Early spring meadow, May 2021
A week after the 40th Anniversary celebration of the Barton Arboretum, I took a walk on R8 through the main East meadow. The most prominent plants in sight were the wild yellow mustards. But the main treat of the day was an extensive patch of small blue flowers off the path toward the silo.
Fiftieth Anniversary Fireworks
This year is the 50th anniversary of Medford Leas and the 40th anniversary of the Barton Arboretum. As part of the celebration of both anniversaries, which included residents gathering outside to enjoy and toast the Arboretum, a special display of fireworks capped off the evening.
There’s a bright purple haze on the Meadows
In the neighborhood of Medford Leas, on highway shoulders and on un-manicured lawns, a swath of purple delights the eye. The predominant weed on this lawn is Purple Dead Nettle (Lamium purpureum). The common name is a bit absurd, as it combines two errors. First, it’s not a “Nettle” (they’re members of the Rose family), but instead a mint,
Memories of Special Moments
The Lumberton Social Committee invited each resident to share a photograph that they took of a Special Moment that brought joy. A panel of three residents from the Medford campus selected the best in each category, without knowing the names of the entrants. The winners:
Pi (π) Day Flowers – March 14, 2021
Yesterday, 3.14(159267…) , was a perfect day for flower photography, if only some were in bloom. Not much on the Railroad trail, other than the patch of snowdrops…. and nothing much else, until midway down Cathedral Trail, where I found a secret patch of Spotted Wintergreen. It has survived aggressive cleanup! It will not bloom until late July. A native
Christmas Bird Count
For the past few years, the Medford Leas Birders have added the National Audubon Society’s Christmas Bird Count to our winter activities, thus contributing to the largest international bird data base in existence. Fortunately, a walk on the trails with our masks and social distance is a way we can participate in the census and still follow healthy pandemic guidelines.