Althea and I spent several hours yesterday morning stomping around Feral Bends Forest Farm to see what’s happening in the understory. Long story short: It’s stunning. Here are a few photos.
![](http://www.opposable-thumbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Large-White-Trillium-Trillium-grandiflorum-1-scaled.jpeg)
![](http://www.opposable-thumbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Althea-with-Large-White-Trillium-Trillium-grandiflorum-scaled.jpeg)
![](http://www.opposable-thumbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Mayapple-Podophyllum-peltatum-1-scaled.jpeg)
![](http://www.opposable-thumbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Dwarf-Larkspur-Delphinium-tricorne-scaled.jpeg)
![Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum)](http://www.opposable-thumbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Wild-Geranium-Geranium-maculatum-scaled.jpeg)
![Fire pink (Silene virginica)](http://www.opposable-thumbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_6099-scaled.jpeg)
![Blue Phlox (Phlox divaricata)](http://www.opposable-thumbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_6095-scaled.jpeg)
![Woodland Stonecrop (Sedum ternatum)](http://www.opposable-thumbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Woodland-Stonecrop-Sedum-ternatum-N-scaled.jpeg)
![](http://www.opposable-thumbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Rattlesnakeweed-Hieracium-venosum-scaled.jpeg)
Inspired by the Athens Conservatory’s Bluebell Preserve along the bikeway, Laura-Sue and I planted some Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) above the creek area where we plan to locate a bench. It’s already a location with a lot of trillium and other wildflowers.
I love the way beech trees cling to the dry, sandy soil on the southwestern slope of the ridge. Feral Bends was heavily logged a few decades ago and they left behind most of the beech. At first
, I saw that as a bad thing, but I’ve grown to love beech trees …
![](http://www.opposable-thumbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_6110-scaled.jpeg)
![](http://www.opposable-thumbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/Crane-fly-Orchid-Tipularia-discolor-scaled.jpeg)
![](http://www.opposable-thumbs.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/IMG_6091-scaled.jpeg)