Nature’s Fireworks at Distant Hill – 7/5/14

Uncategorized 06/27/2014 1 Comment

Even though the myriad of people who are working so hard on Old Home Days may not feel like it right now, there will be life after Old Home Days.  This Nature Walk that Michael Nerrie has coming up the following Saturday should be just the thing to help fill the void. – Lil

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Nature’s Fireworks at Distant Hill
Rose Pogonia Orchid

Nature’s “fireworks” display of Rose Pogonia Orchids in the fen.

Distant Hill Gardens in Walpole will be open from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday, July 5, for a post Independence Day celebration of Nature. The highlight of the day will be a ‘Bog Walk’ from 10 am to noon. Come and experience ‘walking on water’ across our quaking Cranberry Bog, by way of a boardwalk snaking through the Peatland.

(Note: This so-called Bog at Distant Hill is technically a Fen. The difference between the two will be discussed on the Walk.)
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A native carnivorous plant, the Round-leaved Sundew.

Many of ’Nature’s Fireworks’ should be in bloom in our bog/fen, including the beautiful Rose Pogonia Orchid (Pagonia ophioglossoides), Large Cranberry (Vaccinium macrocarpon), White Water Lily (Nymphaea odorata) and a small native carnivorous plant the Round-leaved Sundew (Drosera rotundifolia).

After exploring the fen, we will visit a nearby Black Ash Seep at Distant Hill to look at the Swamp Beacons (Mitrula elegans), an interesting orange fungi putting on a colorful display in the shallow waters of the wetland.
White Water Lily Nymphaea odorata

White Water Lily, also called Fragrant Water Lily.
Swamp Beacons - No Two Alike

Swamp Beacons, a colorful native fungi.
Nature s Fireworks

The fireworks of a Mountain Laurel in bloom at Distant Hill Gardens, Kalmia latifolia ’Carousel’.

In addition to the ‘Fireworks’ display in the wetlands, the Cultivated Gardens have numerous blooming plants bursting forth with colors and form that can rival any pyrotechnics spectacle.

A $5 donation for entrance to the gardens includes the Bog Walk.

For directions and more information go to:
www.distanthillgardens.org

or call Michael at 603-756-4179

One thought on “Nature’s Fireworks at Distant Hill – 7/5/14”

  1. mnerrie's avatar
    mnerrie 06/27/2014 at 10:35 AM Reply

    Thanks for posting my email, Lil. And thanks for all your work on the Walpolean. I know it is much appreciated by many in town.

    Michael mnerrie@gmail.com

    http://www.distanthillgardens.org

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