The sky looked ominous on Saturday but I had signed up for a Wildflower/Photography Walk at Stone Mountain. Do you think the threat of a little rain will keep me from my wildflowers? NEVER!
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| See the heart? |
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| Mountain Laurel |
The Harold Cox Nature Trail at Stone Mountain is well worth a visit. Make sure you have your camera with you!
- Magnolia macrophylla, the bigleaf magnolia, is a deciduous magnolia native to the southeastern United States and eastern Mexico. This species boasts the largest simple leaf and single flower of any native plant in North America. from Wikipedia.
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See the lion's face?   
Spiderwort, you should know this from our photos from Arabia Mountain, except we like to call it Tradescantia.
There were so many plants and trees that had labels with them, this was most exciting for me to see! It has taken me a while sometimes to identify the plants and flowers that I have seen on Arabia Mountain. Many of the same are at Stone Mountain.
My husband and I only have a small point and shoot camera but I am amazed that some of the photos that HE can get! I took all these photos except for the cloud one at the top, Richard took that before he went in to work on that day!
The wild columbine would not hold still in the Nature Garden but I found some with the Tradescantia just beside a parking lot as I was leaving the park, so I just had to stop and take a few more pictures.
 
Oh, but before I left, I had to have some of the bottled water that I had brought along (we had been walking and taking photos for two hours!) so I went to the Grist Mill and enjoyed the view.
And you might be wondering, did it ever rain? NO! It did not!
Now, Richard WAS with me one the following day when we visited ARABIA MOUNTAIN. Wait until I show you those photos, they are breathtaking!
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Hi Kay G.- Mountain Laurel does not grow in Nashville, but drive 30 miles west to Montgomery Bell State Park in Dickson, which is upon the Western Highland Rim, and there it is! No rhododendrons though. I think they like higher ground.
ReplyDeleteInteresting! Many of these wildflowers that I show you here only grow on the rocky outcrops and nowhere else. So happy that they are near me!
DeleteBeautiful photos of Nature at its best. Just what I needed this morning to sooth my frazzled mood/nerves! Nothing too serious...something just annoyed me to no end! lol
ReplyDeleteHa! You are talking to one of the most nervous women on the planet! (Not to mention one of the most impatient!) I totally understand! LOL. xx
DeleteI've said it before, and I'll say it again: few better ways to start my morning than having a new post from Arabia or Stone Mountain waiting for me to go with my morning coffee!
ReplyDeleteWonderful flowers, and I love the idea of going on a guided wildflower walk. Such a shame that Richard had to work. But of course now you can be his guide!
It seemed to be more about photography than wildflowers, but never mind, it was a nice way to see the flowers on a cool, overcast morning. And yes, now I can take Richard back with me! xx
DeleteAnother wonderful walk. I am so grateful for your refreshing blog postings.
ReplyDeleteI love the Tradescantia and that mill wheel. I'm so glad the threatening sky didn't put you off.
Hey John!
DeleteSo happy you liked this. My photos are just NOT as good as Richard's! If only he could have gone, he would have gotten some GREAT shots for you!!
I really love the blue of the Trdescantia too. Have you ever looked it up and seen who it is named after? I think I mentioned it on one of my posts before.
The Grist Mill is just so pretty in all seasons and all kinds of weather!
Great selection of flowers there Kay. You're lucky to have so much variety in your local area with the size of the USA as I know many people in the middle states have a long journey to visit beauty spots with a lush fertile climate.
ReplyDeleteEven the southern part of Georgia is very different, much flatter and not as many trees...good for crops though, we are just now getting the famous Vidalia onions in now, they are the best!! :-)
DeleteI so enjoyed your hike and all the beautiful flowers. This is such a gorgeous time of year! Hope you have a terrific Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteThanks! Hope you have a great week ahead!
DeleteWhat pretty flowers!
ReplyDeleteThey must look very delicate compared to the ones that you see in Hawaii!
