On a warm and windy afternoon, I went out for a garden walk, enjoying flowers in bloom in several locations. Photographs in the wind don’t work for long-stemmed species so I focused mainly on low-growing or sheltered spots. Newly in bloom were the painted daisies, daylilies, fameflowers, alliums, and speedwell. All photos by the author and included as … Continue reading →
On a mid-May day I did a shorter hike on the trails in Aberdeen Hills Highland Park. There were many wildflowers in bloom and many on the way. Death camas was prolific and lupines were emerging; I also spotted upland larkspur, various types of pussytoes, yarrow, catchfly, mustard, saskatoon, and others. Included here are a few images from … Continue reading →
On a mid-May morning I hiked along Scott Road (unsigned) from Rose Hill Road along a grassland route on a sloping bench above Juniper Ridge. This is the soon-to-be Juniper Ridge Park (or Protected Area) recently acquired by the BC Parks Foundation. The main route is a dirt double track which can be hiked to the east for … Continue reading →
We drove to the North Okanogan and along backroads into the hills to hike the Rose – Swanson Trails above and to the west of Armstrong. The trails on the north side of the hill had less flowering plants and only a few species. The open slopes on the south side had more wildflowers and flowering shrubs to … Continue reading →
On most days in spring, summer, and fall we walk through the gardens, enjoying the perennials, annuals, ferns, herbs, vegetables, fruit trees, and shrubs as they go through the cycle of greening up, developing, blossoming, and fruiting. We take some photos, then we process the images and save them to a cloud drive, which can be shared to social … Continue reading →
The Albus Site is part of Shuswap Lake Marine Park and it is located near the east end of Seymour Arm. It can be accessed by water or by a one-lane road from the Ruckell Point – Seymour Arm Road down to a campsite or to a trailhead by Celista Creek. There are beautiful beaches on the lake, … Continue reading →
Meadow death camas (Toxicoscordion venenosum) is a perennial that grows from a scaly bulb, similar to an onion. In early spring, the first basal leaves appear, usually in open spots. The leaves are narrow and linear with a V-shape, with a “keel.” The inflorescence has short floral stalks with many star-like white-yellowish flowers rising to a peak. The flowers have an … Continue reading →
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 →
