GREEN SPRING GARDENS - PART 1 - 9-2-21

We were here last month, at the beginning of September.   If you don't walk down to the pond (the road was blocked off as a wall was being built - no ponds this day), the area is nice and flat with a huge green in the center, and flowers all around the edge of the garden.  For the dilly-dalliers like me there are many beautiful flowers to explore and to take photos of.  For those who are more into proper exercise (and we do get our exercise but at a more "let's take a photo of that flower" exercise, dilly-dally), it is a great place for serious walkers, with the added benefit of being in beautiful surroundings.There is also the house.  I have often thought how lovely it would have been to live there.  Its history can be found at this link.  If you scroll down at that website, you will see a slide show of the house in every season.

I have shared it many times in the lifetime of this blog.  In 1784 John Moss built a square, two-story Georgian brick house on 540 acres of farmland in Fairfax County, but at the link above you can read its very interesting history.  There is a small tea room inside where you could order an afternoon tea.  Not sure if they are still being offered, especially since everything went a bit haywire.  Best to check at their website to see if you can reserve a table.  If you find yourself in the area the website will be a good source of information.  

The Grape Leaf Anemone grows in the flower bed in front of the house. Botanical name Eriocapitella vitifolia, and its common name is Grape leaf windflower, so called because "Anemone" comes from the Greek word "Anemoi", which means "winds".  It originated in the Himalayas.  

Next photo shows Boton de oro, botanical name Melampodium divaricatum.  Also known as Hierba aguada, Blackfoot and Goldenbutton.  It is an annual plant and grows to a height of three feet. Its genus name (Blackfoots) comes from its black stalks, combining the Greek "melam" which means "black" and "pous" which means foot.  It needs full sun to partial shade in well-drained soil.

This is Blue mistflower, botanical name Conoclinium coelestinum.  Also known as Mistflower, Wild ageratum and Blue boneset.  It is an herbaceous perennial and native to North America.  The plant produces clusters of bright blue, violet or white flower heads.  Since there are many thin and long flower petals in each flower, it creates a misty appearance.  Also the flowers are blue so it is called blue mistflower.

Our next flower is Larkdaisy, botanical name Centratherum punctatum.  Also known as Brazillian button flower, Brazilian bachelor's button, lark daisy and porcupine.  Native to Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean and tropical South America.  I was quite taken with this one as I don't remember seeing it before.  It is an annual plant, spreads easily and it is treated as a weed in various warm climates, blooming in spring to the fall.  If you don't dead-head them they will in fact, spread like a weed.Brown-eyed Susan, botanical name Rudbeckia triloba.  Its common names are Thin-leaf coneflower, Browneyed susan, Three-lobed coneflower or Branched coneflower, and genus Coneflowers (Rudbeckia). Brown-eyed susans can tolerate temperatures as low as  -30 deg. F.It typically grows grows 2-4′ tall, but can reach towering heights with proper conditions and lots of care can grow as much as 8ft.

Brown-eyed susan and Black-eyed susan are not the same flower.  Brown-eyed susan will be somewhat taller than Black-eyed susan and bloom later.  The flower heads of Brown-eyed susan (1-2" diameter/2.5-5 cm) are also smaller than Black-eyed susan (3" diameter/7.5 cm).   Additionally, the central stalk of Brown-eyed susan will branch multiple times creating a shrub/busy like appearance.  While Black-eyed susans will generally be a single stalk, or have very limited branching.  Furthermore, some leaves of Brown-eyed susan will be deeply lobed, almost having 3 wide prongs.

Creeping zinnia.  Its botanical name is Zinnia angustifolia and common names are Narrow-leaf zinnia, Mexican zinnia, Zinnia and Youth-on-age.  Needing full sun to partial sun, it blooms in spring, summer and fall.  It is native to northern and western Mexico and the southwestern United States.  The plant needs little care but with a little work, you can set it and forget it. 

This pretty butterfly is called American Lady (Vanessa Virginiasis) on the Creeping Zinnia.  

The adult loves to dine on flower nectar.

It migrates north in the Spring and south in the Fall, sometimes in large numbers.  Caterpillars feed on plants in the Aster family (Compositae) such as Ironweed, pearly everlasting and plantain pussy toes. My information came from here and here.  And there are lots of photos here, which provides a map of where you can find them in the U.S and also in Canada.

I have more to share from this particular visit.  There is also a Part 2 and Part 3.  You can click on their links to take you there.