Sunday, September 3, 2017

The Wild (and Not So Wild) Gardens of Acadia

 
Before I get to the topic of this post, I'd like to comment on the Mount Desert bus system. In short, it's fabulous! Heavily sponsored by L.L.Bean, the buses run all over the island and are totally free! For visitors without wheels, it's like a gift from heaven. We not only used it to do all our sightseeing, but we also used it to make a run to the grocery store. Everyone should use the buses; they cut down on congestion, pollution, and parking problems, and you meet the most interesting drivers. Apparently it's common for folks from all over the country to come to Acadia National Park for the summer to drive buses.

At the nature center there is a wild garden with many of the area's native plants. I really enjoyed this because the East Coast has lots of plants I don't recognize.
You can actually see some bugs in the water filled leaves of this pitcher plant. The flower was quite odd; I'm not sure if it was the flower or a seed pod.


I learned that this is sumac (rhus typhina), one of the most vibrant plants for fall color. None of these in California.
 
And maples, lots of maples, so many I can't remember all of them.

Now for the not so wild gardens of Acadia.
I may have gotten a little carried away with the flower photographs, but everywhere I looked there were flowers! Gorgeous, healthy, happy flowers. Like this dahlia in the village green at Bar Harbor.
and this fragrant sweet pea in someone's front garden.
 
I found these apples on an abandoned tree along the road.
and this bell flower in Somesville.
 
Anemone? Ranuncula?
 
Black-eyed Susans...
 
ripening rose hips...
 
the flowers are so beautiful on Mount Desert Island I think I could sit here forever. 
 
 

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