Duckweed

Our local plant nursery does not expect to have duckweed this season, much to our annoyance, but at least it affords an excuse to gather it wild, something of which we happily took advantage yesterday evening. We happened upon this spot unexpectedly in our quest for wildflowers to add to the Shasta daisies we collected from the roadside on Sunday. Mark and I were driving along a gravel road, when I spotted a flash of vivid green. Mark obligingly went to investigate, and I soon followed. Several bullfrogs quickly scattered at our approach, while geese stood guard over their nests, silently watching our movements, as we gathered the duckweed that covered the surface of the water. When we arrived home, we transferred the tiny aquatic plants to the pond in our mountain garden (fondly referred to as our "Appalachian garden"), a spot Mark designed based on flora native to the southern Appalachians. In addition to various ferns, a bleeding heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) brightens the spot with its vibrant pink flowers, and honeyvine milkweed (Cynanchum laeve) adds visual interest as it twines itself along a corner fence post, while the water feature attracts birds with its quiet cascade.