This is one of my favorite views, the way the cypress gently lays a skirt on the ground to the sides, inviting you in to the middle, promising shelter. with the colorful and interesting circle behind to the left. As it happens, a hammock works great between these two. Keeping it clear of poison ivy, bush honeysuckle and winter green is an annual chore. On hands and knees. The far side has a bunch of mint mixed in with the native herb growth aroud the skirt.
This one was here in 1999 when we moved in. It was about 1/10th the size it is now, since I let it spread by layering, as it likes to do. However, I think it is about as big as needs to be. Anna and her kids cleared out the middle a few years ago, and Star filled it with wood chips. Currently the middle part needs clearing out again, though it's fine for hands and knees. Forsythia apparently has some property valued in Chinese medicene, but I've yet to find decent research material about it. It certainly does make nice yellow flowers in the early spring. There are several other populations of forsythia, especially along the driveway. All came from sticking twigs from this one into wet spring ground. Forsythia is not a native, and like bush honeysuckle, it casts a deep shade and very little grows underneath it. Fotunately, unlike bush honeysuckle, it does not spread by seeds from fruit that birds eat.
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This was a single volunteer that asked me to quickly throw up some supports, and then some more supports. Still putting out lots of these little tomatoes, though not ripening as quickly due to temps falling down into 40's overnight.
This was a single volunteer that asked me to quickly throw up some supports, and then some more supports. Still putting out lots of these little tomatoes, though not ripening as quickly due to temps falling down into 40's overnight.
Put covers over them for the night temps getting so low.
Looked greener to my eyes; can't seem to find it in post processing... In any case, didn't taste all that good.
Looked greener to my eyes; can't seem to find it in post processing...
This was orginally a 3 foot diameter tree that was dead about 15 years ago, leaning up against another tree. I can recall looking at it and thinking that it would be a good post for an anvil if I could have cut it. But it was already largely rotted even before it finally slipped off and fell to the ground.
One of the places where I collected and organized a bunch of downed branches so that there will eventually be some nice soil here. This one, in the southeastern part of the central forest, is in a slight erosion channel compared to some of the others in the steeper parts.
Initial building of drainage slower downer
Basically just found a bunch of wood laying around and gathered it here.
This hole in the root of this healthy tree has standing water in it. All the ground around the place is bone dry at this time of year. There's still water in here after nearly three weeks of no rain.
Very little water in the forest creek, just a few puddles here and there plus a tiny pond just outside the border on the way to the culvert.
Very little water in the forest creek, just a few puddles here and there plus a tiny pond just outside the border on the way to the culvert.
Very little water in the forest creek, just a few puddles here and there plus a tiny pond just outside the border on the way to the culvert.
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There's a bit of drying mud down there. Otherwise everything is dry.
West and down from OP60, detail
There's a bit of drying mud down there. Otherwise everything is dry.
The only body of water with water left in it. Doesn't evaporate under the leaf canopy here.
but the ground under is mostly hard, only some patches kinda soft.
This is the seed pod on an invader that came from that bush on the other side of the fence. Some kind of ornamental my neighbour likes (solitary bushes here and there is their preference.)
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Southwest corner of upper pond. Summer water covers many of these.
