Spring flower walk in the woods

Come along with me for another hike in the woods.

skunk cabbage in bloomskunk cabbageI grew up in Hudson Valley and would come across Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) all the time but rarely had the pleasure of seeing them in bloom. The maroon pointy hood, called a spathe, holds and protects the flower when it emerges out of the ground. Although they are known for their odor, I really couldn’t smell them even though there were quite a few along the path.

cut-leaved toothwortI have never noticed Cut-leaved Toothwort (Cardamine concatenate) before and was amazed how they seemed to be everywhere. How did I ever miss them? They get their name from their ivory colored roots as well as being used for toothaches.

MertensiaAnother new flower to me is Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica). Their blossoms are absolutely breathtaking.

Smooth Yellow VioletThe Smooth Yellow Violet (Viola pensylvanica) is always a treat to see in the woods. They differ from the Downy Yellow Violet (Viola pubescens) as their stems are smoothed unlike the Downy Yellow Violet.

Blue Cohoshblue cohosh in bloomIt is amazing that Blue Cohosh (Caulophyllum thalictroides) is an “at-risk” plant as it is so abundant in the Finger Lakes Region. I love the delicate dark wine colored blossom. It looks almost black. Blue Cohosh is a powerful medicinal herb for women.

Our spring visitors

Just about every spring, little and big black ants start coming into our kitchen. It really does not matter where we live they seem find us and announce spring in our home, like ladybugs announce fall in our home. I guess we create a warm inviting home for 6-legged critters. Unlike ladybugs, I do not care to entertain ants.

So every spring I find a couple of little jars, poke several holes in their lids and add a simple bait which seems to work like magic and in less than a week the ants have vanished.

ant trap and boraxAnts Begone Recipe

small jar with holes in lid

1 tsp. Borax

1 tsp. powered sugar

warm water

Mix ingredients so everything is fully dissolved into the water. Fill each jar half way, put on lid with several holes and place jars throughout kitchen. Make sure they are out of reach from children and pets. You can find borax in the laundry section of most grocery stores, 20 Mule Team is a fairly common brand. Borax is an excellent detergent booster and after I use some borax in my ant traps, I use the rest in our laundry. Adding just ¼ cup brightens up the load and helps get stains out.