Category: Backyard

Winter solstice and winterberries

I like celebrating the winter solstice, our shortest day of the year, on December 21st. I’m glad to think of the increased daylight that leads us toward spring and another growing season. In the meantime, I’m enjoying the brilliant red berries of our winterberry shrubs.

Winterberry shrubs with bright red berries
Winterberries (Ilex verticillata)

This poem by Diane Lee Moomey expresses my sentiments.

SOLSTICE

Again did the earth shift.
Again did the nights grow short
and the days long.

And the people
of the earth were glad
and celebrated each in their own ways.

Best wishes to all for the season and the coming year.

Mystery rainbow

When I looked out at the muhly grass (Muhlenbergia capillaris) on a recent morning, I first thought it was covered with frost. Then I realized it was much too warm for frost and instead was moisture as a result of our previous rainy day. I proceeded to take a few photos.

When I downloaded the images to my computer, I was shocked to see what looked like several rainbows in one of them. I did not see these colors when I looked at the plant.

Dew covered Muhly grass with rainblow like background

I have no idea why this image has these colors, and why the ones taken immediately before and after do not. At any rate, I thought it was worth sharing.

We’ve enjoyed the muhly grass since it bloomed pink in early September. It looks fragile, but it has lasted quite well. I’m glad it led to such an interesting photograph. Can anyone explain the rainbow effect?

Frost flowers on white crownbeard

On frosty mornings I’ve continued to enjoy frost flowers on our dittany (Cunila origanoides) and I recently saw them for the first time on white crownbeard (Verbesina virginica), also known as frostweed. I planted it last spring because it’s another host for frost flowers. Even so, I was taken by surprise at its first display of ice crystals.

Ice crystals on verbesina virginica

Continue reading “Frost flowers on white crownbeard”

First frost flowers of 2012

I was delighted to discover my first frost flowers of the season on dittany plants (Cunila origanoides) on November 13, 14, and 15. Our nighttime temperatures were in the mid 20s and were the lowest we’ve had this fall. I was thrilled to find these ice sculptures in our backyard for the first time last year (Frost flowers and Frost flowers #2). Seeing them again this year suggests that their occurrence is somewhat predictable.

frozen ice cristals on dittany plant Continue reading “First frost flowers of 2012”