overall catch per individual.
All anglers under 17 years of age must be accompanied by an adult.
All anglers must register to be eligible for prizes.
All Indiana fishing laws and regulations apply. Anglers 17 and older must possess a valid state fishing license. Licenses are not sold on site.
Entrants must park in the designated visitor parking lot. An unloading site will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis for easy access to the lake.

Prize Categories:Adult (17 and over):

Most Fish Caught
Longest Total Fish Measurement
Largest Total Weight of Fish Caught

Junior (16 and under):
Most Fish Caught
Longest Total Fish Measurement
Largest Total Weight of Fish Caught

For other events scheduled in 2010, check out the GSP website.

On a frigid January day- the main grounds

2010-01-20T19:48:00.011-05:00

The garden in a wintry rest

View from a frozen Sylvan Lake at bottom

All photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

2009 Holiday Walk- Carriage House and Grounds

2009-11-25T14:06:00.007-05:00

All Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

2009 Holiday Walk - Garden Shed

2009-11-25T13:52:00.013-05:00

Santa's little elves had no idea I spied them pounding away through the garden shed window(bottom photo)! The activity was inside the garden shed, but I doubt anyone walked by without noticing all those busy little hammers! :D

Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

2009 Holiday Walk @ GSP- Cabin

2009-11-25T13:34:00.013-05:00

Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

A Dream of Beauty Holiday Walk

2009-11-18T10:14:00.005-05:00

"Our Christmas was a dream of beauty," wrote Gene Stratton-Porter about her 1917 Christmas in The Cabin in Wildflower Woods. Come join us as we celebrate a 1917 Christmas on Saturday, November 21 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Draft horses pulling a wagon will meet you in the Visitor's Lot and make regular trips around the site. After dark, the site will be lighted with luminaries transforming the woods into a place of magic.

Your first stop will be the Carriage House where you can purchase your wrist band for $3 and browse the Gift Shop. I'm really impressed with the variety and quality of items for sale, especially for you gardeners and nature lovers! And there is a special 10% discount on the day of the Walk. Decorations used at the site in the past will be for sale in the presentation room. (I'm planning to make a stop there early in the day because these are beautiful decorations.)

Upstairs in the Carriage House will be homemade cookies and candies. There will be two crafts in the Carriage House (corn husk dolls and pine cone bird feeders).

On the way down to the Cabin, stop by the Garden Shed and see a tree decorated with dried flowers from the Garden. In the Garden Shed you can also do a flower transfer craft.

On to the Cabin where I will greet you at the entry (OK so that may not be the high point of this stop). Get your senses ready for this experience. Music by Nancy Blough and two other musicians. She loves people to participate, whether with rhythm instruments or dancing the jig. Quick breads baking in the kitchen with one to take home. And Gene's dream of beauty decorations.

Here are some pictures from two years ago.

I hope to see you this Saturday and let me know if you read about the Holiday Walk on this blog.

Post-Freeze Garden Blooms

2009-11-16T18:46:00.003-05:00

Can you believe there are still blooms in the Tame Garden? Recent visitors have commented on the nasturtiums, snapdragons, hydrangea (pink and blue), toad lily, calendula, profusion zinnias, gaillardia and geraniums. We have had several hard freezes, but the garden is situated so that a lot of the plants are spared.

Owl-o-ween

2009-11-09T14:37:00.012-05:00

Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

Fall Tea

2009-11-09T14:03:00.006-05:00

Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

Fall garden 1

2009-11-09T13:53:00.009-05:00

Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

Nature Writing Workshop

2009-09-24T20:58:00.004-04:00

The day after the nature poetry program for students, Joyce Brinkman led a program for adults at the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site. Gerard Manley Hopkins and, to a lesser extent, Mary Oliver were given as models for "inscape" or more than surface descriptions of nature. We were instructed to select an object and delve deep into its essence, using word combinations, even made-up words and internal rhyming. So these are not finished poems, but the beginning of poems.

Poplar Seed Pod by Steve Ferguson

Splotch-brown, mold-white stripes
Delicate grooves, banana-bruised
Densely pregnant
With
Ten Ten thousand trees
The breeze sighs and rising,
Frees
The babes to sprout, grow
Destiny fulfilled.

The Nursing Log by Martha Ferguson

You beckon me,
With slanted sun skimming you
As you sink into the soil.

Bright red in the sun, out of shady dark brown.

You're cracked, perfect squares, rectangles.
All linear where once you were round
Invaded-insects, your only round now.

No long gray-barked, but green-mossed
No long standing, but supine
No longer green-leafed, but feeding tomorrow's green.

September Garden shots

2009-09-24T20:02:00.017-04:00

Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

Westview students visit GSP on Sept 18th for Poet Laureate Joyce Brinkman's postcard poetry program

2009-09-24T19:25:00.010-04:00

Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

Chautauqua 2009!

2009-08-24T22:57:00.012-04:00

Miss Limberlost samples "Crackers Spread with Cream Cheese and Fresh Flowers" prepared by Kathy in the Herb tent in the gardens. Have I mentioned how awesome the food is at this site? Fit for royalty...

And Martha's Chicken?.....FABULOUS!

At left are the The Gospel and Folk Weather Girls providing entertainment on the second floor of the Carriage house for those enjoying a bit of birthday cake in honor of Gene's birthday.

A Plein Air painter takes advantage of the lovely afternoon as seen sketching a southeastern view of the arbor.

One of the rescued birds of prey saved by Soarin' Hawks Raptor Rehabilitation welcoming visitors by the front gate.

Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

2009-08-10T15:46:00.006-04:00

The bees LOVE these! there were 10 or so swarming around within arm's length when I shot this. sorry kids, I'm not an entymologist nor horticulturist, so I can't tell you much more...

Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

Can't wait for Chautauqua this weekend!

shots from July

2009-08-10T15:43:00.005-04:00

can't wait for Chautauqua this weekend!!! til then, here's some shots from July around sunset.

Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

Phlox paniculata

2009-08-04T07:49:00.002-04:00

Under the Arbor is the column I write for the Gene Stratton-Porter Memorial Society's newsletter. Here is the latest article on phlox.

Enjoy the sweet perfume of clusters of white, pink or purple blossoms as you stroll through the western beds of the tame garden from mid-summer through fall. You may notice a tiger swallowtail or hummingbird on one of the blossoms. What is that plant? It is a native plant, an heirloom plant, and one of Gene’s original plants in her Tame Garden. It is Phlox paniculata, commonly called garden phlox, summer phlox, fall phlox or tall phlox, and its popularity in modern gardens is increasing.

Native Plant

There are more than sixty species of phlox. All are North American natives except one found in Siberia. The wild form of Phlox paniculata is native from New York to Georgia and west to Arkansas and Illinois. It occurs on rich, moist soils along stream banks and in open woods. The great naturalist and plant explorer John Bartram sent Phlox paniculata to England in the early 1700s. Their showy, fragrant flowers quickly became a hit throughout Europe and by the mid 1800s they were available in the nursery trade. They didn't re-cross the Atlantic until Victorian times.

Heirloom Plant

The native phlox, bred in England for a wide range of flower colors, improved habit, and increased resistance to diseases, quickly became a favorite garden plant in its native land and you can find it in many old gardens. (See picture of Gene’s garden.) It also held the romantic meaning of "our souls are united."

Pollinators

The interdependence between plants and pollinators, such as butterflies, moths, bees and hummingbirds, is mutually beneficial. A pollinated plant is able to reproduce and the pollinator has a food source. Phlox paniculata is a nectar source for the black swallowtail and zebra swallowtail, but its lure isn’t restricted to daytime pollinators. A Hawkmoth may hover next to its blossoms from late afternoon to dusk; in fact, phlox is listed as an adult nectar source. In the evening, as the sweet scent of phlox drifts across the garden, night moths may be drawn to the flowers, especially those with white blossoms.

Phlox in Your Garden

Phlox paniculata provides great garden color and fragrance from July through September, filling that gap between the bounty of the early summer bloomers and the fall bloomers. It is often called "the backbone of the summer border" by landscape designers. It can be used in a formal garden, a cottage garden or in a naturalized design.

Phlox are excellent cut flowers with a long vase life. Many of the smaller cultivars make nice container or patio pots.

There are hundreds of cultivars hybridized and selected for flower color, size and fragrance. The plant height when blooming varies widely by the cultivar and ranges from 15 to 48 inches.

Phlox paniculata is not a perfect plant. Powdery mildew is often a problem. The mildew can be reduced if you plant so there is good air circulation, if the plants are not crowded, and if you water in the early morning so the foliage can dry. Many new cultivars claim resistance to powdery mildew, but several studies have shown some heirloom cultivars have better resistance.

We often have Phlox paniculata for sale on the plant rack near the Carriage House. Why don’t you take one of “Gene’s plants” home and try it in your garden?

June 2009 Mother Daughter Tea

2009-07-09T20:24:00.024-04:00

June brought gorgeous days at the Gene Stratton Porter Site and, as a newcomer to the area, a chance to take my first tour of Gene's home on Lake Sylvan. Visitors (including a few gentlemen!) motored in from neighboring counties to attend the Sunday Mother and Daughter Tea on the 7th.

While final preparations were being made for the main event, I slipped into both guest tours of Gene's home. Upon first entrance I found myself surrounded by gorgeous woodwork with the owner's intials expertly worked into the dark wood's design. Having grown up in a turn of the century home in Sherwood, OH, I expected the typical cream and dark wood color schemes

but was very impressed by how she really did build this home as she saw fit and in accordance with her vision of the perfect lake home. Our guide pointed out the many amenitites included in the house that we present day take for granted but that Gene insisted upon...and received. From the icebox tucked conveniently yet out of the way in the far southwest corner of the kitchen, to the famed bay window with the "million dollar view" of Lake Sylvan (and a darkroom- yay!), the cabin's design is a testament to Gene's impecable sense for blending the pragmatic with artistry. Of course, anxious youngsters in attendance enjoyed the room containing the nature collection the most, while we old and dusty adults wishfully awed at the walls of elongated windows sagged with age but still stunningly showcasing a relaxing view of the gardens. After everyone had gotten comfortably used to each other and allowed themselves to look around and take in the elegant subtleties of Gene's design, our tour came to a close; all filed out eagerly to head up to the visitor's center for the main event.

Ascending to the top floor of the visitors' center, guests were greeted by Victorian era melodies courtesy of Indiana's own Weather Girls. With Nancy Blough (founder of the Northeast Indiana Folk Music and Instrument Gathering, Inc.) strumming a mountain dulcimer while Lois Loucks provided accompaniment on autoharp, participants found their place cards and settled in for an afternoon of turn of the century food and entertainment.

In a true Victorian tea atmosphere complete with a cute little table reserved and already occupied by teddy bears and dollies among the decor, some of the nicest Hoosiers I have met to date began serving mint garnished tea and delicacies onto eclectic, but oh so charmingly ornate, china.