DeleteOh, Kay, what beautiful flowers! I would have gone in a heart beat though I wonder whether I could walk for two hours! But this is the kind of day I love most. Do you know the name of the flower above the picture with the wild Columbine? It is lovely and I'm not familiar with it, yet it looks slightly familiar....
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kristi! We did a lot of stopping and looking at things, so it wasn't a proper long walk like it sounds!
DeleteNo, that pretty little lavender colored flower was at the entrance to the Nature Garden and if it had a sign, I didn't see it. I do wonder what it is...if I find out, I will edit the post and put the name in there. If you find out, let me know! :-)
I found a great page of Georgia wildflowers -
Deletehttp://uswildflowers.com/wfquery.php?State=GA, but am not sure which your mystery flower is.......Perhaps the penstemon?
Penstemon! I just looked and that looks like it to me!
DeleteI feel like dancing around, you know, like from "My Fair Lady"!
By George, I think she's got it! :-)
There are some stunning flowers there. What a treat.
ReplyDeleteI love seeing shapes in the clouds. I was driving towards a formation that looked like the British Isles earlier in the week, and I couldn't take a pic because there was no stopping on the road I was on.
Ha! I can just see you telling a police officer that you just HAD to stop and take a photo of the cloud in the shape of the British Isles!
DeleteI see hearts and faces in lots of things, I always have!
Wow! Beautiful flowers - enjoyed that no end. I remember the Grist Mill well. I would just love to walk up Stone Mountain again but for now,"Thank you muchly" for my virtual walk! x
ReplyDeleteHey Pat!
DeleteYou know that looking toward the water wheel is towards the East, so I made sure to raise my water bottle to you, you know I thought of you!!
Stone Mountain is just as lovely as you remember it. "Recall a lovely memory as often as you wish, you can never wear it out." xx
Love your photos, we'll have to make it to northern Georgia some time.
ReplyDeleteIf you are ever at Stone Mountain, let me know! I will do my best to show you around! :-)
DeleteSuch beautiful wildflowers, Kay! And thank you so much for identifying them. Tradescantia sounds so much prettier than spiderwort! Have a happy day! XOX
ReplyDeleteThanks, Louise!
DeleteRichard and I just pick which names we like the best, sometimes we use the common names and sometimes the Botanical ones, we are funny that way! xx
Such a beautiful area! We have the broad leaf magnolias around here, and if they are left to grow, they can become almost as big around as the oaks!
ReplyDeleteWow, as big around as an oak! That's Louisiana for you, must be all that heat and HUMIDITY, am I right?? xx
Deletewhat a beautiful place! love that last bloom - very exotic. and the mountain laurel as well!
ReplyDeletethanks for coming by today!
Thanks! And thank you for your lovely bird photos! I love birds, but it's hard to get good photos of them, they fly away so quickly!
DeleteOh wow! Beautiful! A girl could be jealous! :)
ReplyDeleteYes, but YOU can build a snowman!! :-)
DeleteLove the photos. I really like the Mountain Laurel.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kay! The Mountain Laurel was just gorgeous, blooming beside the cool stream. The white blossoms were dropping and the petals lining the way made me feel like a bride! xx
DeleteThanks for braving the weather threat for us Kay. Interesting reading Betsy's comment--that was one of our favorite hiking areas.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love that you are familiar with the area that Betsy mentioned in her comment. That's one of the reasons I love blogging, thanks for telling me that!
DeleteYou should look at Betsy's blog, she is a wonderful writer and I think you would really like to read it.
Gorgeous photos, particularly the wild columbine - such lovely colours. Spring seems to have been in overdrive here this year and everywhere seems twice as lush and covered in more flowers than usual - my heart sings. x
ReplyDeleteWow, everything is so, so gorgeous. I'm not familiar with that Mountain Laurel but it is so beautiful. One day, one day....I swear I'll make it there!!! :-)
ReplyDelete