Last week The Deer Hunter and I stogged around in the woods for most of the day. He said it was much too humid to be out and about, but I know he enjoyed the trip as much as I did even if he was hot. We both dearly love to be in the woods.
As summer wanes in the southern mountains of Appalachia there are still many wildflower blooms to admire. The beautiful royal color of ironweed and the towering lavender spheres of queen of the meadow come to mind.
More rare in my mountain holler is the cardinal flower. The wildflower likes to grow in wet areas.
The blooms are a vibrant red. The lush color really stands out among the deep greens of late summer and I’m always tickled to see it growing wild.
We found several cardinal flowers growing right in the creek on our outing. It’s an area I’ve always loved. The creek is very shallow along the way and pretty much covers the old road bed leaving islands of earth here and there among its waters. Moss and other wild plants take advantage of the small pieces of rocky ground to spring forth as they reach towards the sun in the shady depths of the woods.
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I grew up and still live in a little place outside Asheville, NC. I as just noticing what you call Cardinal flower over the past week along the creeks of our property. I had never heard of Cardinal flower my maternal grandmother always called it Horse Mint and I still enjoy seeing it as it always brings back wonderful memories I had of time spent with her as a child.
Cardinal flower and jewelweed are late season gifts for migrating hummingbirds. I’ve managed to grow some here in Michigan in our woods and around our water feature. Brings a little bit of home and the birds some sustenance.
I have a lot of those red flowers growing behind my pond along with goldenrod and purple thistle. All 3 are beautiful growing together.
Yours and Matt ‘s hike through the woods is beautiful! Richard and I have always loved to hike! Happy Anniversary ( belated) and congratulations on becoming grandparents! We are so excited about being great-grandparents!
Praying for Granny and Katie!
Beautifully written – thank you!
i was born near you in 1939, so i like your web site and your r girls to , i was real close to were you live just over mountains [lace called marble nc . i bet you know were that is, tell the girls to go over to murphy to the old quarry hole and they will find blue marble would make real nice setting, Thank you for bringing my home close me
Glad I am not the only one who stoggs!!
I want to thank both you and Matt for recording your hike. I too enjoy to explore the surrounding areas (the ones that I’m able to without steep inclines or slippery footings). Due to my mobility I’m not able to climb anymore but with your hikes I get to view the beautiful scenery and learn the history of your area. I thank my chiropractor visits to allow me to move around flat areas but my age and strength (along with arthritic limbs) it doesn’t allow me to explore like I use to.
We (hubby & I) would like to wish you and Matt a wonderful 29th anniversary of wedded bliss! We also would like to wish Matt a HAPPY RETIREMENT! We enjoy watching your videos and will also be interested in some input from Matt since he will be home more. Matt my hubby thought you probably have a wealth of knowledge on giving your input with hunting, fishing and your point of view even on your cooking!
Tipper when the weather gets a little more chill in the air I’ll be able to use the many of your recipes in the cookbook we got at the Mast General Store in Knoxville when you and the girls were there.
Many prayers for Granny and her cancer report. I know first hand the trials and tribulations of both chemo and radiation since I had gone through them both in 2015/2016. The treatment will make her more tired but please make sure she drinks plenty of fluid and eat a lot of greens. I learned greens are very good (especially broccoli). Loved the video of Granny singing with your brother. Actually we love all the videos you post and look forward to them. I even listen to the books you read to us!
Again thank you & Matt for sharing your lives and adventures in Appalachia with us, many blessings to you and the family.
This comment is also about walks in the woods but of not seeing flowers. I have read the old post from Feb.2018 about rich pine. I read about Pap helping his grandmother find rich pine and of her having a sack to put smaller pieces of it in. I was lucky to live beside of my maternal grandaddy, as a young boy, my sun came up and went down with him, being with him was the joy of my life. Each fall of the year, he would take the sack he used for picking cotton and an axe and we would walk through the woods looking for rich pine-we called it lightened. We would take a snack of some kind with us and cup our hands and drink water out of a creek. After I was grown and would be out hunting and find some, I would put small pieces of it in the pocket of my game vest and bring it back for my daddy, he only used to wood to heat their home.
I really enjoyed the video of yours and Matt’s walk in the woods. You always point out wildflowers and plants that are so interesting. I particularly like a mountain stream. They always seem so peaceful and relaxing to me. Thank you for sharing your world with us. Continued prayers for you and all your family.
God’s creation is always so beautiful!
Tipper. you, Matt, Chitter and Chatter are doing good things in taking us along with you on your strolls up the ridge above your home. It provides a real touch of reality that’s missing in many of our environments. Your comments about various flora are instructional and also enjoyable. Thank you for sharing.
What Treasures we find in our beautiful mountains ! I so love going walking in the thicket
above our home place. The water is low right now, but there was beautiful “flowers out of place”
everywhere, along the road, in the edge of the yard. So wonderful going back Home again.