And the food!!!!!! The pictures should speak for themselves...it was art and, if you can fathom, it's presentation to one's tastebuds was even greater than to the eye. Bravo volunteers!

Guest speakers, jokes, and audience members joining the Weather Girls for a few numbers rounded out the afternoon. Finally, guests with bellies full and faces smiling parted ways taking fond memories home, perhaps anticipating next year ...or at least the Autumn Tea.

(Be sure to your spot this fall for the noon, Monday, October 19th festivities!)
-Alaina Carnahan, blogger/photographer/volunteer

Photos courtesy www.aceofimages.com

Fierce Defenders of Territory

2009-05-15T12:38:00.003-04:00

As I was walking through the arbor in the garden this week, two male Baltimore orioles flew through the arbor and landed in a shrub in the garden border, fighting verbally and physically. From this I deduce that the garden is included in a mated oriole's territory. I have heard their song but this is the first time I saw an oriole this year.

Spotted Salamander

2009-04-09T21:03:00.002-04:00

Here's a very camera shy spotted salamander, Ambystoma maculatum, found near a vernal pool. These are believed to be able to live 20 to 30 years.

Photo taken 4/9/09

Ohio Buckeye

2009-04-09T20:56:00.005-04:00

One of the first trees to leaf out at GSP is the Ohio Buckeye, Aesculus glabra. The leaves are a beautiful maroon color!

Photo taken on 4/9/09

Redback Salamander

2009-04-08T22:00:00.003-04:00

The redback salamander, Plethodon cinereus, may be found at the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site in abundance. According to one website, they are the most common vertebrate in most woodland areas.

An immature dogtooth violet leaf, Erythronium americanum, is immediately to the right.

Photo taken 4/8/09.

Scilla in a Sea of Star of Bethlehem

2009-04-08T17:37:00.005-04:00

Scilla awash in Star of Bethlehem, Ornithogalum umbellatum, foliage.

Photo taken 4/8/09.

Scilla on Waterleaf

2009-04-08T17:30:00.002-04:00

A Scilla, Scilla siberica, blossom on Large-Leaved Waterleaf, Hydrophyllum macrophyllum.

Photo taken 4/8/09.

Cornelian Cherry behind Garden Shed

2009-04-08T17:25:00.004-04:00

Here's a full-length shot of the Cornelian Cherry, Cornus mascula, in full bloom.

Photo taken 4/8/09.

Cornelian Cherry

2009-04-08T17:14:00.006-04:00

The cornelian cherry, Cornus mascula, is in full bloom, awaiting the warm weather and pollinators.

Photo taken 4/8/09

Hepatica by Lake Sylvan

2009-04-08T16:45:00.004-04:00

Two days after several inches of snow and an evening dipping into the mid 20's, many of round-lobed hepatica, Hepatica nobilis, were in bloom.

Photo taken 4/8/09

Bobcats in the Woods?

2009-04-07T13:41:00.005-04:00

Here are a few possible bobcat prints found in Sower's Woods immediately adjacent to the Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site

Prints & Photo taken by Ed Cable, Site Naturalist, on 4/4/09

Coltsfoot

2009-04-07T13:21:00.007-04:00

Here are two Coltsfoot blooms, Tussilago farfara, appearing near the boardwalk even before the skunk cabbage had popped up!

Photo taken on 3/12/09

Skunk Cabbage

2009-04-07T13:14:00.004-04:00

Skunk Cabbage, Symplocarpus foetidus, near the Gene Stratton-Porter Spring and Surround.

Photo taken on 3/26/09

Scilla in Bloom

2009-04-07T12:49:00.007-04:00

Here's an earlybird example of Scilla, Scilla siberica, just before the blooms opened. It may be found in many areas of the site near road and path edges.

Photo taken on 3/26/09.

The Boardwalk

2008-11-02T10:01:00.008-05:00

As part of making the site handicapped accessible, a boardwalk was installed along the lake, from the pudding stone spring on the east to the dock on the west. Several benches along the walk provide places to view Boy Scout Island, to watch the wrens, to read a book or to eat your lunch.

I'm working with the site naturalist to add native plants along the walk so visitors can see the wildflowers in Wildflower Woods up close. There is quite a fall display. Near the spring and the seep is a large stand of rather rare pink turtlehead or Chelone obliqua speciosa. Because these plants require consistent moist soil, the loss in the wild is due to wetland habitat destruction. I'm planning to dig a few starts from the edges and add more along the walk.

Gene had a special fondness for fringed gentians. Judith Long in her biography of Gene Stratton-Porter writes:

"During her plant hunting expeditions, Gene Stratton-Porter was always on the lookout for rarities. She was especially interested in finding a fringed gentian, a dainty violet-blue wildflower that blooms in late summer."

As part of a development-related rescue effort, four fringed gentian plants were donated this fall. They settled in happily next to the turtleheads even though they were in full bloom. I am pleased that they have set seed now.

Next to the fringed gentians and across the boardwalk is a large planting of first year Cardinal flower (Lobelia cardinalis), which I started from seed last spring. Next fall, I hope there are large stalks of bright red flowers. I received seven great blue lobelia plants (Lobelia siphilitica) last spring as part of the construction project and planted them next to the Cardinal flower. They bloomed and reseeded this fall.

There were already lots of other fall-blooming wildflowers along the boardwalk, such as Joe-Pye weed, jewel weed, milkweed, small shade goldenrod and asters. Here are some pictures I posted last spring of wildflowers in this area. We will continue to add native plants as we have them available and to remove non-native invasive plants such as lily of the valley and vinca.

