GREEN SPRING GARDENS IN ALEXANDRIA, VIRGINIA , CONTINUED

When we went to the garden last Wednesday afternoon, we didn't go down to the pond area this time.  Both wanting a walk in pleasant surroundings but being a little tired, we opted for the green where it is nice and flat. We also wanted to make it a short trip as we were picking up dinner at 4.00 from a local restaurant to take home.  

I noticed buds on the trees.  We have had a few warmish days lately (as I type this on the following Sunday - 2-13-22 - it is snowing.  Fortunately, it doesn't look like it is going to be more than an inch.)

The Snowdrops are also blooming.  Its scientific name is Galanthus.  You can read more about it at this link.  It says there are 20 different snowdrop species, with several hundred hybrids.  They thrive in full sun to part shade, and grow well under deciduous trees where exposure to the sun is full during early spring, but changes to part shade as the leaves fill out.

I am always drawn to the trees.  I would happily live in the middle of a forest if I could.

“If you would know strength and patience, welcome the company of trees.”

~Hal Borland~

“For in the true nature of things, if we rightly consider, every green tree is far more glorious than if it were made of gold and silver.”

~Martin Luther~

There are several small side-gardens, nooks really, with a bench in each one.  They are usually quiet little places to sit for a while, and always very peaceful.  You see people pass by, but you are tucked away in your own little world.  This one was adorned with stars...

I used the star below in a post a few days ago.

Did you know that any star in our sky that appears to have a bluish tint is far hotter than our sun?

Every star you see in the night sky is bigger and brighter than our sun, and our sun is a dwarf star.

If you click here, you will be taken to a website to these very interesting facts. Yes, I have the attention span of a gnat, and I am easily distracted when I put a post together, but it is always very interesting what can be found online.  

And back to the garden, this is the path we take.

Below you can see Witch hazel, botanical name Hamamelis virginiana, and originates from North America.  Common names are American witch-hazel, Common witch hazel, and Striped alder.  Witch hazel was used regularly in the 20th century for locating water sources.  The practice, called dowsing or water witching, is still occasionally used in dowsing.  A forked stick of witch hazel is held perpendicular to the ground and moved slowly over it.  The belief is that when a water source is directly under the stick, it will dip or jump.

Below is the Eastern red cedar, botanical name Juniperus virginiana.  Common names are Pencil cedar, Red juniper, Virginian juniper and Aromatic cedar.  It is native to the eastern United States and Canada.  

Those blue berries, the fruit of the tree, is an important food source for birds in winter. A member of the Juniper family, the Eastern red cedar provides nesting or roosting for the Cooper's Hawk and owls, including the Eastern Screech-Owl, Short-eared Owl and the Northern Saw-whet Owl.  Songbirds will use the tree for nesting such as Thrashers, Sparrows and the Eastern Towhee.  Its berries are particularly popular with the Cedar Waxwing, but are also enjoyed by the Eastern Bluebird, Ruffed Grouse, Ring-necked Pheasant and Wild Turkey.  Also, the Black-capped Chickadee and Kinglets will feast on insects in Eastern red cedar, and you can even find Woodpeckers and Sapsuckers poking at the bark.  Its wood is used in fencing as it is resistant to rot, and it is also used to line closets and chests since it also resists moths. 

One last fact about this tree is that in the late 19th century, its wood was used to make pencils and it became a pillar industry of many areas.  However, the exhaustion of wood resources brought the industry to an end.  To this day it is still known as the Pencil Cedar.

And this is all I have to share about Green Spring Gardens, at least until the next time we go.  

Thanks for looking and enjoy the rest of your week.