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 →
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 →
We hiked at an easy pace on a mild day for about an hour on the Peterson Creek Trails. We were surprised by a few wildflowers emerging along the trails. We spotted arrow-leaved balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata), small-flowered woodland star (Lithophragma parviflorum), dame’s-rocket (Hesperis sp.) – a species of mustard, lemonweed/stoneseed (Lithospermum ruderale), and one of the rockcresses (Boechera sp.). … Continue reading →
Field chickweed (Cerastium arvense) is a mat-forming perennial in the pinks (Caryophyllaceae) family found in many areas of our region. Slender stems grow from rhizomes. Narrow hairy leaves and slender hairy stems may rise to 40 cm. Chickweed is quite variable, but we usually see a single white flower or a cluster of several flowers, with 5 white notched … Continue reading →
Mock orange (Philadelphus lewisii sp.) is a native long-lived deciduous shrub that is an attractive addition to the home garden. It can be spotted more in the Okanagan Valley than in the drier grasslands of the Kamloops hills. Our home garden mock orange shrubs started as a purchased cultivar. It grew to about 3 m and produced beautiful and … Continue reading →