Come enjoy the boardwalk. Bring your wildflower and bird guides, binoculars and lunch. Of course, if you want to volunteer in restoring this area of Wildflower Woods, just let me know!

Dedication of Camp Big Island

2008-09-08T08:21:00.006-04:00

Here's a nice article in the Sunday Journal Gazette about Camp Big Island or, as the locals call it, Boy Scout Island. It is directly across a small inlet from the site and can be seen from the window in the parlor, which Gene called her "million-dollar window" because of the view. You can see part of the site across the lake in the third picture of the chapel amphitheater. We are very pleased with the conservation of this unique natural place.

The staff at GSP has been hard at work following the mandate to "spruce up" the site in anticipation of the dedication of Camp Big Island this Wednesday, attended by several dignitaries including the Governor. It has been a challenge sprucing up 120 acres, the Cabin and Visitor Center, the one acre garden, and new construction sites with erosion fabric still in place, especially since there are only one full-time, 3 part-time, and 1 every-other-weekend employees. (A year ago there were 3 full-time and 6 part-time employees.) So I better head off to work to trim the shrubs and trees in the area of the dedication ceremony.

Late August Garden

2008-09-06T14:21:00.005-04:00

I just gave two visitors from Wisconsin a tour of the Cabin and gardens, and they asked about this blog! I'm glad it inspired someone to visit, as they passed through this area on the way to the renowned genealogical library in Fort Wayne. Of course, they assumed nothing was in bloom because I haven't posted for a while (not really).

This garden totally amazes me sometimes. We have not had rain for weeks and it has been hot. Most gardens are bedraggled, but this garden still looks great. Pumping lake water through the irrigation system several times a week helps, but so does the use of Indiana native plants and heirloom annuals.

Last week we were visited by Kathi, marketing maven from our head office in Indianapolis. She posted several pictures and some information about Gene on her blog. Here's a sample.

Garden Tours during Chautauqua Days

2008-08-10T20:56:00.008-04:00

Gene Stratton met Charles Porter on Sylvan Lake during a Chautauqua. Every summer we celebrate Gene's birthday during Chautauqua Days, as celebrated by the town of Rome City. This Saturday and Sunday afternoon, I will be in the garden to give informal tours and there will be free birthday cake in the Vistors Center. Cabin tours will be available for a nominal fee.

Last Friday, I took a picture of the east garden from the attic of the Cabin. I like the photo because you can see the layout of the garden. The unfinished area in the foreground is where we are preparing to plant a shrub hedge. Gene planted over 400 shrubs around her Tame Garden.

This picture is the west gardens. There are two symmetrical gardens on the west side. These photos don't do the garden justice, so come see the garden for yourself!

Tragedy by the garden shed door

2008-04-24T07:49:00.003-04:00

Under the eaves by the front door of the Garden Shed, I've been watching a robin build a messy nest.

Whoops! What happened? Was she a klutzy mom? Did a predator get into the nest? But then why wasn't the egg consumed? Someone suggested maybe a cowbird replaced one of her eggs. I'm going to have to keep watching.

Wildflowers in Bed 1

2008-04-21T08:50:00.006-04:00

Bed 1 in the formal garden (northeast corner) has a collection of wildflowers so visitors can examine them up close. This is a cutleaf toothwort. I resisted the urge to increase the saturation so the violet edges would pop, but this shows their delicate coloring. In the woods they appear to be white.

Another favorite spring flower is bloodroot. This patch is in the garden but they are scattered throughout the woods. The name comes from the red "dye" exuded by the roots.

Can you identify this plant? It's just starting to emerge.
Yes, it is a Jack-in-the-pulpit. I'll try to post picture when it blooms.

More wildflowers blooming

2008-04-21T08:05:00.006-04:00

The trout lilies are one of my favorite spring flowers, yellow and dark red with their trout-like foliage. Gene called them adders tongue lilies. I'd rather have a trout than an adder under foot though.

And they carpet large areas of the forest each spring and then disappear.

Sometimes the trout lilies hang out with mayapples.

The previous post showed some wildflowers by the spring. Here's another picture from the same area...a large patch of skunk cabbage.

On the way to the spring is a Virginia bluebell just starting to bloom. There is also a large patch of these flowers on the east side of the entry drive.

What's Blooming Now

2008-04-21T07:32:00.005-04:00

This is a woodland anemone, Anemonequinquefolia.
There is a large patch of the wood anemone on the east side of the cabin.

I had not seen marsh marigolds until I started working at the site.

Here is the reason they are called MARSH marigolds. The boardwalk was built over the winter and now it is easier to see the wildflowers growing in the seep near the spring.

The hepatica just started to bloom.

43,560 and I need your help!

2008-04-17T20:58:00.005-04:00

The formal garden at Gene Stratton-Porter State Historic Site is one acre. When someone today asked me how many square feet of garden I tended, I told them one acre, having never calculated the square feet. Well, it's 43,560 square feet. That's a lot of garden for one part-time seasonal employee, especially with this spring challenge. I am so grateful for all who volunteer.

We are having a garden work day on Saturday May 3 from 9 a.m. to noon. Lunch is provided, but you need to RSVP. Volunteers will also be given a tour of the Cabin if requested. So grab your gloves and your favorite hand tools and join us for a fun, productive day.

If you would like to help, but aren't up to the heavy labor part of gardening, we have seeds that need to be put in envelopes and labeled. If you would rather spend time in the woods than in the garden, there will be some grounds projects also.

And a lot of the spring ephemeral flowers will be in full bloom!!

Am I stopping just short of begging? Good.

