We work in the garden most days and see flowers and shrubs blooming, vegetables and herbs growing, trees leafing and setting blossoms, and the new spring growth everywhere. There is much to do each day, but we also take the time to enjoy our flowering plants, a few of which are shared here. Aubrieta (Aubrieta deltoidea) Poppy … Continue reading →
We drove up to the west end of Paul Lake and we hiked from the Paul Lake Park Group Site along the lake trail and continued up to the top of Gibraltar Rock, and then back by the same route. The views were outstanding on top. We stopped to observe and photograph flowering shrubs and wildflowers along the way, … Continue reading →
The premier wildflower hike of spring in our area is the route through Neskonlith Meadows up toward Aylmer Lake. We hiked to the lake and back (10.7 km), but this was a leisurely nature hike, a time to enjoy the wildflowers, the other flora, and the fauna. We stopped at the Adams Lake Band Office to get a permit, … Continue reading →
The vegetable gardens are planted with spring crops and many seedlings are now showing. A second planting is planned for around Victoria Day. We have the promise of spinach and peas soon. In the flower beds and borders, perennials are recovering from the winter dormancy and a few have started to flower. Some of the bordering flowering shrubs … Continue reading →
We traveled southwest to Lytton, then crossed the Fraser River on the reaction ferry to the West Side Road. We continued north, then west into Stein Valley Nlaka’pamux Heritage Park. We hiked up the Stein River Trail, spending about 3.5 hours on the trail for an out-and-back hike, and some exploration time in the valley. The day was sunny … Continue reading →
Few-flowered shooting stars (Dodecatheon pulchellum sp. now Dodacatheon pauciflora) are native perennial wildflowers in the primrose family (Primulaceae) that bloom in April and May in our area. From fibrous root stocks, leafless stems grow up to 40 cm. A rosette of mostly glabrous lanceolate leaves taper off below the inflorescence. The purple to lavender flowers are complex, but … Continue reading →
On a sunny mid-April day we hiked the Barnes Lake horse-and-hiker-trails (9.25 km) through sagebrush grasslands and open douglas fir forest. This was a group hike so there was little time to stop and examine various wildflowers along the way, but I took some photos and they are shared here. Saskatoons (Amelanchier alnifolia) were just starting to bloom at … Continue reading →
A late-winter and early spring project is now in the final stages. My back yard was a gravel slope down to the street below and over the years I have hauled in concrete blocks to build three retaining walls for 3 garden levels. Each build was a little better, using the right kind of blocks, backfilling with porous … Continue reading →
After paddling Little Shuswap Lake, I drove up the road to Neskonlith Lake and stopped to enjoy the wildflowers by the roadside. To hike the meadows, we need to get a permit from the Band Office, and this is planned for later this month. This last visit was really a scouting trip (a walk by the road) to see … Continue reading →
Lemonweed or Stoneseed (Lithospermum ruderale) is a spring-flowering perennial found in the dry grasslands and open forests at lower elevations. From a woody taproot, several hairy stems grow up to 1 – 1.5 m. Lanceolate or linear leaves grow alternately up the stems. The inflorescence has clusters of small yellow flowers, with a pale yellow corolla and petals fused … Continue reading →
