THIS PHOTO JOURNAL CAN ONLY GIVE A GLIMPSE OF EVERYTHING  TO SEE. CHECK BACK AS WE ADD TO IT.

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PHOTOS CAN BE CLICKED ON TO ENLARGE IN MOST BROWSERS

WORDS CAN’T DESCRIBE THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE LAKE WE FRONT ON

 

BELOW IS THE SCENIC, SMALLER LAKE (mostly out of view in pic) ON THE WILDWALKWAYS TRAILS AT EASTERN PLANT …MOOSE FREQUENT HERE. THIS VIEW IS ABOUT MIDWAY ON THE PROPERTY OF 20 ACRES. MOST OF THE ACTIVE NURSERY IS MORE TOWARDS THE FRONT. WILDWALKWAYS TRAILS START THERE AND MEANDER BY THE LAKE EDGE, THEN TRANSITION TO MORE OF A WILDERNESS TYPE SETTING SUCH AS THIS, EVENTUALLY LEADING TO A DRAMATIC SALT MARSH, CLIFF AND WATERFALL.

A COVE ON THE LARGE LAKE IN FRONT OF EASTERN PLANT  AND WILDWALKWAYS. NOTE THE LILY PAD LEAVES STILL FLOATING. NO OTHER NURSERY HAS A SETTING LIKE THIS.

 

BACKING UP A BIT. NOTE THE MILKWEED IN FOREGROUND. BUTTERFLIES ABOUND

MILKWEED SEED PODS BURSTING OPEN – OUR FIELD HAS THOUSANDS

 

LAKEFRONT DURING ICE STORM EARLY DECEMBER 2014. THIS WAS NOT PREDICTED …IT HAD A MAGICAL FEEL. THE LAKE IS EDGED IN CLUMPS OF SPHAGNUM MOSS AND A MYRIAD OF NATIVE PLANTS. A GREAT LAKE FOR CANOEING.

 

WHITE PINES AND SPRUCE COVERED IN ICE WITH FROZEN MIST AT THE EDGE OF THE LAKE. THE FEEL NEAR THE LAKE IS ONE OF TOTAL WILDERNESS.

HIMALAYAN HEMLOCK AND ANDROMEDA AND COATED WITH ICE. WE HAVE ONE OF THE BIGGEST ANDROMEDAS IN THE ENTIRE STATE. THE HIMALAYAN HEMLOCK IS VERY RARE, WE HAVE TWO THAT SURVIVED OUR DEVASTATING TORNADO.

 

RHODO BUDS COVERED IN ICE. THE RHODO IS THE SPECIES BRACHYCARPUM. WE OFFER SOME OF THE FINEST “BRACHYS” ANYWHERE. IT IS ONE OF THE HARDIEST RHODODENDRONS KNOWN AND A SUMMER BLOOMER.

LEAVES COMPLETELY COATED TO A HALF INCH THICK

JUST OFF THE OLD LOGGING ROAD THAT BISECTS THE NURSERY.  A WINTER WONDERLAND WITH TRAILS EVERYWHERE. THE LAKE IS TO THE LEFT AND A WOODLAND POND TO THE RIGHT.

SPECTACULAR FOLIAGE OF RHODODENDRON TEDDY BEAR WITH COPPERY BACKSIDES- THE BIGGEST SPECIMENS IN THE COUNTRY LIVE HERE …COME SEE THEM!

TOWARD THE BACK OF THE WILDWALKWAYS TRAILS ARE MOSS COVERED BOULDERS AND CLIFFS …IT TRULY FEELS LIKE NEPAL. THAT’S AN ICE FLOW ON THE LEFT. THIS AREA IS MY FAVORITE ON THE ENTIRE PROPERTY. (though there are many!)

THIS GORGEOUS WOODLAND STREAM RUNS FOR ABOUT A THOUSAND FEET THRU WILDWALKWAYS. PHOTO ON RIGHT IS LOOKING FROM ABOVE, THERE ARE NUMEROUS SMALL WATERFALLS ON THE STREAM AND MANY EXCITING ECOSYSTEMS.

HERE’S A TRAIL THAT MEANDERS BETWEEN TWO TALL PITCH PINES NEAR THE LAKE. THERE’S A SITTING AREA AT THE TOP OF THIS TRAIL WHICH OVERLOOKS THE LAKE

A ROCK OUTCROP COVERED IN FERNS AND A SPECIAL LICHEN CALLED ROCK TRIPE. WE WILL HAVE AN ARTICLE JUST ABOUT THAT UNIQUE ROCK TRIPE LICHEN IN THE FUTURE. IT IS A MAJOR ATTRACTION FOR VISITORS. THE SMALL POND YOU SEE IS WHERE WE DUG AND SOLD A HUGE RHODODENDRON LAST YEAR. IT WENT TO NJ.

