The Color Red in Winter

Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)

Highbush Blueberries, a Philadelphia native

Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum L.)

The bell-shaped blossoms of the Highbush Blueberry are blooming in my garden.  This will be the first year of abundant blueberries. I planted two plants last year.






The plant is self-pollinating, but increases fruit-set  and the berries are earlier and has more seeds, if there are two to cross-pollinate. 

This plant is a native and occurs naturally throughout Eastern North America. It’s natural habitat is in wet areas, in and around marshes, swamps and lakes. But it also occurs in drier areas like dunes, barrier beaches, rocky hillsides, oak woods and pine woods. 

All this means that the Delaware Valley and Philadelphia is a natural habitat. Here we have wet areas around all the rivers, creeks and streams. And we have drier areas in the wooded rolling Piedmont area. 

The plant is not tolerant of shade but likes a sunny open spot. This means if you look for naturally occurring plants in natural places, that the plant will be found in open sunny places along watercourses or open meadows or woodland edges. 

Bees are the chief pollinators. The little bell-shaped flowers are short and allow insects with short tongues to easily access the nectar. 

I doubt I will get very many berries from my plants as the songbirds, game birds  and mammals love them.  I just hope for a small handful. 

Berries soon?

Look at the buds on my Highbush Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) shrub in my backyard. The Highbush Blueberry is native to my region. I planted two bushes two years ago. It had tiny, not very edible berries on the bush last year.

Maybe just maybe I will get a few blueberries this year. The birds will probably get them first. Basically, because I don't plan on draping netting over the bushes and I have to work all day. The birds work for a good part of the day, but most of that is outside. And some of that time is spent in my garden.

The cards are stacked against me.

pokeberries stain the snow

a pokeberry stains the snow
Originally uploaded by donnaonearth

Yesterday's, fierce snowstorm was the first of the autumn- winter season. Huge fluffy flakes came down heavily and melted on the ground. The grass is still covered with snow but the roads and sidewalks are clear.

Philadelphians panic at the even the threat of snow. We rarely receive much snow anymore. Climate change is here.

It is still autumn/fall but today feels like winter. It is sunny but cold.

A northern mockingbird was eating the last of the pokeberries and must have dropped this one.

The deep blue-red stain is such a rare and unexpected color at this time of the year. It looks like a raspberry slushie.