Welcome to the best part of the world Fossilnut! We are over the hill from you on the big river side. We can't thank you enough. You are doing the right thing. All our children will benefit. The only things Mulees dont eat are tin cans, Thistles, Mullen and Napweed. And whatever the elk and the white tails get first. They come for your grass. The less you have the less they like you. Unless they are taking your water you can "steer" them next door by making sure their grass is easier and better. They are smart about food. You will have to plant all the floweres and see what likes your micro-climate, some of our flowers are really picky about where they grow. Just remember our flowers arent used to good soils and they like singing. The beautiful flowers we have are Arnica, Balsam [Arrowleaf], Fireweed, Salsify, Larkspur, Sunflower, Glaicer Lilly, Mariposa lilly, Shooting star [and about 10 other little Lillys], Astor, Death Camas, Yarrow, Fleabane, Spring Beauty, wild strawberry, Waterleaf, Phlox, Buttercup, Mustard, Scarlet Gilia, Sheep sorrel and Shepards purse. Almost all of them should grow at the lake. New guys are required to grow Camus, Wild rose, Indian paintbrush and Bitterroot to demonstrate community spirit. Of course we have a bunch more that don't flower and the birds love the Thistles and Mullen both. We have 7 and 8 foot Mullen 3 inches from our kitchen window so the birds sit at table top levle and eat and sing to us. Our - your new - state birds favorite plant is Thistle. The Wild Strawberry, Balsam, Phlox, Lupine, Yarrow and Fireweed seems to get ignored by most of the 4 footers. The Deer and Elk take the willow buds and ANYTHING else once the weather turns. You might think about putting out a salt lick and some feed for them away from your flowers if you have enough room. Yard dogs work on everything except carpetbaggers and revenuers. If you go across to HWY 25 and head south there are old fruit trees along the road you can collect seed from and there are the very best Huckelberrys in the world in all those little hills to your east. The Deer dont seem to like Wild Raspberry much if you like larger plants. We hope your yard gets full of colour and song. J.R.

Thanks for the resource - I've bookmarked it. Unfortunately, my flower is not there either. So far, I've ruled out Krigia, Sonchus, any kind of dandelion, false dandelion, hawkweed or goat's beard. It definitely didn't have basal leaves, for starters. I saw two examples of this flower about 70 yards apart at a campground in the Finger Lakes National Forest (moist woodland) in central NY state. They were not numerous. In habit and leaves, it was very reminiscent of garlic mustard - that was what made me do a double take. (see garlic mustard here: http://www.ipaw.org/invaders/garlic_mustard/gm_flower_lg.jpg) - but obviously with a flower like that, it's not in the mustard family. It would seem to be in the aster family - and the flower sort of reminded me of a small, delicate yellow chicory bloom. I'm trying to find an aster genus that would have leaves like that, though.

The Pocket of Pigeon Mountain in Georgia would not be a long drive for you. It's considered by many to be the finest wildflower site in Georgia based on the diversity and concentration of spring wildflowers. An early trip (third week of March) should give you a display of masses of bluebells and celandine poppies. This site has large populations of Trillium decumbens and flexipies and lots more. If you go once you will want to return at a different time to see the ones you miss blooming. It's an easy day hike. You can spend two to four hours or explore further on some adjacent trails. Check out this link: http://www.gnps.org/POCKET1.HTM Here's directions:From downtown LaFayette, Ga., which is on US 27 BUSINESS (Main St.), go a few blocks south and turn west on GA 193 for 8 miles to Davis Crossroads (there's a little store on the right with this name), where GA 341 comes in from the right. At this junction turn left onto Hog Jowl Road and go 2.6 miles, passing Mt. Herman Baptist Church. At the top of the next hill, turn left onto Pocket Rd. and drive 1.2 miles until the road ends. Park in the Pocket Trailhead parking lot on the left. There was a sign at the Pocket Road/Hog Jowl Road intersection but last spring it was damaged and I don't know if it's been fixed.

Hello, I'm new here, I guess this conversation is about a week old--but it interested me. I was thinking-- there is such a huge emphasis on trying to make things the way they were 'natively' or in the past when it comes to plants. Sometimes it seems almost as if planting anything perenial would be 'naughty' somehow. Funny, cuz to me, life isn't about anything if it isn't about change and adapting to whatever comes at you next. And that has been my experience all along. I kind of admire those plants that have made themselves at home in strange places. Also-- going back to the day the world began-- who knows what was native then? I live in a new construction area in North Dakota. The land around me is prairie--I have no idea if it is truly native--likely its been beet fields for awhile prior to my moving here, and was prairie long before that. There aren't exactly bison roaming nearby anymore either, but I do enjoy seeing the giant bunnies and I have found it fascinating to learn about the weather and widlife here in my new home. I am a wisconsin woodland transplant myself. For years I was happily used to the woodsy beauty of my old home--trilliums, jack in the pulpits etc.. Suddenly last fall I came to a place that is all flat, with bright sunshine and wind almost all the time. At first I really didn't know if I would like this. But when spring came and I began to smell the absolutely beautiful perfume in the air and hear all the birds singing--I was thrilled. Now I am hoping they will not cut down all the 'prairie/weeds' in our neighborhood where houses are popping up like weeds on every empty field, so I can keep on smelling and hearing and seeing them. Looking at the weeds here--I don't know how many are native but I'm not native either and I think we'll be happy together. I am considering putting a few of them in my garden--there's a couple of grasses I really like and I found a fabulous looking vetch with some kind of yellow rattle looking flower. I never thought I'd learn to love land that was flat as a pancake--but I like it here and am learning to appreciate the prairie. I hope I won't be too invasive though. ;-)Maryt