Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Tipularia discolor
Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
This is what it looks like passing by . Its about 20 inches tall, a slender purple stem, almost invisible. Â It blends into the forest, to be hardly noticed. Â That’s right, this plant is not sold in garden centers. Even if it was, it would most likely die, being that it is so specific about its habitat it only grows under specialized conditions. Â It requires a mycorrhizal fungus to grow along its roots symbiotically in order to survive.
Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
We had found this plant in March, when all that was visible was its one leaf, which had survived the winter. Â The distinctive leaf was also hardly visible on the forest floor. Â The leaf grows after the flower blooms. Â The leaf , produced in the fall, holds on all winter, capturing the sunlight needed to flower. Â The leaf is distinctive for its purple underside. The leaf we found in March was dead and gone by June. Â Then in late July, the flower, all by itself, emerges from the Earth.
Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The flower carries the purple color up its stem .  The  light green parts of the flower contrast nicely with the purple.
Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Finding the flowering Cranefly Orchid was an adventure.  We had created an elaborate secret code to remember its exact location.  (A snag, a shadow, dead branches  mark the spot, an arrangement of sticks…)
Cranefly orchid (Tipularia discolor), Fairmount Park, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The flower stalk growing individually, without leaves, is reminiscent of the Naked-Flowered Tick-trefoil we featured in our last post. Â The blooming Cranefly Orchid turned out to be a great discovery on a hot and humid Sunday afternoon in the park.
The garden of the Sanguine Root. The Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia Pennsylvania
This Lobelia cardinalis was a pleasant surprise. Â We had planted it in various places in the yard where it would last a year or two, producing seed and great flowers only to disappear. Now it’s reappearing in a place we did not expect. Â Now we have to walk over it as it is growing so close to the brick walkway it is covering it.
Lobelia cardinalis The garden of the Sanguine Root. The Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia Pennsylvania
This flower is so red it cannot be matched and a picture does not fully show off the deep red color. Â In the shade, this flower glows and the red color is magnificent.
Hibiscus moscheutos The garden of the Sanguine Root. The Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia Pennsylvania
This is the Hibiscus mosheutos, ready to open. The flower is six inches in diameter. Â This one likes its feet wet as well as a sunny location. After a flowerless season in the shady front yard, Isabelle had the idea to place it in the sunny backyard next to the drainpipe. Â Now it is flowering.
Hibiscus moscheutos, The garden of the Sanguine Root. The Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Each flower lasts only two days, but the plant produces so many flowers that there are plenty to appreciate on any given day.
Hibiscus moscheutos, The garden of the Sanguine Root. The Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia Pennsylvania
The bees love this flower and were cycling around it every few seconds making a photograph possible.
Hibiscus moscheutos, The garden of the Sanguine Root. The Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia Pennsylvania
Here are two blooming Hibiscus moscheutos flowers with ones on the way in the middle. The lower one has already bloomed and is on its way to producing seed, the flower having fallen off.
Lonicera sempervirens, The garden of the Sanguine Root. The Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia Pennsylvania
This native honeysuckle is a flower factory.  It has been cranking out flowers all summer.  The Hummingbirds have been visiting this flower all day every day.  Strategically planted right outside the window, we can watch the hummingbirds from the comfort of the couch.  The Hummingbirds rough up the flowers which fall off often. Our summer mornings are not complete without coffee, Lonicera sempervirens and Hummingbirds.  The  red Lobelia is also attracting the hummingbirds, which is growing at the foot of the honeysuckle vine.
Joe-Pye weed, The garden of the Sanguine Root. The Overbrook neighborhood of Philadelphia Pennsylvania
If the word weed in the common name Joe-pye-weed is discouraging to you in your plant selection process and this great flower is passed by, you are missing out. We have two Joe-pye weeds, Eupatorium purporeum and Eupatorium fistulosum for starters. Â This is a stately and entertaining plant and does not behave like a weed at all. Â Bees love it, as the above picture shows, and it has an ornamental value. Â It is versatile and drought tolerant. Â The leaves have a soft inviting texture and the flowers have subtle tones of pink that look great against the backdrop of summer green.
Isabelle Dijols picks cherry tomatoes in the Sanguine Root vegetable garden, Viola street, East Parkside, Philadelphia
So the three tomato plants are now producing fruit. Â We have not been watering them regularly. Its been hot and dry for the most part. Â The tomatoes taste so good. Â A garden grown tomato cannot be matched. Â This is great, since we have been too busy to dote over the garden, and yet it is doing very well this year.
Our one cucumber plant in the Sanguine Root vegetable garden, Viola street, East Parkside, Philadelphia
Our cucumber patch consists of one plant. Â Does anybody want a cucumber? For us its cucumber salad with a few slices of tomato with a little olive oil, pepper and balsamic vinegar. Â And for lunch its Rye bread with a bit of olive oil, cucumber slices and some freshly ground pepper. Â Anymore said will put us at risk of becoming a foodie blog at this point. We are not gardeners or foodies, but we feel strongly feel that if you can grow your own food when you can or if you can, go for it and to not miss this important part of living on this earth.
Native wildflowers in the Sanguine Root vegetable garden, Viola street, East Parkside, Philadelphia
Of course, most of the property is devoted to native sun loving wildflowers. Someday more vegetables may be grown, as we build up the raised beds and continue to improve the place.
Isabelle Dijols with the Native wildflowers in the Sanguine Root vegetable garden, Viola street, East Parkside, Philadelphia
A kind friend of ours gave us root segments of the native Wild Bergomat and the Tall Coneflower a few years ago, which have taken off and have created a beautiful setting for our vegetable garden.
Bed of green beans in the Sanguine Root vegetable garden, Viola street, East Parkside, PhiladelphiaÂ
This is our green bean patch. For some reason, most of the bean seeds we planted did not grow. Â However, the 5 plants that did grow have provided us with a massive amount of beans! Â We have been chopping them up with onions and garlic and sauteeing them. Also just eating them right off the plant on site is very enjoyable.
The bricks that line these raised beds come with a heavy heart.  They were at one time the building blocks of once majestic  buildings in the neighborhood that we would rather have standing today. However the economic situation in the city of Philadelphia in the past 50 years has blighted sections of the neighborhood  and has led to the demolition of some once grand Victorian-era homes.
