The Bearberry with its vibrant red berries are starting to come out on Cape Cod. They are an 8″ trailing evergreen shrub with red berries and glossy, leathery leaves. Out in Colorado they are called kinnikinick.
Their flowers which are tiny white or pink bells will bloom in May and June on sandy or rocky soil.
Have you ever seen a Bearberry?
I saw my first pretty, little white Snowdrop flowers on the side of the road in Orleans on Cape Cod the other day. They are so delicate.
I couldn’t find them in my flower book so my friend Alice, who is a guru in flower identification, helped me out. Thank you, Alice!
Snowdrops, which are perennials, produce one small (1″ or less), white flower, which hangs down off its stalk like a “drop” prior to opening. When the bloom opens, the eye beholds 3 outer petals arching out over 3 inner petals. Snowdrops flower early in the year so you should plant them where you can easily see them, even under tree because they bloom before the leaves come out!
I might have to plant some Snowdrop bulbs at my new house. They are so pretty and such a treat to find this time of year!
I was so shocked when I saw a little patch of pretty yellow Daffodils growing in someone’s yard by the side of the road in Orleans on Cape Cod. It seems so early. It’s only February.
So, I turned the car around, stopped and jumped out and took a photograph of this pretty spring flower. What treat!
Last weekend the wind chill was minus 28 here so the last thing I thought I’d see so soon was a spring flower.
Has anyone else seen any spring flowers?
Poison Ivy seems to be one of the leaves that turns a brilliant red in the fall. So pretty…but beware! There is a lot of Poison Ivy here on Cape Cod! Stay on the trails.
Just a fact that you might not know… you can get Poison Ivy in the middle of the winter if you touch the vine, so be careful. Wear gloves and long sleeves if you think there is Poison Ivy there in the summertime.
Another little tidbit… if you touch Poison Ivy, the best thing you can do is wash it with a washcloth. It’s the disturbing of the skin cells that prevents the oils from staying on you. This is more important than just washing it with soap and water.
As the saying goes, “Leaves of three, let it be.”
But… a pretty leaf, don’t you think?
