Terrestial orchid on my way

Terrestial orchid growing in wild meadow... this is the last thing I've expected while going to more real countryside house than my own and only 30 km (18 miles) away. Last weekend I've spend at friend's house that is only 30 minutes away and see what I found growing in the backyard meadow...

This is Dactylorhiza - terrestial orchid, perennial that belongs to the orchid family, under protection. Finding it growing in the backyard's wet meadow was so surprising. They grow up to 30 cm (12 in). I am not sure, but it seems to be Dactylorhiza maculata - have to turn back and take a closer look.

Have a closer look at the house. Can you see what I see? This house in fact is two houses joint together with and an open space. First house is on the left side, second on the right side. 2 old wooden houses brought from eastern part of Poland - they were disassambled there and constructed together bit by bit again.  

This is the left side house - yes, it used to be one/full house. While on the right side you can see the part that joints both houses together.

Virginia creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) covers partially the house from the western side.

Safe wood reserve for colder days...

Sunday Walk in the Natural Woods

Let's see what's going on in the natural forest - mixed deciduous forest - just outside my garden. I live 20 km away from Wasaw city center (Poland) and just 300 m away from the mixed forest. Spring came finally, days are sunny - yay! - and temperature is more human friendly. Perfect, lazy day for walk.
Do you want to go with me? So give me your hand and let's see......
....................... before we enter the forest, we see blue eyes of Anemone hepatica (kidneywort, liverwort, pennywort, common hepatica). Leaves create almost perfect circle................. it looks so sweet..............

What sweet flowers are growing on the forest bottom? Anemone nemorosa (wood anemone, windflower, thimbleweed or smell fox) - not too many, but still cheering up.

As we go further, we spot weird trees leaning on each other. I would think it's love... but no! no! no!

One of the trees is dead - so this must be something else....... accident? What accident could have happened here, so one tree is growing into another one.... I have no idea - maybe you have any theory?

Polypores are growing on the dead betula (birch).



Trees continue to surprise with moss growing everywhere and hole storing water.

Walk was short, but we have spotted many new things.... I hope you liked it. Xoxo Ewa

Bory Tucholskie - one of the oldest forests in Europe

Can you spot the deers on the picture?



... or maybe on this one?


In these forests there are for example lichens that are 10.000 years old. You can spot it everywhere......




Even in the garden of the forestry office, some plants which were planted not so long time ago, are already colonised by lichen.... it is known, that it grows only in the cleanest environment.....

Ladybird wakes up while I go to Warsaw and then walk around in Komorów

Ladybird woke up and is around just now, when I prepare this post. I can not put it outside - can I? Maybe it falls asleep again?


Today I will take take you for a walk to Warsaw again and little around my place where I live -Komorów.

Temperature got up to -1C, little snow came, covering everything white.

My conscious is not well I have to confess, cos my laziness made me not winter wrapping 3 roses. What can I do? I can still do it now and hope that frost we had did not damage them.

Sometimes I keep wondering - you look for nicest kinds of plants you like and hope they will grow healthy. Just at the time when something depends on you, you don't do it. Why?

In the morning I had to go out, to the city again.

This time regular gloves will do the job.

Aslan's favourite place to sleep is the top of the sofa - most likely nobody is disturbing too much wanting to play and he can observe everything.

New year's eve was very difficult for him - he was not walking around - he was crowling! so scared of all fireworks noises. As people started already in the afternoon, Aslan wanted to hide to deepest possible hole - we spent pretty much time comforting him, covering with blankets etc. Atomic panicked only at midnight, when all explosions were strongest - he seems to be more brave cat.

Look into my eyes before you go anywhere and say you will not miss me :) - isn't it this kind of look?

Morning walks there and back already made...

Komorów is divided by railway and how to expect people to not cross it anywhere, even if there are big sings 'crossing forbidden'. How to expect people to walk 400 m further to pass it?

... so, while I walk to train station...

...some others are still {despite of snow} biking... anyone heard of winter tyres?

... some others lost their friends-cats and still looking for them...

... 30 minutes in train can be sometimes boring... you do what? watch others :)

... pigeons are better I guess... sitting higher at least might mean, that it is warmer...

old parthenosissus on the old wall remembering 2nd world war {still some bullet wholes}

... on the way back from city... while some are bored or stresses ...

... some others in Komorów decided that it is good day to cut branches of big old trees ...

That made me more alert to look around and see...

... not only beautiful red berries of cotoneaster covered with snow...

also in the place that I pass few times a week, I noticed something weird - look! there is small seedling of Pinus sylvestris finding a shelter at Betula pendula!

It is growing exactly in the place where the trunk is diving in two...

Bark of old Betula pendula is extremely beautiful - still some white, but with deep black cracks...

Some people lost their dog-friend and still looking for her...

There is one garden in the neighbourhood that looks like fairy tale garden.

Gate promises secret....

Is this just one old tree? or few of them just planted decades ago, but little bit too close?

The beauty of Buxus {lower hedge} and Taxus {higher hedge} can be truly appreciated only in the winter, when all other plants are gone and dormant.

This example is a good answer to a question why to plant evergreens in the garden.

Is this green not heart warming and reminding that green spring and summer will come again?

A secret place...

I am still 'on the way to Christmas'. In the last time I was touched by the story of somebody I met on one of the garden forums I like to read. I opened a thread about making more lively the habit of visiting 'other gardens' and I 'met' somebody who twenty-something years ago was coming here, to Komorow (place where I live now) and had the best vacation ever.

With the help of my camera I helped her to identify which house it was. Seeing it on the pictures for the first time after so many years was very touchy for her.... and moved my heart as well.

That story made me think about places from my own childhood, which I remember best and which shaped my sensitivity to natural beauty. It is a small town in the Western-Northern part of Poland. Scent of meadows and scent of lake, that I will always remember. Today entire region is under protection for its special natural values.

On the picture above you see the island, placed on the lake. It was taken from the plane by my bro (thanks bro!).

The heart of the region is the lake, clean and beautiful.

It was so great to watch birds and fishes swimming in the water. They are not affraid of you, even if you walk around in the water - they even like to touch... (ee... not everyone would like it I guess)

The water is still crystal clear.

That is the road from the town to the beach, 2 km long, it was beautiful and dreadful in my mind - trees were big, there was no people, so you could be always surprised by the genius loci and littlle forest fairies or little forest animals.

Best time was, when season was ended and tourists were gone - I was owning the place again. If it would depend on me, I would keep it in secret.

Water, fishes, boats, fishing, water birds, water plants etc. that is still part of me.

This above is the best sunset I ever photographed - colors were unique by the end of October.

I still visit that place from time to time and maybe one day I will move there... who knows...

It is far enough from any bigger city and close enough to any forest.

I do not want to say i don't like where I am now - it is just not only the beauty of the kid's memoires. I still love this place and still I am enchanted when I have the chance to see it again..

My brother loved this place more than I did, or at least I always thought so - he decided to live there and he did continuosly for 40 years. He used to say "I can not imagine my life somewhere else". I admired him for that. In comparison - I was like a wind - always somewhere else.

3 months ago he decided to change it, leaving many people puzzled, and I am still trying to understand...