Acair Fearann

Our stands of it are blooming quite well this year; though it is shorter in height this year which is probably due to last year’s drought stunting the reserves of the plant.

A slow-growing plant, it is entirely reliant on that set of three leaves on that delicate stem to store energy in the rather small rhizome for next year. One set, one shot for the year. If broken, a mature plant will usually survive, but take years to bloom again. So how does one weed about it if the competing growth threatens to win out? The short answer is carefully. The better answer is with a pair of scissors. I try to clip any competing growth that is within the clump or within an inch or so of the trillium that could overtop it.This gives it the sunlight and more moisture as well as creating a better area for seedling germination.

The seeds may either germinate where they fall (if they get buried deep enough) or may be carried elsewhere, usually by ants (the scent of the seeds is designed to attract them) but sometimes by an animal that has eaten the seed pod.

Our clumps have finally spread beyond one tight group, which is a good thing.

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Actually, a bit more than that, on the left is the end of an old mill tailrace. And quite the mill it was, with a proper penstock and wheelpit and everything. Not much left now. But, having given water a channel, it tends to keep using it even after a century or so. I just liked the geometry of everything, so I snapped a snapshot as I took my work photos.

In other news, do you know how tedious it is to unravel umpteen hydrangea buds to squish the little worm in residence in each one? Oy.

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In a rather chilly and wet May, which is actually a good thing. A few daffodils are still going, actually at the peak of season for the Poets (Pheasant’s Eye) daffodil, but also a few lingering others; the apple trees, the lilacs, the carlesii viburnums are thinking about it; the early evergreen pink azaleas are almost done, the white small leaf evergreens are starting, and the big deciduous (Exbury types) are about to begin; the shadblows are finished, but the redbuds are in full bloom as are the native flowering dogwoods. A variety of wildflowers: the trout lilies are done, but the white trilliums are hitting their peak, as are the various wood anemone types. Bluets, violets, early rock iris, sweet woodruff, and that sort are all quite happy.

The sweet woodruff is particularly good this year. It takes its time, but once established in a place it likes, off it goes. The unraked, no foot traffic, no tall stuff, shade beneath the Japanese Maple seems particularly promising for it. I ought to have made some May wine!

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In this state and with these resources…it feels like a weird hybrid of chess, dreams, and cynical practicality. And what of the above will win out? There is a balance between the long term investment and the short term priorities, currently I have the privilege with working with both types, and it really does tend to alter the decisions that one makes if one is looking at rental return (measured in this year or the next) or ‘will I need to do this again this generation’. It is interesting. Both have their strong points.

But I don’t know which is better, I know which I prefer, but that isn’t necessarily the same thing. I do know that the only certainty is death and taxes…and…greater than both of those, the sheer glory of the day. The landscaping here goes from strength to strength, a living painting that year by year has a better foundation upon which to build. The equipment and the knowledge of that equipment, also builds strength upon strength. And the reason? Well, it won’t pay the bills, but the beauty of this land is enough in the moment when the clouds break and the sun shines upon the green fields.

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It’s been a bit uncertain this last year, but for a now truly ancient Thoroughbred with some health issues, he’s holding his own. And I think, enjoying the spring grass which is the important thing. Week after next we will have had him for 23 of those 32 years.

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The rain followed by the heat has made everything pop up at an unbelievable speed (including the blackflies), which is lovely. Well not the blackflies.

You can almost see things growing at this point and blooming. Especially our various woodlands plants that are pretty good at fast growing when there is the right combination of rain and warmth. Ferns, for example, can come up very quickly. Odd things ferns, I’ve found that they really don’t transplant well at all. But they are incredibly tough and long lived if they are happy where they are. I suspect we often underestimate just how old ferns can get. I know the Interrupted ferns under the house’s bay window are in pictures from a century ago. Some of the fern species, those included, have gone from invisible to uncurling in a matter of days, which is quite a bit of energy when you stop and think about it. Plants are amazing.

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The project of wandering about in the woods looking for things continues. Especially looking for wells.

The one above is easier to find than….

This one….I suggested we might fill this one in.

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