Wandering to the Workshop

 I don't go down the old path to the workshop much anymore.  Someone moved in on the other side of that field and cut down most of the wooded buffer before realizing it wasn't theirs, so now it feels like I'm walking right to their yard before turning down the hill.  There are a lot of plants that I miss in that buffer, so I wanted to visit what is still there.
Out the front door, the first thing to lay eyes on is this stunning clematis climbing up the butterfly bush.  It was in bud for weeks and the anticipation was hard!

Next was the first red poppy, bright as a cardinal.  It stands proudly besides the purple lupine spires.  Both of these plants have been temperamental for me, so this is super gorgeous.

Along the side of the house on the other side of the front garden is a glorious, fat juniper/cedar.  It gets cedar apple rust when the weather is wet.  We'd had a couple weeks with no rain and no "orange brains" but it rained yesterday, so...

Down to the bottom of the back yard, and the blueberries are weighing down the branches.  They'll need some serious pruning before winter.

It seems early to see the passionflower sprouts coming up at the corner, yet there they are.  Things are never on schedule anymore.  Maybe they never were.

Motherwort is doing great.  It grows all along the fence row, and down closer to the workshop.  Down there, it's just about to bloom. I love her leaves, but haven't printed with them yet.  The tincture gets very dark, so I've been hesitant, but maybe soon.

Poison ivy is also very prolific along the fence row.  The birds garden this area, depositing seeds from the things they eat.  Apparently the local birds LOVE poison ivy berries.  They aren't picky though, so the diversity is great.

Multiflora rose is there, of course.  For the next week or two, if we drive somewhere on the back roads with the windows open, the air will be perfumed with the fragrance of this rose.  Her petals can be gathered to use in the same way other roses would be used.

A bit further and we come upon blackberry blossoms.  We have 3 main wild berries in this part of the country - black raspberry, wineberry, and blackberry.  Mulberry trees are also very common.  All of these berries grow here, along with the occasional precious wild strawberry.

Perhaps 10 or 15 years ago, the birds planted Solomon's seal along the ridge above my sister's house.  Her husband was interested in bamboo at the time, so I (and by "I", I of course mean my nephew) grabbed a few shovels full of the roots to rescue, and they are now vigorously spreading across my front yard.  Today while picking a few rugosa rose petals, I noticed that the original patch is still hanging in there.  This plant is becoming much less common than it once was - but you couldn't tell around here.  It is extremely vigorous. 

Shepherds Purse is also one of the weeds (herbs) around here.  Let's face it... I live in a field with a house plopped in the middle :-) 

 Finally hoofing it back up the hill to beat the mailman with the item I'd gone down to pick up, I took the other path home and stopped to check on the yarrow and spearmint that are tucked in behind the biggest bayberry.  

All in all, there is a lot to see out there.  The whole time, birds are chirping and singing, as if it's all some Disney movie.  Of course if it WAS a Disney movie, mice and birds would be down there making and wrapping soap instead of us doing that after lunch.  

I hope you get to spend some time looking at what grows around you.