Talk, talk and more talk

2008-02-25T13:10:00.004-05:00

It is cold and snow is still on the ground, but I'm thinking spring. How about you?

If you want to jump start spring, why not come to the Allen County Home and Garden Show at the Memorial Coliseum this weekend? I'll be speaking on Thursday evening at 5:00; my talk is called "Gene Stratton-Porter: Environmental Lessons from the Past."

On March 17, I'll be talking to the Seniors at Huntertown United Methodist Church (in the Third Place) following lunch. Lunch is provided by the culinary arts class from Carroll High School and my son is one of the chefs. This talk is about restoration of the garden at Wildflower Woods.

My next scheduled talk about Gene Stratton-Porter is on May 17 at the Unitarian Church's Garden Party in Fort Wayne. I'll be one of two keynote speakers, talking about "Jewels from the Past: Gene-Stratton-Porter's Formal Garden."

Do you belong to an organization that needs a speaker? Call the historic site at 260-854-3790.

Christmas Walk

2007-11-12T14:16:00.001-05:00

Saturday and Sunday was the Holiday Walk. I was assigned to the main Cabin, which was decorated following Gene's description of her 1917 Christmas. Gene decorated with fresh roses and lilies, and she draped Spanish moss from her chandeliers. The result was festive even if we do not think of these materials as traditional. Gene had a cedar tree on the conservatory porch decorated for the birds and so did we.

The Cabin rang with music both days, thanks to Nancy Blough and friends. Mountain dulcimers, harps, bass, auto harp, piano, percussion instruments were played by talented musicians, but Nancy enjoys involving the guests so there was also dancing, singing and keeping time with spoons.

And another Nancy spent both days baking zucchini bread in the kitchen and the smell drew guests right into the kitchen.

I was asked to decorate the garden shed. First, though, I had to pack up the tender bulbs for winter, bag up the seeds collected and sweep out a ton of dirt. Lisa and Carol helped me do that on Thursday. Then on Friday my sister came up and we decorated the Garden Shed tree and mausoleum. Here is the tree decorated with flowers from the garden and bird's nests from the site. (It wasn't possible to stage a good shot because this is a working garden shed and our "stuff" cluttered the background.)
The garden shed was used to make Christmas crafts. This year, Cheri (on the left with one of her helpers on the right) laid out nature items and boy were the guests creative!

Last Blooms of Summer, Part 2

2007-11-02T09:49:00.001-04:00

Blogger wouldn't let me post all the pictures at once, so here are some more pictures from November 1, just before our first hard freeze. The first picture is the south end of the arbor where the impatiens have nestled into the rocks.
The bed of nasturtiums always do well in the long bed in the east garden. In the foreground are "cherry rose" nasturtiums and the rest are a jewel mix, one of which is shown in a close-up shot. This is one of my favorite fall beds in the garden.

The last blooms of summer

2007-11-02T09:30:00.001-04:00

It is November 1 and the first hard frost will hit that evening, but the day is sunny and beautiful and the garden is still pushing out its blooms. The ageratum, volunteers from last year's planting, hasn't went to seed yet and is a brilliant blue.Of course, mums are the staple of the fall garden and the mum bed, on the west side of the arbor is still going strong, even though it's past its prime. This bed has hyacinths in the spring and iris in the summer.
The dahlias are still blooming and is the only tender bulb I haven't brought in for the winter. I just couldn't disappoint this late season bee.

The garden phlox started blooming in August and there are still quite a few blooming. The scent is wonderful.
The honeysuckle my son transplanted in the middle of summer last year just won't stop blooming. And we were worried that it would be too stressed to survive.

Baskets of Flowers

2007-10-31T22:04:00.000-04:00

Sharon works part-time at the site, mostly outdoors, keeping the walks and porches swept, the pond clean, cutting out invasive plants in the woods. Whenever she has a spare moment, she pulls out her needle and thread. Curious, I asked her what she was making and she said she would bring it in. Here it is, partially finished.

I was nonplussed by the beauty of her work. This partially finished quilt is all hand stitched. The stitches are tiny and perfect. Her color selection is gorgeous. Look at how perfect the little hexagons are.

Here is a closer shot of one of the sections. This flowers in this basket are from material that I gave her from my mother's stash. I'm sure my mother would have been pleased to see how her material was used.

Miscellany with a frog theme

2007-10-26T07:57:00.000-04:00

There was a little red frog in a bucket in the basement of the cabin this week. I think the bucket was catching drips from the water before it entered the water softener. We released the frog into Singing Waters aka The Frog Pond. Why was it red? Because of the iron in the water. There was one happy fella in the Pond that day.

I am working hard to get the garden ready for winter--digging tender bulbs, planting spring bulbs, removing spent foliage, collecting seeds, raking leaves, digging up wild onions and Star of Bethlehem bulbs. Volunteers are needed desperately since we are down to one part-time seasonal gardener (moi). Call the site for details. I have several faithful volunteers that are a Godsend. Could you be one also?

Speaking of frogs, one of the faithful volunteers, Lisa, adopted the herb beds and was working in them this week when she called me over. "Look at the frog that is colored like a toad or is a toad that is shaped like a frog?" She then spotted his big suction-cup toes and it was a large tree frog enjoying the santolina.

Unusual Fall Bloom

2007-10-22T21:39:00.001-04:00

Yes, that is a dogwood blooming its little heart out in late October.

Walking into work

2007-10-22T21:25:00.000-04:00

It was a beautiful fall morning and I drank in the beauty of the lake, the light, the leaves as I walked into work today. How did I ever spend 30 years working in an office?

