Carolina Flora

We've been here just about two weeks and I find myself falling love with the countryside of the Carolinas. The area I am talking of is Upstate South Carolina and the Hendersonville area of North Carolina. Beautiful rolling hills and luscious greens abound everywhere. There are Japanese maples, multi hued evergreens and dogwoods in every landscaped yard it seems. And the blue hydrangeas and gardenias are blooming in profusion. I'm especially enamored with all the native plants growing here and there in abundance. Much of the land does not seem to be hampered with the invasion of non native plants from what I can see. Except of course the occasional mimosa and some areas of kudzu but it's not everywhere as it seems to be in many low lying areas of many states. Perhaps the winter cold here holds it at bay.

Peering into the woods here and there I see so many flowering plants blooming in abundance. Orange day lilies line just about every roadside ditch and there is profusion of queen anne's lace. Today I spotted this orange beauty and I have no idea what it is but I just love it. Do you know what it is? I would have gotten out of my car to take a closer look at the leaves but there was no where to pull off the road safely. You know this looks like a butterfly weed. Could it be? I also spotted a blue salvia a little farther along the road but neglected to stop again to take a photo. I may have to pick up a book of native plants for this area to learn all I wish I knew. I guess we're expecting more rain storms today. Good I got a fix of the outdoors while I could. White rabbit to you all. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

Little Things Like No-See-Ums

The other day when we went to the fish market, Gary went inside to get the fish and I walked around to harvest some leaves. While I was walking around I saw these wonderful climbing wild aster blooming.

The large heart shaped leaves are kudzu, the aster has the smaller darker green leaves.

Later I noticed some bamboo bark lying on the ground. I collected these three pieces to bring home with me. As I was getting in the car Gary said he had been bitten on his legs by no-see-ums. They itched him for over a week. I was spared as they were near the water and I didn't go over there. When we got home, I had Gary rub baking soda water on his legs which helped with the itching, and he used some lavender spritzer which also helped. Gary counted 92 bites on his legs; only Gary would count them. Ha.

At home out by our pool we noticed this strange spider and found out it's a spiny backed orb weaver.  Sometimes the little things in life are just what's needed like flowers, other times not, like no-see-ums. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.