If You Go Down In The Woods Today......in Kentucky

[Paul T]

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!!  What a cool walk!!    That Erythronium is delicious, and the Sanguinaria, Hepatica, Jeffersonia!!!    All beautiful!  Thanks for posting the pics for us to enjoy.

[alpines]

Thanks everyone for your kind comments. It is just such a pleasure for us to share all this beauty with everyone. We are truly blessed, that within a small radius of our home, we are able to walk among this rich flora at will.
We were only thinking yesterday, that when we were back in England, it took a logistics nightmare and plane tickets to see such a wonderful flora....and no, I am not forgetting the primula veris, sax. oppositifolia etc. back home, but to be able to enjoy such wonders, so close to home, really does want us to have you share our journies. (Bring your own packed lunch 
Yesterday (Sunday, April 6th), we took a walk back to Anglin Falls and couldn't believe the difference a week makes. I'm at work right now but I'll upload some more pictures as soon as I am able, including what I can only describe as the most amazing find of Erythronium albidum anywhere in the State.
Thanks for your encouragement to continue sharing our adventures with you all.
Alan & Sherba

[ian mcenery]

Great pics and explanation of conditions thanks very much for sharing

[Hans A.]

Thanks so much - just wonderful (and important) to see this plants in their natural habitat.

[Maggi Young]

the most amazing find of Erythronium albidum anywhere in the State.

Oh, my goodness! How exciting!
Ian is lying down in a darkened room, hyperventilating with anticipation 

[alpines]

If Ian had been with us yesterday, he'd still be there now, Maggi.
I promise I will post at least one picture when I get home from work that will knock his socks off. Now does he want to increase the upload size so he can see them all? 

[Maggi Young]

Crikey, I'm going to have to wipe him down with a damp cloth....

I must say, to see Trillium nivale in the wild , I might still be there , too!

I tell you what, Alan, if you would be kind enough to email Ian the full files so he can drool privately, that would be fab!

[alpines]

There were three plants of T.nivale. The other two had flowers on but were well past their best but I agree with you Maggi, they don't compare with John Forrests's show plants but to see them in the wild, when you least expect to, is something else.
I'll get a few shots of the erythronium together for Ian.....e-mail me privately with his e-address and I'll do what I can. I'll obviously post them here too but at the max. size on the forum, you'd be hard pressed to see the impact....and believe me, Sherba and I were still talking about them this morning.
I've told you a million times before that I'm not prone to exaggeration but if I put a conservative figure on the number, it would have to be in excess of twenty thousand.......in flower !!!!! In an area not much bigger than a soccer field. I know no-one will believe me till they see the pictures...but they will afterwards.

[ranunculus]

You already know MY e-mail address Mr. Kentucky sir....pretty, pretty please?

[alpines]

Hey Buddy........you really wouldn't believe it. It's almost as though they are a pernicious weed but they seemed to be confined within an area about 100m x 60m. I'm sure the people driving past us thought we were nuts photographing the white weeds.
I'll send you some shots....it may entice you and your good lady Sue to come enjoy a moment or two at the homestead.
I told Maggi in a private e-mail, it'll be after midnight UK time before I get the chance to send any phots , so don't wait up.
Love to you and Mrs. Buttercup
Alan & Sherba

[Paul T]

Alan,

Can you post me the full sized shots as well, if you don't mind?  I'd like to see them here, but larger photos can sometimes do things better justice. 

[alpines]

OK folks......if you really must see them, I've done a very rough web page for them on my web site. I'll be posting some of them here in a smaller format , maybe later this week, but for the time being go to this link

http://www.thealpinegarden.com/Erythronium.html

As I told Ian & Maggi, the photos do not do them justice. You had to be there to experience this. Just for interest, the bank in the pictures also contained blue phlox, sessile trillium and lots of other good stuff,
I hope you enjoy them as much as we did.

[Paul T]

Alan,

That really is amazing.  Looks like a beautiful species!! 

[alpines]

Well I guess this will be the last batch of photos for this week. Trilliums next week hopefully...there are lots in bud, not too many open just now.
A couple of shots of Berea Forest to start you off
1. Berea Forest
2. and again
3. A trio of Erythronium americanum
4. E.americanum habitat
5. Angel Lily - Only Sherba would find an Erythronium that looked like an Angel
6. Nice deep blue Hepatica acutiloba
7. Three more Sanguinarias
8. I'm thinking this is probaby Trillium erectum but it could be cernuum. I'll need someone more knowledgeable than myself to identify this please.
9. Erythronum albidum
10. ....and some more.

Don't have a clue where we'll be walking next week but we'll keep you posted with what we find.

ENJOY...and thanks to everyone for their kind remarks.
Alan & Sherba

[Paul T]

Beautiful, Alan.  The Erythronium americanum has definitely gone onto my "want list" now, alongside E. umbilicatum which is very similar.  Very impressed by the E. albidum too!!  Love that colour combination and those leaves.  The Trilliums are glorious as well.  What great pics!!