Summer's End

2007-10-03T13:46:00.000-04:00

Recently I sat at the picnic table at the north entry to the garden to make some garden notes and glanced up to see the grass and snapdragons in Bed 8 framed by the arbor and Tara Vine.

We have quite a selection of Arisaema or Jack-in-the-Pulpits (or is the plural Jacks-in-the-Pulpit?). The fruits are a cheerful cluster of bright red shiny berries. I collected one seed pod and planted the seeds in the nursery bed behind the Garden Shed to see how easy they are to cultivate. I've read that it will take 3 to 5 years to bloom.

The Jerusalem artichoke soars above all other plants, but this stately amaranthus is trying to hold its own.

We turned the compost and the bin in the foreground of the picture will be ready to use next spring. The middle bin is heating up nicely and may also be ready for spring. In the large bin at the end, we are accumulating the detritus from fall clean-up and waiting for the massive amount of leaves that will soon be available.

Hope

2007-08-22T00:15:00.001-04:00

One of the more unusual trilliums in the garden is this red nodding trillium, near the wildflower bed under a mock orange. You almost have to lay on the ground to see the bloom under the foliage.

I was delighted last Thursday when I saw a large red seed pod on this trillium, but today I didn't see it when I walked by it several times. Finally, I investigated the situation and found the dead foliage and the stem with an unusual mark at the end like the seed pod had been picked. My heart sank as I was looking forward to propagating this plant. I searched the debris and found the seed pod, half eaten. Even though the remaining seeds were not ready for harvest, I spread them on some soil in a pot. Let's hope it works.

I found this picture on the Internet. Last Thursday the seed pod looked like the one on the left and today it looked like the one on the right.

Update: I just did a little research and found trilliums take up to two years to germinate and then 5 more years to bloom. So I should have titled this entry Hope and Patience. I also learned that moist seeds, like the ones I sowed, germinate best.

Before and After

2007-08-09T12:25:00.001-04:00

In April, we took all the plants out of this bed and attempted to remove the Star of Bethlehem invasive bulbs. Here's what it looked like then and now it's in full bloom. There is an old saying, which I have found to be true:

The first year they sleep.
The second year they creep.
And the third year they leap.

If these plants are sleeping now, I can't imagine what they will look like in two more years.

The "before" of this bed can be seen in the foreground and on the left. Last year, my husband constructed a three-bin compost pile at the site and this is the first batch finished. You can't believe how excited I was over the compost! I'm a firm believer that there is nothing better for a garden than compost (and plenty of water).

Here's a picture from last May, taken under the arbor, showing the dripping wisteria.

And a few months later, from the same angle, instead of bloom I see the seed pod.

Which is brighter, the filtered sunlight or the edges of this wisteria pod?

Mid-summer blooms

2007-08-09T09:37:00.000-04:00

I took this daylily picture several weeks ago and the blooms are now gone. This is my second summer in the garden and I discovered we have more daylily cultivars than I remembered.

I love lilies. This one is not only beautiful but fragrant. We planted these bulbs in Bed 33 when we renovated it this spring.

There is a large stand of this lily in the lily bed and at the southern entrance to the garden.

I love spotted blooms and here is the second orange spotted bloom in today's post. It is blackberry lily. The pods are forming now and when they open, the fruit looks just like a blackberry.

Amaranthus or Love-Lies-Bleeding is putting on quite a show this summer. These are from seeds saved from last year. Now that I know they are viable and come true, I'll collect some for sale in the gift shop. Some of the "strings" are over four foot long.

Caching In...the woods

2007-07-23T20:58:00.000-04:00

I normally don't work on the weekends, but I was at the site last Saturday when I received a call and discovered a fellow garden blogger was in the area. Here's Kylee's account of her visit and some pictures of the site.

I enjoyed showing the garden to Kylee; it was interesting to see the garden through her eyes. Sometimes all I see is what needs to be done--weeding, deadheading, redesigning. No matter what, though, I thoroughly love being there in the woods, along the water, in a garden.

I knew that there was one geocache at the site, as I talked to some geocachers last fall. I learned Saturday that there are two on the site. If this is your sport, don't look at the photos below because this cache is in a very distinctive place.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.

.
.

Here's Kylee honing in on the cache. Notice how another geocacher is leaning on the bole of this tree.

Here she is checking out the contents, and another view of the bole.

Eacles Imperialis or Yellow Emporer

2007-07-13T10:50:00.001-04:00

I was sitting on the bench in front of the Visitor's Center yesterday talking to Ed, the site naturalist, when his eyes got big and he pointed behind me. Here is what he saw. Note the eggs she laid on the doorframe. She left but we are still watching the eggs.

While it is an unusual moth for northern Indiana, what made this especially interesting is that Gene's best-selling book, A Girl of the Limberlost, centered on a young girl's search for this moth and...

Gene documented in words and photos the life cycle of what she called the Yellow Emperor in Moths of the Limberlost.

Here is a close shot of its head.

Look at the image on the back of the head. Doesn't it look like an angry face?

More restoration work

2007-07-13T10:28:00.001-04:00

Earlier this summer, they restored the roof of the garden shed and now they are working on a new front porch to the cabin. I was amazed at the deep gaping cavern, maybe 12' deep, when they removed the rotted floorboards. Unfortunately, I had to maneuver over these joists to water the planters on the front porch. This picture may give you an idea of the scale.

The workers were very skilled and the floor looks wonderful. This is where the porch turns 90 degrees.

