Something Downeast

Maine “beach rose” Rosa rugosa

I have always loved the “beach roses,” those bright pink and rose colored blooms that appear in late July and early August along the shore all over the New England coast. In August, you can often find buds, blossoms and hips all at once. Until fairly recently, I thought I’d try to find a friend or nursery willing to pack some Rosa rugosa cuttings or young plants and ship them to me in Washington, to try growing them into a hedge (instead of the ubiquitous blackberry hedges of the Pacific Northwest).

Rosa rugosa is originally a species of rose native to eastern Asia, particularly northeastern China, Japan, Korea and southeastern Siberia. It is often found on the coasts there. Originally introduced  to North America in the mid 1800s, c. 1845, for its ornamental qualities, it spread rapidly all along the New England  coast. Now, Rosa rugosa is considered an invasive species, or a noxious weed, depending on locale. In Maine, Rosa rugosa is classed as invasive.

Nootka Rose Image credit: brewbooks

As an alternative to importing Rosa rugosa to Puget Sound Washington, I’ve now altered plans to plant the Pacific Northwest native rose, Rosa nutkana, the “Nootka rose.” It is similar to Rosa rugosa in some respects, including its tolerance for boundary areas, and coastal weather patterns. It’s also inclined to produce hedges, so it might work even better than Rosa rugosa as a natural thorny barrier that will offer shelter and food for birds as well as attractive flowers and greenery.

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These Rhododendrons looked faintly pink when they first opened, then turned a brilliant white.

These were some of the darkest Lilacs I’ve ever seen.

This is more like the Lilacs I’m used to, and the Hummingbirds are wildly enthusiastic about it.

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Azaelas

Apple blossoms

Crabapple blossoms

Bluets (Houstonia caerulea) these are tiny flowers, and usually have a tinge of blue. I’ve written about them before.

Violets. I love them so much. I know they have a tendency to take over where ever they’re planted, but they work well as ground cover where you don’t object to aggressive colonization.

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The Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) isn’t an uncommon bird, but it’s a bird that’s new to me. They’re a bit like Chickadees in some ways, for instance in the way they move, but they have a distinctive crest (the “tuft” of their name) that makes them pretty easy to identify. This is a less than great photo, but it’s been very hard to get a picture at all. They’re apparently in that class of bird that knows a camera on sight, and will do all they can to thwart a photographer. 

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This is the fourth time I’ve seen this male yellow-rumped warbler (Setophaga coronata), eating suet each time. He seems to prefer the suet with mealworms over suet with nuts and seeds. It’s a terrible photograph, in part because I’m a poor photographer, but also, because I’m taking photos through glass.

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