We love to do “creek walking” but gave it up a few years ago when the ticks in the woods became a problem. Can you recommend a good, old fashioned tick repellent that doesn’t have some of those horrible chemicals?
JC-we just checked for ticks very carefully once we get home 🙂 maybe someone else has a suggestion.
Avon Skin So Soft~~bugs hate it! Even a mosquito won’t come near it. I buy the liquid in a spray bottle.
I’ve never seen a cardinal flower before. Love the color! Going on walks in the woods is like a treasure hunt, never knowing what you will find. Continued prayers for Granny and all of you. Have a blessed day.
My husband’s grandmother, grandma Marceline, was a master painter. She painted so realistically, oils mostly. One of my favorites was a painting she did of queens lace. I remember as a young lady, around 20 years old, thinking, why in the world would she want to paint weeds? Queens lace grows along the road sides in our area. Of course now I know better.
Where I live, I love marsh marigolds which also grow near creeks in the woods–bright yellow and a waxy gloss. So pretty.
Beautiful.
Thank you.
I was looking for cardinal flowers yesterday where a creek entered the lake. It looked to be such a good place for them but no luck. They sure are eyecatching. There are not a lot of deep red wildflowers and it is the most showy of the ones I can think of.
I always the woods, all the seasons bring new sights, sounds and smells. I think I could almost smell the woods where you took your stogg. Peaceful. I wonder who all took advantage of the thinking chairs? Prayers for all.
From that same video, I really liked the reddish-pinkish seedling coming up that you thought could be a little tree in the future. I so enjoyed your walk with Matt, and your little picnic of PP&J! So simple, so lovely.
Enjoyed the video. Loved to hear the sounds of the woods. I’m like you, when I see an old house or barn I wonder about the family that lived there. So many stories they could tell. Stay cool, it is in the 90″s all week! I am ready for the cool, crisp says of fall. Prayers for all! Take care and God bless ❤️
I am no longer able to take walks in the woods because of being ate up with arthritis. I was told when I was in my 20’s I would be this way by the time I got to my 60’s by an orthopedic doctor that grew up my mother and her family and knew them well. If there is such a thing, I inherited it from them. In my area , each year the growing seasons of the year seem to be getting hotter and dryer and a lot of wildflowers and things of this sort are suffering because of this. This year we had two months of temperatures of 90 degrees and above weather with less than an inch of rain. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for 96 degrees. A large creek that runs through my property stopped flowing and is barely flowing now. I remember seeing flowers, moss, etc back in the past around this creek and woods but no longer see them. I think I remember seeing red flowers like this (could have been somewhere else) but had no idea of their name.
A long walk in the woods is an adventure. Never know what you’ll find and it’s good for the soul.
Hot weather is upon us this week so stay hydrated if working outside!
Sending blessings to all!
One of the things that all of my grandchildren love to do is walk in the woods, and especially to find a little creek. It’s a place where they can throw rocks and marvel at the splash, or toss sticks and see how fast or slow they float. They love to look at all the the colors of flowers and mushrooms and feel the softness of moss growing on the rocks, trees, and ground. They love “collecting” things to take back to Pap and Grammy’s house—acorns, flowers, leaves, twigs—We lay their treasures out on the porch, find paper plates and glue, and they go to work, creating art that they are so excited to show off to mommy and daddy.
What a beautiful red! I have only seen a cardinal flower just a few times. They are so beautiful. Easy to spy amongst all the lush green. Much like a male cardinal resting on a branch in a tree.
That flower is very pretty! I have never seen it before. I am praying for you and your family!
Donna. : )
As a child, I loved green. And 70+ years later, I still love green. All the various shades of green just shouts, “Life” to me. Most folks say, Red is the color of life cause it’s the color of blood. But it doesn’t stay red. When oxygen hits it, it turns brown. When walking in the woods, the faintest bit of color does catch my eye and a bit of chill races through my nervous system. Whether it’s lavender, red, yellow, or blue. My late father seemed to fail noticing anything other than cultivated spreads. Yes, I appreciate seeing the hard work that mass gardening produces but a tiny color pop from what he called a ‘weed’ will always excite me more. (At an early age I learned that what people call a weed is a plant out of place. To me, very few plants are out of place.)
I watched your video about your hike in the woods. The whole area was so pretty. The flowers are so beautiful.
I do love to watch you guys wander around the mountains and it always makes me miss living in Blue Ridge. Your knowledge of the types and kinds of flowers is admirable, I wish I could name all the plants that I like. Looking for some good news on Granny’s next Doctor’s visit. According to another You Tuber, Appalachia Homestead, you might be getting some snow this winter if her ‘reading’ of persimmon seeds are correct. Stay warm and safe you guys. God Bless.
Beautiful photo, Tipper! This looks like a flower a hummingbird would enjoy. Do you see them around?