April in the Woods

Yesterday I took a short walk along the C&O canal, just upstream of the DC/MD line.  The woodland was all abloom!

An allover carpet of green-and-gold

Chrysogonum virginianum

played host to Virginia bluebells,

Mertensia virginica

phlox,

Phlox divaricata or P. stolonifera?  I don't know.

and a mystery yellow flower.

??

Bluebells also lined the canal.

More Mertensia

Overhead, a shrub had some exotic-looking red flowers.  And idea what this is?


A friend gave me the answer to this one:  it's a paw paw!

 Back in my own garden, I have phlox and green-and-gold growing.  I've planted bluebells in the past, but they don't seem to think my yard is woodsy enough.

So Those are Joshua Trees? Huh.

Driving through the high desert in California, through a rugged and mostly barren landscape, I saw only some ugly, scrubby trees.

My traveling companion informed me they are Joshua Trees.

Huh.

For a tree that got its own national park, I expected something more.

A Green Wall

I was in Las Vegas recently.  (My first visit.)  Had fun gaping at all the extravagance on the strip, but was missing green things.  I did find this green wall.

I wonder what the plant is, and how much water it needs.

Oh, I also bought myself some lucky socks.  They paid for themselves.

Birthday Blooms

Thanks, M&M, for the pretty birthday flowers yesterday!