Signs of Spring at the Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve

As part of the Signs of Spring presentation for the Naturalist Training, I took a guided hike at the Bowman's Wildflower Preserve.  Got a good look at some early spring bloomers.  Lots of skunk cabbage in the marshy areas, blue bells, and Trillium.  Also saw the lesser celindine creeping near the marsh marigolds....  Ill get them next time when they are a little more abundunt.

Winter Riding at 80 degrees.

What a day yesterday.  The temperature was record breaking at 82.  We took the hour ride up to Lake Nockamixen and checked out the marina.  Lots of people out enjoying the lake.  Then back on the bike to find a place to eat.  We stopped at the Gardinville Hotel and were surprised to see one of the Mules there.

The Engine is Humming

 Backyard thermometer reading 76.4 and rising..I know that because it was just 76.2  and is already 76.6...  The engine is humming and its almost time to go

Catalogue Choice

Going to market is not one of my favorite things. I bring my own bags. So should you. I even buy 100% Premium Recycled toilet tissue. I dont know what to tell you about that. Im trying to leave a smaller footprint. I think you should too. I've been to Cataloguechoice.org. and think I should go back again. After tossing the mail on the table and seeing it alongside the "small steps", my Humane Society bag, and my Naturalist Training material from Bowman's Tower Wildflower Preserve, I found it just a little irritating that I received all those catalouges in my mailbox in one day. Most of the time I dont even look at them before placing them with the recycled paper. Hmm, I wonder if all those recycled catalouges are coming back to me as toilet paper. What a shameless waste of paper and money, advertising and tempting me to make a purchase. Like I did this morning from Athletica. Sometimes, it is hard to resist all those catalouges.

Fresh Garlic from China

I love shopping locally. It gives me great pleasure to support the local farms. I am particularly happy to be a member of the Honey Brook Organic Farm in Pennington. Unfortunately, the farm is not open during the winter months. So on occasion I head out to one of the many local farms and this time went to Shady Brook Farm in Yardley. I didn't notice until I got home that they must import their garlic from China...Now how fresh can it be when it is coming all the way from China. Don't they grow that stuff in Gilroy, California... I know it is across the country, but at least it is not half way around the world.

Springtime in Paris

If you cant be in Paris, you can go to the International Philadelphia Flower Springtime in Paris Show at the New Convention Center and imagine for a few moments that you are there. My Traveling Companion and I chose the most horrible rainy day with impending floods on the Delaware River to make the trek down 95, park and walk from one end of the Convention Center to the other in the pouring rain before anyone would let us in a door. With tickets purchased on line at home, once inside it was fairly easy to gain entry to the show.

Right away it hits you. Paris, you see the arches of the very recognizable Eiffel tower and hear live caberet style music. It is floral and festive and FRENCH. There is a sweet aroma in the air and its crowded when we arrive at about 11am. We made our way through and around the displays admiring them as we went. We shopped the venders and made our selections. TC bought a hummingbird feeder and we both purchased garden gloves. I picked up a few other things and wished I could get more. So much to choose from. Soaps, honeys, dips, candles, garden tools and lot of garden doo dads. I picked up two small cacti for Furm to replace the Old Man Cactus that he just lost this past winter after having it for about 20 years.

I liked the handmade wall art. I saw the same white silk embroidered peacocks I admired at the last flower show still going for $2200. Dang. The Phladelphia Society of Botanical Illustrators had watercolors for sale. Ann Biggs's 19 by 26 Lavender was magnificent and priced at $1000.

I was looking forward to seeing the pressed plants and I was not disappointed. And now at the very end of this writing I realize that I can not give credit to the artist whose work I photographed and wanted to show here because I failed to photograph the artists name along with the work. Grrrrrrr. If I were a judge, I would give this piece of work the prize for best manifestation of Springtime in Paris at the Philadelphia Flower Show. Look at it closely. It is pressed plants making the image of the Arc de Triumph in the distant, ladies of an earlier era in the forground. One is a lady with an umbrella making a purchase from another lady who is a flower vender. Sound familiar. It just doesnt get sweeter than this.

This one is for you Tim

I hope you like it