An unapologetic plant geek shares advice and opinions on gardening, the contrived and the natural landscape, as well as occasional topics from the other side of the gate.

August 7, 2011

Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve

After our father/son camping trip, we headed back to Norfolk, got ourselves scrubbed up a bit, did a little laundry, picked up the female members of the family and headed north to Pennsylvania to spend the week at my brother's.  While we were there, I had the chance to visit Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve just south of New Hope, Pa., where the mission is to celebrate native plants of the Delaware Valley.  The site has over 130, mostly wooded acres, with various trails to showcase the plants.  If you have ever been to this part of the world in high summer, than you know that the eastern woodlands are a tyranny of green at this time of year, so color from flowers at most of the preserve was scarce.  However, there were a few acres kept as meadow, and here where sunlight could reach the soil, it was a riot of color.

Tyranny of Green (2)

Tyranny of Green

Liriodendron tulipifera

Joe Pye Weed (Eutrochium fistulosum)
(3)

Ironweed (Vernonia noveboracensis)
Vernonia noveboracensis

Swamp Rose Mallow (Hibiscus moscheutos)
Hibiscus moscheutos

July Meadow

July Meadow (5)

July Meadow (3)

July Meadow (4)

As in my previous post, also concerning wildflowers, if I have not identified anything correctly, please let me know.
Posted by Les at 11:32 PM
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15 comments:

  1. Dee/reddirtramblingsAugust 08, 2011 8:21 AM

    Aaaah, just what I needed. Lovely, and probably not 109F I'm guessing. Thanks for taking us along on your trip to the preserve. Glad you and your family are having a good summer making memories.~~Dee

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  2. Janet, The Queen of SeafordAugust 08, 2011 11:40 AM

    Female memberS? We including the dogs in that group? hahaha
    I really wanted to plant JoePye Weed this year and just never found any. Maybe I will get some next spring...or later this fall. Love the combination of the Ironweed and Coneflower or Rudbeckia(?).

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  3. James GoldenAugust 08, 2011 1:01 PM

    I see the meadow's looking really good this year. What's the story with Joe Pye's new name? Eupatoriadelphus or Eutrocium, or still up in the air?

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  4. Carolyn @ Carolyn's Shade GardensAugust 08, 2011 5:16 PM

    We know how to grow trees in PA!

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  5. Dig BrooklynAugust 08, 2011 7:26 PM

    Beautiful photos, and it looks like you had a wonderful day for your outing. Does the preserve stay open year round? There must be year-long interest in there.

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  6. AnonymousAugust 08, 2011 9:29 PM

    Les, lovely images as always. New Hope is not far from where I am from in PA. This is really beautiful country and the preserve is the best kind of landscape. I might stop in for a visit to the preserve when I go back to PA this Fall. Thanks for reminding me and taking us there now.

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  7. Jane JabbourAugust 08, 2011 9:48 PM

    Love the photos of the meadow. I think Joe Pye is Eupatorium fistulosum, isn't it, or is it undergoing a name change?

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  8. Meg FrenchAugust 08, 2011 10:32 PM

    Beautiful Les! Sure wish you would teach a hort. photography/photoshop course! Gorgeous photos!

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  9. Janet/PlantalisciousAugust 09, 2011 11:24 AM

    Beautiful wildflowers and again, so many are either used themselves as garden plants here or have produced offspring that are. Strange to see so many familiar plants growing wild. I love that first shot.

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  10. NiceArtLife.comAugust 10, 2011 6:46 AM

    Wonderful preserve! Nature is so pure there and great photos you made there! I love the one with the Swamp Rose Mallow and the first one too, great!

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  11. greggoAugust 10, 2011 5:52 PM

    nice photos les.

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  12. GeorgiaAugust 10, 2011 9:26 PM

    The third photo reminds me of photos in Jean Maloof's "Among the Ancients". I just read it so stayed tuned for a review.

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  13. LesAugust 10, 2011 9:27 PM

    Dee,
    No it was not 109, low 90's was more like it. But I wasn't at work or waiting in line at DMV so any weather will do.

    Janet,
    Yes, dogs were included in the group. We have taken the young Penny camping and she was fine, but she is not allowed on the beach where we went. Poor Loretta is a mess when she is out of her comfort zone and expresses that by barking incessantly, not a good thing camping.

    James,
    I know what's up with that. I did not know it had been changed from Eupatorium, and it looks as if they have not settled on anything permanent yet.

    Carolyn,
    Indeed you do!

    Michael,
    I imagine that during the dead of winter there would not be much going on. Since most of the preserve is in a deciduous woodland, early spring must be spectacular with the ephermerals.

    Donna,
    It is indeed a very beautiful part of the country.

    Jane,
    Yes, we are having an identiy crisis going on.

    Meg,
    I do teach classes at work, but I am better with ornamental hort. than photography. I have already been scheduled to talk to the Va. Beach Council of Garden Clubs in March. Hopefully I will have enough time to prepare.

    Janet,
    Ditto about seeing familiar faces in your garden.

    NAL,
    Thanks for stopping by. I am glad you liked the photos.

    Greggo,
    I hope your part of the world is getting some rain. Thanks for the visit.

    Les

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  14. LesAugust 10, 2011 9:52 PM

    Georgia,
    That was one of the tallest trees in the forest, I would like to think it was the Queen. I believe it to be a Tulip Poplar.

    Les

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  15. JohnAugust 18, 2011 12:49 AM

    Thanks for another recommendation for a stop off on one of my trips up to Boston. Looks like a nice place to single out - especially in springtime I would guess.

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