Saturday, April 13, 2013

Amazing April At Arabia


Diamorpha smallii blooming on Arabia Mountain (That is solid ROCK that you see, the plants are in very shallow soil directly on TOP of the rock!)
 
 
This Canada Goose (Branta canadensis) must have been passing by and was puzzled that he was in Georgia! He seemed to be a bit overwhelmed by the beauty.
 



 

Yellow Jasmine (Gelsemium Sempervirens)-Wish you could smell this!!

 
It's time for the diamorpha to bloom...tiny white starlike blossoms.  Look closer...
Do you see why I don't want anyone to step upon any of the sand on Arabia Mountain? You don't want to miss seeing this! And you would not want to destroy it!

 
 
One flower stitchwort (minuartia uniflora)...I call them JOY-flowers because I am overjoyed when I see them!)
 
Yellow Sunnybells  (Schoenolirion croceum)  
 
Can you see the pale green leaves on the horizon? So lovely to finally see them!
I have given you the botanical names of the wildflowers at Arabia Mountain but it is not necessary to know their names to appreciate their beauty.  Enjoy! (All photos taken by my husband, Richard on our TWO hour walk, late afternoon of April 12th.  We didn't want to leave!)
 
 
 

And I have to share this photo from last weekend...these are the cherry trees along the trail at Lenora Park in Gwinnett County, the county just north of us. Richard and I stopped here and had a bit of a walk.  We couldn't resist walking under these trees.   Almost all of them have lost their blossoms now, but they were magnificent! Hope your Spring is coming along nicely!

38 comments:

  1. Stunning!!! How wonderful to be able to enjoy these sights on a regular basis. We did manage to have some of that gorgeous Jasmine on our back fence for a short time.

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    1. Thanks! We are lucky.
      Jasmine is so fragrant, we can smell it sometimes before we see it!

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  2. Long, deep sigh....one day I hope to see the diamorpha blooming in person. It is truly so beautiful! I love all the photos but the goose one is my favorite. I WORSHIP the Canadian geese. I see them all over town and they just make me smile...instantaneously. They don't even have to do anything. It's all the cuteness. (Smile)

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    1. That goose was so funny! It truly looked as if he just couldn't believe his luck at landing at the lake beside Arabia and couldn't resist checking it out!
      The National Geographic website that the plural is "Canada Geese" not "Canadian Geese". Please don't think I am a know-it-all for telling you this, I just learned it when I read it on the website!! :-)

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  3. Isn't it amazing how such beauty can grow in such a tiny amount of soil? It just shows that you can always find some beauty, even in the hard places. :-)

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    1. Absolutely! And we should learn a lesson from them, I think.
      Thanks for your comment, Jeanette! xx

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  4. What beautiful Spring pictures. It is amazing how well things grow there- xo Diana

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    1. Thanks, Diana! All the more reason I want people and dogs to be more careful of where they tread and where they are allowed to roam!

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  5. what absolutely stunning pictures, kay. the little flowers in front of all that rock is pretty striking.

    what glorious weather. mine, i hope, is not far behind.


    kj

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    1. Thanks, KJ!
      I love "my" little white flowers! Before I knew the name, I called them JOY flowers because I was so happy to see them.
      They are truly a sight blowing in the breeze on the mountain as your climb.
      Your Spring will be delightful! After a long Winter, Spring is so welcome!

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  6. Those flowers blooming in such shallow soil ... like tiny miracles. So beautiful.

    Our spring is still asleep ... my chives are 2" tall and that's about the extent of it. :)

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    1. "Like tiny miacles", that is exactly so, dear Sue!

      Spring may be a bit late for you, but it will come!

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  7. Beautiful flowers always brighten my day. It's amazing what grows there, Kay. I'm with the Canada Goose - I'd be stunned by the beauty as well!

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    1. What is SO amazing is that MOST people who live here have NO idea of the beauty. For many, it is just thought of as an old rock quarry with a pile of rocks and they don't realize how nature has re-claimed it.
      It is stunning but only for those who have eyes to see it.

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  8. These are all such different floral plant life from what we have here in Hawaii. It's all so spectacularly gorgeous. I wish I could be there to see it myself. Wow!

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    1. The plant life is very different on the monadnocks in Georgia. Many of the plants only grow on the rock, that is what makes it so special!
      And of course, I would love to see all the flowers in Hawaii!!

