First real snowfall of the season in the village. Just in from the first of many pre-emptive shovelings.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Red Twig in the snow
First real snowfall of the season in the village. Just in from the first of many pre-emptive shovelings.
Labels:
red twig,
snowfall,
Treis Terrace Garden,
Virginia Luppino
Friday, September 26, 2008
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Friday, August 15, 2008
Thursday, August 14, 2008
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Monday, August 11, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Saturday, August 2, 2008
Friday, August 1, 2008
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Amish Paste
This heritage variety, one of six in my garden, is loaded with these beautifully shaped tomatoes. The plant stands 7' tall!
An abundance of plum tomatoes can be easily frozen in zip lock bags for use later on. To use them just run water over the frozen fruit and they will slip right out of their skins... ready for sauce making.
Labels:
Saugerties NY,
tomato,
Treis Terrace Garden,
Virginia Luppino
Monday, July 28, 2008
Patient Mantis
Waiting motionless for prey with its large spiky forelegs folded like hands in prayer.
I was lucky enough to have a hatching of these predators in my yard this season. I've watched them go from 1/2" in length to full size.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Pandora Sphinx
This beauty can have up to a 4" wingspan!
Found at forest edges, river margins and vineyards. In the caterpillar stage it feeds on Virginia Creeper and wild and cultivated grape vines. You can see it in flight from June through August in the Northern reaches of its domain. It is strongly attracted to artificial lights, like most sphinx moths.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Monday, July 7, 2008
Canada Lily - "Exploitably Vulnerable" in NY
I haven't seen one of these beauties in a very long time... maybe 25 years! They used to grow along the side of the road on Route 28A below the dike of the upper basin of the Ashokan Reservoir. Then the population of deer exploded and they were gone for good. What a great surprise to see this growing along the Lighthouse trail this evening.
Friday, June 27, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
California poppy
Throughout the season I sprinkle seeds for these annual poppies throughout my garden, among my veggies, in my containers... ensuring a constant supply.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
the promise of an abundance of tomatoes
Labels:
Saugerties NY,
tomato,
Treis Terrace Garden,
Virginia Luppino
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Monday, June 9, 2008
Sunday, June 8, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Monday, June 2, 2008
Sunday, June 1, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Monday, May 19, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
Thursday, May 15, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Monday, May 12, 2008
UNmown grass
Grass keeps growing in its purpose to flower and produce seed. Survival of the species.
It is such a poor choice to plant grass as a ground cover. Especially in those places that no ever walks on...like most lawns...like highway meridians...where the only person ever on that grass is the person on the mower.
Many viable alternatives are available.
All that man power and engine power.
So unnecessary.
When grasses are left un-mown. . . allowed to flower. . . the results, upon close inspection, are often stunning.
My goal is to have all grass gone from my yard by the end of this growing season. . .with the exception of a few clumps here and there... that I will allow to flower.
Anyone want to buy a used lawn mower?
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Saturday, May 10, 2008
Friday, May 9, 2008
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
at night when you're sleeping ... poison ivy is creeping
Poison ivy greatly benefits from the additional carbon in the atmosphere. It has become more aggressive and it's nasty oils more potent. Right now it is easily recognizable by its small three leaves with a reddish tinge. Walk with care.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Monday, April 28, 2008
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Amelanchier in bud - Shadblow, Serviceberry
As you drive around look for the white flowers, blooming now, on the edge of the woods... along with the native dogwoods.
Labels:
Amelanchier,
Saugerties NY,
shadblow,
Virginia Luppino
Friday, April 25, 2008
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
breathtaking
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
bloom cluster
The cluster of flowers surround an emerging leaf.
Lindera benzoin, Spicebush, is a native shrub found in the understory of moist thickets. It pretty much lines the lighthouse trail.
Labels:
Lindera,
saugerties,
Saugerties Lighthouse,
Spicebush,
Virginia Luppino
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
tiny jewels
Seedlings of jewel weed
I still get a kick out of touching the spring loaded seed pods later in the season and having them explode in my hand.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Phase two
Wet woodlands are fast becoming carpeted with the huge bright green leaves of skunk cabbage emerging.
Sunday, April 13, 2008
Emerging horsetail
Equisetum is a genus of vascular plants that reproduce by spores rather than seeds. The genus includes 15 species commonly known as horsetails and scouring rushes. Other classes and orders of Equisetopsida are known from the fossil record, where they were important members of the world flora during the Carboniferous period about 350 million years ago.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Equisetum
Labels:
Equisetum,
Horsetails,
saugerties,
Virginia Luppino
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
One of my favorite flowers
I love the flowers of maples in general... but Acer rubrum, being the first to bloom, tops the list.
Acer rubrum (Red Maple, also known as Swamp or Soft Maple), is one of the most common and widespread deciduous trees of eastern North America. It is aptly named as its flowers, petioles, twigs and seeds are all red to varying degrees. Among these features, however, it is most well known for its brilliant deep scarlet foliage in autumn.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
rarely seen
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Cluster of buds
Lindera benzoin - Spicebush. One of the earliest flowering native shrubs. These buds are ready to burst.
This shrub is found in rich, wet woodlands like those along the Lighthouse trail.
In early spring, before the leaves open, the tiny greenish yellow spice bush flowers bloom. The leaves give off a unique spicy odor when rubbed or crushed. The twigs have this smell as well.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
sighting
Sunday, March 30, 2008
Impaled
Trapa natans - Water Chestnut. . . an aquatic plant native to Asia. In the Americas, water chestnut is an invasive species known for its aggressive growth habits.
With four, hard half-inch spines that are sharp enough to penetrate shoe leather and large enough to keep people off beaches, water chestnut seeds are major hazards to water contact recreation. Additionally, water chestnut can wipe out native bay grasses from some areas, prevents nearly all water use where it occurs, creates breeding grounds for mosquitoes, and provides only marginal habitat to native fish and birds.
read more about water chestnuts:
http://www.dnr.state.md.us/Bay/sav/water_chestnut.asp
Saturday, March 29, 2008
delicate negotiations
Friday, March 28, 2008
Thursday, March 27, 2008
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Like a string of lanterns. . .
Half way up the lighthouse trail on the right, these pods hang like a string of lanterns. Anyone know what it is? Turns out it is Echinocystis lobata - Wild Cucumber!
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Bittersweet berries
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
American Sycamore - Platanus occidentalis
A great and noble tree.
The persistent fruit is visible after a long winter.
Along with Tulip Tree, Liriodendron tulipifera, this species is one of the tallest of the native eastern North American deciduous trees. Commonly found along stream and river banks, it is easily identified by its exfoliating cream to olive colored bark.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Monday, March 17, 2008
March 17, 2008
Red twig dogwood circled by Virgin's Bower (clematis) vine
Red-osier Dogwood or Red Twig Dogwood (Cornus sericea/stolonifera)
This is a dogwood shrub with something of an identity crisis. On the scientific side the currently accepted scientific name of this dogwood is Cornus sericea. Although the name Cornus stolonifera is in wide current use. Take your pick.
Red Twig Dogwoods are fast growing, many stemmed shrub, reaching a mature size of 4-8 feet tall with a spread of 10 feet. Stems and twigs dark red when young, gradually fading to grey-green, becoming red again in the fall and winter. It prefers sun but tolerates partial shade. It also tolerates a wide range of soil conditions including flooding and drought but prefers moist to wet, slightly acidic soil (pH range of 5.5 to 7.0). This is a good plant for boggy spots on the property or on lakeshores and streambanks.
Saturday, March 15, 2008
March 16, 2008
March 15, 2008
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