As popular as the Nauset Light is as an Eastham tourist destination, it might have less buzz than the shining sumac nearby — at least while it’s in bloom. The […]
LAVENDER & LACE
A Salt Lover’s Life
The intertidal zone around the circular 40-foot-deep Salt Pond in Eastham is divided into strata: the inner ring is composed of the tall saltmarsh cordgrass, which prefers the inundation of […]
AN IFFY LIE
Beyond That Red Barn, Sacro Bosco Revisited
A horticulturalist’s reverie on the mini-golf potential of the world’s great gardens
EASTHAM — As a recent student of landscape design — an endeavor that involves examining the layout and imagery of the famous gardens of the world — I couldn’t help […]
SWEET SPHERES
A Walk in the Buttonbushes
The straight stems and spherical inflorescences of Cephalanthus occidentalis are reminiscent of childhood craftwork, each cluster like a model molecule or solar system made from sticks and foam. The individual […]
BATHING BEAUTIES
What’s Up, Water-Lily?
Chancing upon a nymph in her freshwater abode could be the inciting incident in a mythological tale, an encounter leading to glory or ruin. Fortunately, the Nymphaea odorata bathing near Blackwater Pond seems […]
SAILOR’S DELIGHT
Midsummer’s Sweet Scent
It has been written that upon approaching our shores shipmen of old would take great pleasure in the sweet perfume of Clethra alnifolia that traveled over the waves to welcome […]
TRANSITIONS
In Fancy Frocks of Red
The native Lobelia cardinalis was named for its intense cardinal color, which in turn was derived from those certain Catholic clerics (who for centuries have fancied frocks of the brightest […]
PROJECT RUNWAY
The Tiger Swallowtail’s Favorite Show
The conspicuous red-orange blooms of the wood lily are runway lights to certain overhead fliers, guiding them in for landing like air traffic control. Lilium philadelphicum requires a large vehicle […]
AMBER WAVES
A Grass Presages Autumn
The tan flower stalks of Deschampsia flexuosa seem out of place this early in the season, presaging the end of summer just when we were getting warmed up. A cool-season […]
SMILAX
Nothing to Smile At
’Round these parts, venturing off the forest trail and into the brush is not without some risk. Poison ivy is common, Lyme-bearing ticks lie in wait, and the native vine […]
PINK FLAMINGOS
A Local Rose Has Its Day
The last days of May saw the first beachside blooms of the naturalized Asian species Rosa rugosa, and June was filled with the dramatic, arching white displays of multiflora rose, […]
MILKWEED
A Commoner for the Monarchs
There are many threats to the survival of the monarch, that iconic orange-and-black butterfly that migrates each summer from Mexico to the Northeast and back over multiple generations. One is […]
SEEDY AND SUNBAKED
Oh Lanceolata, Thou Showeth Up Everywhere
Yellow-blooming species of the Coreopsis genus are not native to New England, though several have come from elsewhere in the country to naturalize here. The most widespread visitor is Coreopsis lanceolata, a tough […]
VERY POPULAR
The Tallest Tulips Are From Tennessee
Getting to inspect the blooms of a tulip poplar while out for a walk is a treat, since they’re often visible only to those equipped with wings. The tallest native […]
IRIS ESCAPADES
I’m So Over This Rainbow
The iris shares its name with the Greek goddess of the rainbow, ostensibly for the multitude of colors found across its hundreds of species worldwide. In this neck of the […]
