The first few cold days of the winter season just make me
want to hide in the house with a hot drink. It is actually a good time to start
planning, planning changes to the landscape or planning trips around the state.
It is with the latter goal in mind that I remind you of a book that was
published in 2007 but is still perfectly relevant today: Favorite Wildflower Walks in Georgia by Hugh and Carol Nourse.
I appreciate the few books out there that are specific to Georgia in terms of subject matter. I have met the authors on several activities with the Georgia Botanical Society and I know they are passionate about plant communities and appreciative of places that represent them well. As the description at the first link says, "Of the many walks the Nourses have taken, these are the ones they return to most often because of the density or the unusual nature of the floral display. All twenty of these wildflower walks are on public land; everything you need to know about how to find them and what to do once you're there is included."
I have been on a number of these walks both on my own and
with the Georgia Botanical Society. The
Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail (#1) is quite literally a perennial favorite
for me, the earliest of places to see spring wildflowers in north Georgia. I’ve done #5 at Carter’s Lake and found it enjoyable and easy. #9 is Sosebee Cove, a fantastic place (but the parking is a bit iffy). I didn’t
know that #12 was called the Bradley Peak Trail at Arabia Mountain but we have hiked it and it’s a fun way to get kids into nature. Down in the
Coastal Plain, #19 at Okefenokee is a good one; I went in 2014 but I think it’s time to go again!
With twenty walks outlined in the book, it looks like I have
plenty more to do. I hope to do several more of these in 2023 - perhaps some of
you will consider visiting a few too. The Georgia Botanical Society has several
of these each year as field trips. Need a walk during winter? Check out my earlier post on winter waterfalls.
Ellen, Thank you so much for your postings and photographs. They're an inspiration. I did order the native wildflower walk book. And thank you for your consistency. Your posts always make a good read...season round. Thank you
ReplyDeleteThanks! What time of year would you recommend the Shirley Miller Wildflower Trail?
ReplyDeleteMid-February to late March.
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