IT’S A FUNGI LOVERS DREAM HERE ON ALL THE TRAILS AT WILDWALKAYS

 

 

THERE ARE TWO STREAMS, THIS IS THE SMALLER ONE. BOTH ARE MOSS LINED AND STREWN WITH BOULDERS AND NATURALIZED PLANTINGS. NOTHING ARTIFICIAL

 

THE LAKE WE FRONT ON IS 20 ACRES; WE ARE ONE OF ONLY 3  PROPERTIES ON IT. THERE IS A TOTALLY NORTHERN, WILDERNESS  FEEL. TRAILS MEANDER ALONG OUR ENTIRE LAKEFRONT THEN TO THE BACK FOREST & CLIFFS. BRING YOUR CANOE!

 

RHODO AND HEMLOCK WEIGHTED WITH ICE. ON THE RIGHT IS OUR SPECIAL LEUCOTHOE WE CALL PERFECTION. IT IS MUCH MORE RESISTANT TO LEAF SPOT THAN ANY OTHER LEUCOTHOE. A GORGEOUS TALL GROUNDCOVER IN A SOMEWHAT SHADED SPOT. IN WINTER IT TAKES ON EYE CATCHING REDDISH COLORATIONS …INQUIRE

IN ADDITION TO LAKEFRONT AND STREAMS, WE HAVE SEVERAL SMALL POND AREAS. NO NEED FOR MANMADE WATER FEATURES AT EASTERN PLANT AND WILDWALKWAYS

LOOK CLOSE, THIS PHOTO WAS TAKEN DECEMBER 12, 2014. THOSE ARE REAL BLUEBERRIES ON THAT LOWBUSH BLUEBERRY IN SNOW-AFTER LOWS OF 10 ABOVE. THERE IS A PATCH OF LOWBUSH WE HAVE THAT ALWAYS BLOOMS IN SEPT. YES. THE BERRIES REALLY DON’T HAVE TIME TO RIPEN, BUT DUE TO THE WARM OCT. AND EARLY NOV THEY ALMOST DID.

A SIMPLE CLUMP OF GRASS …TURNED INTO ART

THE ICE LEAF! I CAREFULLY REMOVED THIS SHEATH OF ICE THAT FORMED ON A RHODO LEAF..IT FELL APART BUT I GOT ONE PIC BEFORE IT DID. THE ICE LEAF IS 12 INCHES LONG, IT WAS ON A RHODO CALOPHYTUM, NOTED FOR HUGE LEAVES.

A PATCH OF OVER 1000, 2 YEAR OLD RHODOS OF THE FINEST KIND TUCKED IN FOR WINTER IN THEIR FLATS, WITH PINE NEEDLE MULCH ON THE EDGES. THEY ARE WAITING FOR YOU. EASTERN IS THE ONLY NURSERY THAT OVERWINTERS RHODODENDRONS OUTSIDE (we know of) THAT’S HOW NATURE DOES IT!

 BONFIRE IN THE FALL OVERLOOKING THE LAKE

THE BACK MOST PROPERTY AT EASTERN PLANT. WHILE ITS NOT THE ARCTIC, IT SURE FELT LIKE IT. THIS WAS LAST WINTER. PIC WAS TAKEN BY OUR FRIEND BRIAN WITT-THAT’S HIS DOG SOPHIE ON THE “LIFE LIKE” TUNDRA!

ICE, SNOW AND WINTER DARKNESS

FADING SUNSET ACROSS THE LAKE

PHOTO FROM OCTOBER SHOWING HUGE SEED PODS ON RHODO MARKS VANILLA; IT’S FRAGRANT, PEACHY COLORED AND HAS A TROPICAL GROWTH HABIT. YES IT ALWAYS BLOOMS HERE, EVEN AFTER LAST YEARS 19 BELOW ZERO!

EASTERN PLANT AND WILDWALKWAYS. RARE PLANTS, RHODOS, NATIVES, WILDFLOWERS, FERNS AND A UNIQUE TRAIL SYSTEM THRU OUR FOREST

 OUR LAKE IN A WINTER MOOD

 OUR CAT CANDY ENJOYING THE VIEW, WHICH LOOKS OUT TO THE LAKE 

 RED DOOR IN THE WOODS ...STORY FOR ANOTHER DAY!  INTRIGUE AND MYSTERY! …BRIAN WITT PHOTO