Common Nature

I posted pictures of my yard today. This batch has some of the more nature-focused images, along with links to the others.

This set of pictures covers the Savanna. See the Forest Garden, the South Lot, the West Edge, the Prairie Garden, and the House Yard sets.


A cluster of log chunks piles at the southwest corner of the savanna. On the left you can see the outer hedge, which is mostly privets. On the right you can see some of the seedlings that will become the inner windbreak. They include crabapples, serviceberries, and a redbud.


This is a dolgo crabapple seedling. Interestingly, it is leafing out dark red, while the other dolgo at the far end is leafing out green.


This is the savanna looking east.


The hazelnut bush stands just west of the wildflower garden.


This is the wildflower garden. It has a few flowers sprouting, but not much visible yet. I have raked off the leaves and done a bit of weeding.


These miniature irises are blooming in the wildflower garden.


This is the bee tree, a hollow maple. If you look high on the right side, you can see the bump of the big knothole that is their hive entrance/exit. Happily for everyone, this is above human head height. It faces east and slightly north, along the edge of the savanna and slightly toward the prairie garden. So we don't get in each other's way. (On several previous occasions, bees nested in a walnut tree that's only about 20 feet from the house. Much less fun.) Daffodils are sprouting under the bee tree.


This mossy log lies along the edge between the savanna and the prairie garden. It has been there for decades, and used to be a seat for watching the then-vegetable garden.


This is a grove of wild black cherry trees. It provides visual cover for the ritual meadow east of the savanna, and it has high wildlife value. Cardinals and rabbits love to hang out in there.


Snowdrops have naturalized all over the east end of the savanna. I didn't plant any out there; these are all seedlings from some other snowdrops elsewhere in the yard. As I have planted lots of different snowdrops from different suppliers, these are likely a landrace.


Here is a closeup of a smaller patch.


This mossy area lies between the wild black cherry grove and the parking lot. Much of the area around the grove is basically a moss garden, which is lovely and springy to walk on. It's pretty durable moss. The squirrels dig holes in it, but I kick the moss back into place, step on it to recontact the earth, and it usually grows back.


Here is a closer view of the moss garden.


This is a closeup of the moss.