2023 in Pictures

I take a lot of pictures throughout the year and not all of them make it into a blog post. At the end of the calendar year, it’s a good time to reflect on the beauty of nature as well as share some of the extra pictures.

I believe that each day is an opportunity to find and appreciate something beautiful in the native plants and creatures of Georgia.

Red-shouldered hawk

We have at least two species of hawks in the area and in January I was able to get a good look at this red-shouldered one in our backyard. This photo also represents the change we've seen here: construction in the neighborhood behind us finally reached our boundary and we now have this big white house in our view. I wish they had at least painted it brown! 

The tiny flowers of American hazelnut (Corylus americana) bloomed in February. I rescued this plant several years ago in Dawson County. This shows the red female flower and the male catkin.

Corylus americana

I was able to capture another special flower in March. Florida maple (Acer floridanum) is found throughout my neighborhood (and my yard) but this one near the front of the neighborhood is the biggest and gets enough sun to flower. Strangely, this is the first year I have managed to catch it in bloom! 

Acer floridanum flowers

I spotted this tiny moth in April on my equally small butterweed (Packera glabella) flowers. This is the Southern longhorn moth, Adela caeruleella. There are so many tiny things to notice in the native garden! 

Southern longhorn moth

Vaccinium arboreum

 

In May, I stopped by Nearly Native Nursery in Fayetteville after speaking to a garden club in the area. This sparkleberry (Vaccinium arboreum) in their garden was at peak bloom. This shrub needs to be better used; the foliage is gorgeous and the birds feast on the tiny fruit in late fall.

Malaxis unifolia

Ipomoea pes-caprae

I was leading a plant rescue in June when I found this green adder's mouth orchid (Malaxis unifolia); it is not a rare orchid but it seems uncommon (perhaps because it is so small that it gets overlooked). 

In July we went to visit my mom in Florida and I found a new-to-me morning glory with a bunch of common names: Goat-foot Morning Glory (which matches the translation of the Latin name, Ipomoea pes-caprae), Bayhops, and Beach Morning Glory. This species is also found in south Georgia.

Ostrya virginiana

Juglans sp.

A hike in August found a population of Eastern hop-hornbeam (Ostrya virginiana) with spectacular displays of fruit. You can see why people thought it looks like hops. On a road that I travel every week, the lush cover of walnut foliage caught my attention in September. This picture doesn't quite capture the magic, but I had to stop and try.

Aster (front) and Turtlehead (back)

Deer in front

It was a good year in the garden for the turtlehead (Chelone glabra) inside my fence. It bloomed for weeks and was still looking good when this aster (Symphyotrichum puniceum) started blooming. Both of them love the damp conditions in this low spot. 

In November, I spotted this buck sitting on my lawn outside my front windows. He had gotten up by the time I got back with my camera.

I was cleaning seeds from calico aster (Symphyotrichum lateriflorum) for our chapter's December seed swap when I was struck by how much the empty seedheads look like flowers themselves. I made an impromptu bouquet of them.

Symphyotrichum lateriflorum seedheads

Wishing you a good year in 2024 and more native plants and critters in your daily life. This year's numeral photo was hand drawn at my request by our grandson Max who is 5 1/2 now.