Hot and Cool

2007-07-13T09:45:00.000-04:00

When the crocosmia is blooming, every visitor stops and asks about it. It is really a showstopper. I think it is large enough to divide, as there is room for a large drift of these hotties.

Another hot plant in the garden now is the gallardia.

Is this hot or cold? I love the blue and yellow combination. There are quite a few balloon flowers in the garden but I like this combination planting the best.

And the coolest plant of all now blooming? Globe thistle. An Amish women asked me why in the world I had a large thistle in the garden. I explained about globe thistle but she insisted that no thistle would ever be in her garden.

Daylilies

2007-07-13T09:17:00.000-04:00

The daylilies are blooming. While there are a lot of daylilies in the garden, there is little variety. There is a rather large overgrown daylily bed with only two varieties; one variety is pictured in the middle and the other is a soft peach. One of our goals is to expand the collection of daylily cultivars with a longer bloom season in a reworked daylily bed.

Nonetheless, these are beautiful and add a lot to the garden mid-summer.

Milkweeds

2007-07-13T08:20:00.000-04:00

There are three genera of milkweeds in the gardens. This is the swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), but it is growing well in a sunny dry location. Perhaps that is why it is over 5 feet when the reference books say it is 1-4' in height. The juice is less milky and it is less fragrant than the common milkweed.

This is butterfly weed (Asclepias tuberosa), which attracts many butterflies with its showy bloom and is a favorite of Monarchs. When you visit, see if you can find the caterpillars on the plants.

As I was looking up the botanical names, I found this little factoid about the milkweed family (Asclepiadaceae): "The unusual structure of the flower regulates pollination. Sacs of pollen snag on insects' legs, are pulled from the stamens and then must be precisely inserted in slits behind the crown. If inserted backwards, pollen grains germinate in the wrong direction and are wasted. This may explain why so few pods occur on most plants. Insects too small to pull free die trapped on the flower." (The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Wildflowers--Eastern Region)

Aerial View

2007-06-27T13:29:00.000-04:00

Check out the aerial view of the garden. It is definitely the most distinctive feature on the site from the air. Just yesterday we were discussing the need to reset the stones and align severeal beds. This photo confirms the need to align the two herb beds in the northern section of the eastern garden.

Orange and pink or pink and orange?

2007-06-06T09:13:00.001-04:00

Blooming next to the cabin is a beautiful orange honeysuckle (above) and on the south end of the garden is a pink honeysuckle (below). I call the pink one Ron's honeysuckle, since my teenage son transplanted it from the driveway at the farmhouse in the middle of summer last year. It was growing poorly but I wasn't sure it would survive being moved. It is thriving.
So which one do you like best? The primarily orange bloom with hints of pink or the primarily pink one with hints of orange?

Japanese Lilac

2007-06-05T23:05:00.001-04:00

The Japanese lilac is in bloom and is wafting its sweet scent across the eastern garden beds. Gene planted this tree sometime in the 1910s. It has three trunk branches but perhaps because of the extremely cold weather in April, only one branch bloomed this year. Its listed as having a height of 15-20' and a width of 12-15'. Does anyone want to measure this tree to see if it breaks a record. (The largest tree in North Dakota is 45 feet tall with a canopy spread of 39 feet.)

aka Cow Slobber

2007-06-05T22:46:00.001-04:00

One of the first flowers Gene planted when she bought Wildflower Woods in the fall of 1912 was spiderwort, tradescantia. The spiderworts are in bloom now and will continue throughout the summer. They are mostly blue, but we have several plants with magenta blooms. We are in the process of potting up some young plants for sale, in case you want to add this lovely prairie plant to your garden (or prairie!)

A different sort of tulip bloom

2007-06-01T13:48:00.000-04:00

I found this on the walk beside Gene's cabin this morning. Usually it is hard to see the bloom on the tulip poplar because the tree grows so tall.

Canopy

2007-05-31T14:37:00.000-04:00

The tree canopy is full now. As you walk down the lane from the visitor's parking lot, you enter the deep shade of mature beech, oak and maple trees. The air is cool and woodsy. Sounds are hushed. You can catch an occasional glimpse of the blue sky. The cares of the world drop away. Come visit this other world.

Walnut lighning rods

2007-05-31T14:32:00.000-04:00

Ed, the site's naturalist, saw lightning strike a tree near the crypt early this spring. He went to investigate and found a walnut tree with foam down one side. The spittle was 3" to 6" wide in spots, but the bark was perfectly dry in the center of the foam. At the base of the tree, there were a couple of gallons of foam. You can still see the remnants of the strike, the light discoloration in this photo.
In April, lightning struck another walnut near the crypt. Ed found it on his morning tour of the grounds, first spotting blown-off pieces of bark and chunks of a bat box on the ground. When he looked up, he saw strips of bark hanging from the tree. The damage is still evident.

I will save the full story of the how Gene and her daughter came to be buried on the grounds in 1999, but it was Gene's wish to be buried here under her favorite tree, a chinkapin oak (Quercus muehlenbergii). It was a mature tree in the 1910's and based on a drilling some years ago, we know that the chinkapin oak is over 200 years old. It is notoriously difficult to propagate and we are on the extreme northern edge of its range. It is one of the natural and historic treasures on the site.

Chinkapin oaks grow to heights of 60' to 80'. Walnuts grow to heights of up to 150' in the best sites in Indiana. Thank goodness we have walnut lightning rods around the crypt. In this picture, the chinkapin is on the right, the first walnut tree struck is in the center with the crypt barely visible behind it, and the last one struck is on the right.