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  9. It's definitely here now in my part of the world, Kay, but it'll still be a while before cherry trees can show their blossoms.
    The flowers on Arabia are beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!
    I do feel a bit sorry for the goose; he must have lost his companions. It is very unusual for one of them being on their own. Hope he managed to catch up with the group again.

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    1. Richard said the same thing, that it was unusual to see one goose all alone. We have these geese that live in this area year round, so maybe he lives nearby (we have never seen one here before) and also, I read that Canada geese have "resting places" when they migrate, maybe Arabia Mountain is a resting place. It would be a good one!
      And you are right, the flowers are beautiful, beautiful, beautiful!! :-)

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  10. Amazing that so much can grow in such a harsh environment. It just shows how wonderful nature is and so beautiful too. Spring is slooooowly arriving here. The temperature has at last started to rise and leaves are actually starting to appear on trees now - it's been a long time coming. x

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    1. The ranger on our Panola Mountain walk told us that the plants on Panola Mountain, Stone Mountain and Arabia Mountain are really like desert plants, which is funny since they are surrounded by heavy woodlands. When you start walking up any of these mountains or monadnocks, it is like stepping into a another world.
      Our Spring was a bit late too, but now, leaves are bursting out all over!!

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  11. Ah Spring has sprung and flowers bloom at last. Lovely!

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    1. And the time of the singing birds has come!

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  12. It's good to see all those beautiful blooms. They do leave you with a feeling of JOY for sure. Here only a few brave daffodils have managed to bloom. It's been chilly and wet. It'll come for us too, it always does.

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    1. JOY! Exactly so! You are right, Spring follows Winter, you can bet on it! (Sometimes, we even have SUMMER instead of Spring in Georgia!)

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  13. These are beautiful photos, Kay! I am in love with those cherry trees. I have a baby cherry tree planted in my back yard. We added it last spring. I hope it grows to be gorgeous. Have a wonderful Sunday.

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    1. I am in love with cherry trees too! I look forward to your photos of cherry blossoms!

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  14. I can believe you didn't want to leave, the flora is so beautiful, as well as the mountain. We are waiting for our cherry tree to blossom, then everything else follows. We are about 3 weeks late this year!
    Have a good week Kay.
    Ivan

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    1. We really had things to do at home...like cooking and eating our dinner but doggone it, that just had to wait!
      You will appreciate your Spring all the more!!
      Hope you have a wonderful week ahead! x

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  15. Spring has mostly sprung here, too. It's going to be a good one, once it really gets going!

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    1. And sometimes our Spring lasts for about 5 minutes, and then it's Summer until almost November!! Am I right?

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  16. I love your new header photo and the eighth photo on the post. They are so YOU. Lovely photos, Richard.

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    1. Thanks so much, John!
      I agree, Richard's photos are outstanding. He thinks that it is the subject matter but I promise you, I have seen other photos of Arabia Mountain and his are the BEST!!

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  17. Thank you for sharing your lovely walk on Arabia Mountain, Kay! The flowers are exquisite ~ especially the diamorpha and stitchwort. And I would love to smell the yellow jasmine! Richard has done a great job of capturing their beauty! Have a fun week!

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    1. Glad you enjoyed it too! Come along with us anytime!
      We walked on Stone Mountain yesterday, and it rained on us for the whole afternoon! Oh well, it made a memory and all the living things need the rain. xx

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  18. Kay, You don't know how badly I would love to smell and see all those wonderful flowering things. Beautiful!!! I am amazed at the diamorpha..never have heard of it or seen any before now. Thank you for us.xoxo,Susie

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    1. The diamorpha is very special and beautiful, you would love it!
      You will have your Spring soon with lots of flowers!
      Thanks for your comment. xx

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  19. I think I have said before I love the way these plants grow on the rock (rock plants obviously). The cherry blossom is beautiful and much earlier in flower than here.

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    1. It looks as if the plants are growing from the rock, but they are in just the tinest amount of soil that is on the rock. All the more reason people should be careful and NOT step on any of the sandy parts that are on the rocks, because that is where the plants grow!! (I am hoping that someone will see this who walks over Arabia Mountain and it will remind them to step only on the grey rock!!)
      Thanks for your comment, Barbara! (And our cherry tree blossoms were late for us too this year!)

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