notes and musings from a perennial gardener
Here’s a native bulb with an fascinating history you might not know about. Camassia, also called camas, Great Camas, camash, quamash, Indian hyacinth or wild hyacinth, is comprised of five species native to the Midwest, Pacific Northwest and British Columbia. There is also an eastern species C. scilloides, or Atlantic camassia. They are all members of the asparagus family.
You may already know the Appalachian Trail (AT) is a 2200-mile footpath spanning fourteen states from Georgia to Maine, much of it over rugged terrain through unspoiled wilderness. What you probably don’t know is how incredibly diverse the ecosystems are that make up the Trail. There are open fields, boulder-strewn waterfalls, wooded forests and fragile alpine meadows. Each has its own flora and fauna. Changing seasons create even more variability.
Even if a hiker is familiar with the many shrubs and wildflowers that populate the AT, it’s still a pleasure to see them growing in their native habitat. Even more special is coming across a rare plant or unusual animals, such as these wild ponies on Mt. Rogers in Virginia.
Two thousand miles is a mighty long trek on foot, with high potential for loneliness, serious accidents and sore feet. But it also affords an unparalleled chance to witness nature up close and personal. For this reason and more, plenty of people are drawn to hiking the AT. My husband Ray not only tried but finished, and he did it in his fifties and sixties. He also documented it with over 3700 photographs.
So let’s take a virtual hike to see of some of the amazing views, plants and animals he found along the way. I’ve assembled a small sampling of his photographs for your enjoyment here.
My north bank in high summer is where most of my native plants reside, along with some favorite hybrid cultivars. By July it is like an orchestra in perpetual warm-up. Colors start trumpeting their hues. Soon soft drumbeats of rhythm and bass notes gets the whole show going, ending with a chorus of anemones in a jubiliant finale. Each year the effect is slightly different, just as a musical score varies with every performance.
I’m a total pushover for this look, I must admit. I live for it all year long. To me, jazzy colors and intricate layers of texture are as uplifting as any piece of music. So what makes a garden invigorating as opposed to visual cacophony? Is it okay to mix annuals and perennials?
First let’s look at technique, then review the best performers.