A Fragrant Garden

2007-05-30T23:02:00.000-04:00

The garden has been so fragrant all week long. First it was the fringe tree with its citrus smell and now it is the mock oranges in full bloom.

CORRECTION: It is the Tara vine on the arbor entrance that is wafting an intoxicating fragrance across the garden. Gene called it a Tara Vine, but today's more common name for Actinidia arguta is hardy kiwi.

Wisteria

2007-05-11T20:34:00.000-04:00

The wisteria vines are just starting to bloom along the central arbor in the Tame Garden. These are original plants; that is, these are the actual vines that Gene planted. Mother's Day or the following weekend may be good times to visit, depending on how the weather affects the blooms. The number of blooms vary each season and I'm still trying to figure out the factors. I think milder winters and good spring rains produce more blooms.

On the Star of Bethlehem front, I spent my time today cleaning just one end of the culinary herb bed of these bulbs so I could plant basil seed. Carol continued digging the bulbs out of the wisteria roots and from the rocks lining the inside of the arbor. These are just skirmishes in the 80-year war.

The 80 year war

2007-05-11T08:01:00.000-04:00

In the comments, Carol asked if Gene planted the Star of Bethlehem. Up until last weekend, I thought some gardener planted it in the last 30 years while the garden was tended. I was wrong.

Janet Cook, one of our tour guides and cook extraordinaire in name and deed, shared with me her memories of volunteering in the garden in the mid-70s. The garden had essentially been neglected for almost 50 years. It was overgrown with weeds and brambles. The stone edgings around the beds were found buried in the soil. Janet said, "Oh, how I hated the Star of Bethlehem even then." So this leads to the conclusion that it was very likely planted by Gene.

Now I know I am fighting an invasive bulb that has had its own way for 80 years. Puts the battle into perspective! I am definitely the underdog now, but am determined to win this war.

Shake the Shed

2007-05-10T23:09:00.000-04:00

Another step toward restoration of the garden shed was completed today. Notice the new shake roof. It replaced an asphalt shingle roof which was not original.

The young man in the picture is a skilled craftsman and laid the shakes himself. I had a better picture of the shed, but he was partially hidden behind a tree in it. Since he said his grandmother would look for the picture online, I had to use the one with him in it.

What's blooming?

2007-05-10T22:44:00.000-04:00

The woods are glowing with the large white blooms of trillium grandiflora, but if you look closely you see a mottled trillium with a greenish yellow bloom or a trillium with a deep maroon bloom. Both are commonly called toadshade.

Then there is a small stand of camassia lily in the woods near the Garden Shed, with blooms ranging from light blue to white.

Sprinkled here and there, you can't miss the brilliant color of wild larkspur.

Nor can you miss this Big Jack.

What do these pictures have in common?

2007-05-10T22:11:00.000-04:00

The bearded irises are just starting to bloom.

The shade garden in bed 18 is starting to fill out.

Twin-leaf leaves (and that is not redundant) have appeared. They look like they are ready to flutter away or adorn a nicely wrapped Mother's Day gift.

So what do these pictures have in common other than they were all taken today in the Tame Garden at the Gene Stratton-Porter Historic site?

The beautiful flower of the Star of Bethlehem is in each of them. The iris photo best illustrated the condition of the garden today. The S. of B. are blooming like crazy while the foliage is starting to yellow and die. That means the prime digging time is over and soon no one will know that a few inches beneath the soil lies millions of tiny bulbs, gulping up oxygen in the soil, taking room, competing with the garden plants.

Garden and Wildflower Walk

2007-05-08T09:03:00.000-04:00

I read somewhere that gardeners tend to say, "You should have seen the garden last week." Or else they say, "Oh, the garden will look so much better next week when (this or that) blooms." I vowed not to fall into this trap, but just enjoy the garden as it is in the moment.

All this by way of introduction to our second Annual Wildflower and Garden Brunch last Saturday. I didn't say either of the above statements, but I sure thought them. In the garden the tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs have wilted; in the woods, the Dutchmen's breeches, trout lily and toothwort blooms are gone. In the garden, there were fat buds on the wisteria, bluebells, columbine; in the woods, there were fat buds on camassia lily.

So Ed and I smiled and looked at what was there. In the garden, primroses, trillium, lilies of the valley and wild oats were the stars. In the woods, the trillium were breathtaking joined by marsh marigolds, rue anemone, ragwort and various violets.

I was even able to put together bouquets for 9 tables from what I thought was a meager source. It is amazing what you see if you look closely.

Woody, my co-worker

2007-04-24T22:14:00.000-04:00

Last winter a pair of pileated woodpeckers took up residence in a large beech tree near the Carriage House (the Visitors Center). About once a week a visitor spots this large bird and excitedly reports it to the naturalist. Note the rather large cavity he excavated on the left side of the limb.

Their drumming keeps me company as I work in the garden. It is a thrill to work along side such a gorgeous bird.

Watch for more photos as we try to get a good shot of this funny looking creature.

What's blooming?

2007-04-22T11:30:00.000-04:00

After the volunteers left Saturday and we cleaned up, I took a quick stroll through the woods to see what was blooming. All the spring flowers are still going strong, but I saw the first trillium, Trillium grandiflora, in bloom. Several other species have buds but no blooms yet.

While not a wildflower, anemone blanda is planted in the woods. See how the trout lily picks up the yellow in the anemone.

I had to post another shot because trout lilies (Erythronium americanum) are one of my favorite wildflowers.

The Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are just starting to bloom .

This is another non-native plant in the woods, Leucojum. This is the first bloom but soon there will be lots of blooms on the plant.