Indian legends tell of a mouse who took refuge in a cone of a Douglas Fir. The mouse was fleeing a fox, a storm, or a fire, depending on who is telling the story. In any case, his tail and hind legs did not quite fit. This is why you see a three pointed bract protruding from each rounded scale of the cone.
Chinese Dogwood
Used in Chinese medicine for 2000 years, recent research shows the dogwood fruit has antibacterial, antifungal, antidiabetic and antioxidant properties, and that it can reduce blood pressure and suppress tumor growth. This attractive tree is about 20 feet tall and has white blossoms on the spring.
Carolinian Forest
Only 20 percent of Ontario’s Carolinian forests remain with trees such as ash, birch, chestnut, hickory, oak and walnut. Many species of animals and birds flourish in this environment. I identified chickadees and cedar waxwings and if I knew birds better, would have been able to identify many more in the open branches of the fall trees.
The Spider Web Garden
This garden is in a radial design, from the overhead steel web, the paving stones beneath, to the sedum, lavender and ornamental grasses. The designer was inspired by a love of nature and the comic book hero, Spiderman.
Those pinecones are so cool!
ReplyDeleteI loved the cones as well. It was hard to resist picking one from the tree, but I didn't think I should in that setting.
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