Speaking of fall spirituality, I was enjoying the sun and the plants in the yard today, with the cats keeping me company. Here's a pic I took of an oak tree ...
The other photos are here, if anyone wants to look.
Nice tree, pretty colors, what kind is it? Does your vine still bear grapes? I like the white Thompson seedless ones, but the ones we get here are often sour.
Yes, an oak :) They're protected here as native trees and you have to get permits to cut them down, so there are a lot of them. The grape plants do still make grapes but they're pretty small size. The birds like them, though.
Nice! It inspired me drag the lawn chair out under the maples (leaves late in falling) and get some sunshine. It's about 45 degrees, so will be taking the old duvet out there with me!
Unfortunately, when the elms all died of Dutch elm disease decades ago, maples proliferated, and there is some thought that this led to ecological changes linked with rises in allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems.
Lady Bird Johnson, bless her, did a lot of study on the need to maintain local plant species instead of replacing everything with what's ubiquitous, hardy, and doesn't support local bugs and small animals.
Some guy near us ran a little program for how to plant a "Michigan garden" in your back yard. We are trying to get ours "trained" and corralled with some kind of decorative edging so that the milkweed, toadflax, hawkweed, and devils paintbrush doesn't get us cited for letting the weeds get out of hand.
Mr. Next Door is gonna have a cow when he sees the sumac and goldenrod we planned for next year!
I am fascinated by native species landscaping. There have been some people here who have tried prairie species. Buffalo grass only needs mowing occasionally, and it is a beautiful gray/green color. There are plots of land which have been set aside as virgin prairie preserves. They are fascinating to visit, to see what it was like before the land was plowed.
Buffalo grass sounds interesting. I wonder if it can grow out here. Many people here don't water their lawns anymore because of the drought and the grass is dying. We have a tree species here - Modesto Ash - that's been ravaged by Mistletoe. There were four in the front yard but all have died.
The other photos are here, if anyone wants to look.
Nice tree, pretty colors, what kind is it?
ReplyDeleteDoes your vine still bear grapes? I like the white Thompson seedless ones, but the ones we get here are often sour.
Duh, I just saw you said it was an oak tree. I need to read more carefully!
DeleteYes, an oak :) They're protected here as native trees and you have to get permits to cut them down, so there are a lot of them. The grape plants do still make grapes but they're pretty small size. The birds like them, though.
ReplyDeleteNice! It inspired me drag the lawn chair out under the maples (leaves late in falling) and get some sunshine. It's about 45 degrees, so will be taking the old duvet out there with me!
ReplyDeleteMaple trees are so pretty :)
ReplyDeleteThey are. Many different colors.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, when the elms all died of Dutch elm disease decades ago, maples proliferated, and there is some thought that this led to ecological changes linked with rises in allergies, asthma, and other respiratory problems.
Lady Bird Johnson, bless her, did a lot of study on the need to maintain local plant species instead of replacing everything with what's ubiquitous, hardy, and doesn't support local bugs and small animals.
Some guy near us ran a little program for how to plant a "Michigan garden" in your back yard. We are trying to get ours "trained" and corralled with some kind of decorative edging so that the milkweed, toadflax, hawkweed, and devils paintbrush doesn't get us cited for letting the weeds get out of hand.
Mr. Next Door is gonna have a cow when he sees the sumac and goldenrod we planned for next year!
I am fascinated by native species landscaping. There have been some people here who have tried prairie species. Buffalo grass only needs mowing occasionally, and it is a beautiful gray/green color. There are plots of land which have been set aside as virgin prairie preserves. They are fascinating to visit, to see what it was like before the land was plowed.
DeleteBuffalo grass sounds interesting. I wonder if it can grow out here. Many people here don't water their lawns anymore because of the drought and the grass is dying. We have a tree species here - Modesto Ash - that's been ravaged by Mistletoe. There were four in the front yard but all have died.
ReplyDelete