FLOWERING FERN

Now wait a minute, ferns don't bloom.

Do they?

Of course not.

Ferns create spores that form on the underside of the leaves and drop off when ready to make new little ferns.

This was an easily solved mystery.

After all-----

I have the world of information at hand. I have a computer.

Now I know.

My Asparagus Fern is not a true fern. It is of the genus Asparagus a flowering plant in the Liliacea (Lily) family.

These teny, tiny flowers gave me a chance to try my hand at using the macro setting on my old Sony digital Mavica camera. I'm not impressed or I'm not very good at this. I was hoping for a huge flower filling my picture. All the really close ups were fuzz, no clarity at all. I'm so disappointed. I love the really close up pictures I find on so many blog sites.

Oh, well.

I love my camera, it's big, heavy and uses a floppy disc which I just reformat and use again, but I know how to use it. I tend to be a modern tech wimp and a waste not, want not sort of gal so I'll be keeping my camera and let other folks do the fancy picture taking.

SINDAY STROLL

The stroll begins today at the foot of the bluff just up from the creek. From here we will head "Further up and further in." Life on the bluff is wondrous. look at the climbing Hartford Fern (for Master Gardeners, Lygodium plamatum) and all the lichen and mosses.


This mini fern found a little indent in the rock and made a home.


The seed pods and dried leaves are from the primitive Big leaf Magnolia, the living leaves exceed 18" and the flower is plate size and beautiful. They lay near a young Mountain Laurel and that curious climbing fern.

Red Holly berries cover the forest floor. Will these join them soon?

Look at that vibrant green moss and the charming little Ground pines which are clubmoss or "Lycopodium obsurum". At one time the 4-6" tall little trees were harvested at Christmas and are now an endangered species.

More red berries, these on the wonderful wintergreen plants. In the spring the tender new leaves can be harvested for tea and to chew as a spring treat. They are also known as Partridge Berries.

As we pass this moss we have moved up a hill and are headed home.

Oh, look at my tribute to Narnia. Do you see the back of the wardrobe anywhere?

Lets go home.


To see other stroller out and about today pop over to

The Quiet Country House