Little Garden Wonders

There is a lot of magic that happens here on the farm, and not just the kind that makes you think your house might be haunted!  Wicked Raven survived the Millers Reach Fire back in 1996 but it burned off all of the organics, and what wasn't burned off was pushed off with a dozer prior to the fire by the owner at the time - trying to save the house!   We have a few areas where nothing will grow at all, including lawn grass!

You can see the bare spots behind the mower in this shot.  This photo was about 5 years ago and still nothing grows there!  We have lots of sand and gravel and tons of clay!

So it is always very special when we find delightful "little garden wonders" throughout the yard!  Things that come up despite the harsh conditions and the lack of water that occurs - we dont generally water the yard - the weird water people (us - mostly Hubby) think its a waste.

This year has been amazing for little garden wonders coming up randomly and deliciously all around!  the above is an Alpine Aster that came up in the space that is currently occupied by the "fake deer" that is actually an arrow target!  It has also been used this summer as a 4 wheeler track through the middle of the yard.  Dry and barren and with wheeler tracks.  So beautiful!

This is either a random Lovage herb or a sweet cicely - Im leaning more toward Lovage but, my sense of smell is still not working the way I need it to due to an ongoing sinus issue so I can't fully determine what it is.  I found two more of these after I took this shot, just out in the middle of the yard.  

So I moved them into the herb bed over the septic area.  It will be fun to see what they turn out to be!

I also found this little pink fungus in that same area - this little patch of pink is actually in the middle of a driveway area where the grass has grown up through just gravel!  Aren't they cute?!

This little patch of joy is "pussy toes" (Antennaria - probably "Neglecta").  It is a small and delightful little plant that grows in little "fairy circle" formations all around the yard.  It is hardy as all get out and it is such a special delight to find.  For some reason it is very uplifting to the spirit whenever I am discouraged!  It just makes me smile and breathe away my cares.

Can you see it?  No?  All you see is a puny stick sticking out of the ground?  Thats because that stick is marking one of the most tiny of garden wonders!

It is the beautiful blue Campanula Alpina!  Even the clover head is bigger than this tiny flower!  Ahhhh the blue delight though.  This one is also growing in the middle of one of the barren patches of lawn, where almost nothing else grows.  It is so small that the mower doesnt even touch it when the grass does get mowed.  It is a treat to see for just a few weeks a year.

Many of you will recognize this little garden wonder!  Cranberry plant - we call them lowbush cranberries, but some folks call them Lingonberry.  I love to see these growing around the yard - mostly on the edges of the tree line or in slightly mossy areas.  The little pink flowers are so happy, and when I can smell them properly they are a delicious scent, fresh and clean and bright berry smell.

This treasure though, this treasure!  Coral Root Orchid - Corallorhiza (probably Wisteriana). No leaves, and a very dark brown and green color - almost obscure.  I had no idea what it was - I had to put it on the Facebook and be the butt of many jokes thinking I was kidding about not knowing what it was!  Luckily there was that one guy..... lol!  I found it when I was yarding out underneath an apple tree - the Duchess - she of the one apple fame!  I very nearly pulled it out with the weeds, but I had only recently been tromping around a neighbors hay field edge and had found a lovely pink plant that was a bit like this one.  (See below).

Pink Pyrola.  Liverleaf Wintergreen. This little garden wonder came right out of the forest and into the yard among the cranberry plants and the star dogwood.  It is growing near my strawberry hugelkulture and the honey berries at the edge of the yard and I had not noticed it until the trek around the neighbors field - I came right home and trekked around my yard and found this one!  It has become one of my favorite delights of all time.  After I noticed this one I was able to find a few more around the property in different areas.  Popping up and giving a bright spot in the middle of the desolate places!

Take a trek to the "not so wild" magic places in your yard and see if you don't have some little garden wonders at the end of your rainbows!  Or just on your rough edges!

Blessed Be!