Whoever named the Redbud tree had to have been a guy. Half of us are color blind, you know, and the namer-of-redbud trees was not on top of his game. They are no more red than the man in the moon. They are bright pink, maybe, or a deep lilac or perhaps magenta, but they are definitely not red. They are, however, beautiful and they are at their peak now in  Central Virginia. Redbuds … [Read more...]

  Last year, I became interested in the many common wildflowers and colorful weeds we see growing along the roads and in our fields and yards. I am still interested, and I noticed that one of the first flowers to bloom in our yard is a wild violet, a weed, actually. They are lovely, and as are many wild plants, they are both edible and have many medicinal purposes. The new violet … [Read more...]

Lots of folks are out and about this time of year, admiring the changing leaves and all their colors. I suggest instead of looking up at the leaves to look down along the roadsides where there is even more beauty. One of the most stunning plants growing wild beside our roads is sumac. The most common is Smooth Sumac and the colorations range from blaze orange to a deep burgundy. The plant, a tree … [Read more...]

I have become fascinated with all the beautiful weeds and wildflowers that grow literally on the sides of our roads. One I have noticed in recent weeks is a lovely bluish, purple flower that I believe is wild chicory, sometimes called a blue daisy, blue dandelion or horseweed. It has just recently bloomed and I see it in clusters. Like many other of these oft-ignored plant/weeds, it is quite … [Read more...]

The crop of goldenrod this fall has outdone itself. Standing tall, often along a spread of Black-Eyed Susans, goldenrod provides a colorful sea of gold and yellow along our roads and highways. Yeah, but goldenrod is the stuff that causes all those allergies. Get rid of it. Not so fast. Goldenrod is frequently blamed for allergies caused by ragweed. Ragweed, which often grows alongside … [Read more...]

  From the Middle Neck of Virginia to the Shenandoah Valley and throughout Central Virginia, black-eyed Susans are standing tall and proud – and beautiful. I have never seen such displays of radiant yellow. The friendly wildflowers are simply stunning his year. It amazes me all that grows beside the roads, along the interstates and back roads. The little strips of dirt between the … [Read more...]

  If you’ve ever tried to uproot a thistle in your yard or garden, it’s doubtful you’re a big fan of the lovely weed. How did this thing get in here, you’ll wonder. A single thistle plant, however, can produce up to 4,000 seeds that go airborne and settle wherever they find a fertile spot, like a garden. Roadsides work, too. We played golf at Heritage Oaks in Harrisonburg a week or so … [Read more...]

One of our most prized plantings this year is a gorgeous Butterflyweed. This spring, Nancy picked a half dozen small seeds from a Butterflyweed pod. She started them inside and nurtured them into small plants. When she brought them outside, she knew the damned squirrels would get in them and dig them up so she put a heavy wire guard around them with a top to keep the squirrels from climbing … [Read more...]

  There is a stretch of sheer beauty along Route 29 just south of Ruckersville. For several hundred yards, tens of thousands of Queen Anne’s Lace plants adorn the roadside. It’s  almost as white as a January snowfall. I wrote about  Queen Anne’s Lace last year and received many responses from others who admire this delicate plant. Some advised that the lace-like flowers could be … [Read more...]

Morning Glories are night people. They bloom and party and carry on all night, and when daytime comes, they close up shop and snooze all day. But if you get a peek at them before they tuck themselves in, they are certainly pretty things. Recently, I have been seeing a few morning glories growing wild on the sides of the roads. These special places often hold many wildflowers and plants you … [Read more...]