“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” – John Muir Photo taken a few days ago in Castlewood State Park in Ballwin, Missouri. Get out and enjoy Autumn before the wind and cold sweep away all theContinue reading “Nature and Beauty are Bread for the Soul”
Tag Archives: missouri
Creeping into Autumn
I took this picture a couple weeks ago as the local Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) population began changing into its vibrant red garb. Thank you, Nature!!! Virginia Creeper often gets mistaken for Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), but is 5-leaved, whereas the Poison Ivy is 3-leaved. Both are native to this area, but I’d highly recommendContinue reading “Creeping into Autumn”
Bring back Wildflowers, Bring back Monarchs!
Orange, Black, White. In flight. Delicate beauty. Glorious sight. Please don’t disappear! Picky young eater. So no Milkweed, no Monarchs! Grow native, save lives. Learn more: The St. Louis Butterfly Project: Milkweeds for Monarchs Initiative. Bring Back the Monarchs via MonarchWatch Grow Native with Native Plants and Natural Landscaping!
Bluebell Blooms Bring Back Spring
When I see Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), I know that, despite the calendar date, Spring has truly arrived! Delicate new blooms Ephemeral spring beauty Look down. Don’t miss it!
Fire: Prescription for Life
Fires, floods, fallen trees, All appears lost, all looks dead, Yet life rekindles! I took a 4-mile hike yesterday with some friends along Pickle Creek in Hawn State Park, near Ste. Genevieve, Missouri. Spring is finally springing, though I’ve yet to see many spring ephemerals popping up yet. Can’t wait for the bluebells (seeContinue reading “Fire: Prescription for Life”
Along the Crest, Crested Iris
Enjoyed another fantastic day at Shaw Nature Reserve. Following my volunteering stint, I hiked through the dry glades and woodlands near the Meramec River, evaluating the Spring’s continuing transition in color. Among the most vibrant and prolific today was Dwarf Crested Iris (Iris cristata). Just another native to consider in your garden!
Bluebell Symphony
They are here! The Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are finally in bloom. I walked down to the bottoms near the Meramec River at the Shaw Nature Reserve to find these wonderful spring colors filling the forest floor. It had just rained the day before, so the cloudy day and the excess moisture certainly presented someContinue reading “Bluebell Symphony”
Spring Almost
Last week I enjoyed a solitary walk through Powder Valley Conservation Nature Center and Reserve near Kirkwood, Missouri. All was fairly quiet. A gentle, cool breeze swept through the bare tree branches and rattled the brown leaves still clinging to a few stubborn oaks and maples. Leaf litter decorates the entire forest floor; it cracklesContinue reading “Spring Almost”
Forest March in February
The truck rumbled and rattled and crackled along the gravel road back to the park office; I was sitting in the bed, relaxing in the open air. The cool air and the speed of the truck felt brisk, though it was fortunately offset by the pleasant warmth and radiance of the sunny day. The truckContinue reading “Forest March in February”
Gift of the Goldenrod
Took a quick walk today in the unseasonably warm weather to Queeny County Park in the suburbs west of St. Louis. In the small restored prairie, most of the growing season’s activity was done…shades of brown, dull greens, and faded reds mark the latter days of autumn. But late-blooming plants like Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) haveContinue reading “Gift of the Goldenrod”
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