Lush maidenhair ferns
Because of the ample rain this spring, some of the maidenhair ferns in Great Hills Park have been thriving. It was April 13th when I saw this group of Adiantum capillus-veneris* on a steep embankment of the main creek that flows through the park.
The dark curve making its way across the lower part of the picture marks the water line, so the little patches of green below the line are reflections on the water’s surface of some of the fern leaves above.
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* The Latin species name capillus-veneris means ‘hair of Venus’ (think capillary).
© 2015 Steven Schwartzman
Portraits of Wildflowers 
wow
weisserwatercolours
May 24, 2015 at 5:40 AM
verdant
Steve Schwartzman
May 24, 2015 at 7:50 AM
Could almost be an NZ scene. You have more rain at the moment and flash flood warnings, I believe.
Gallivanta
May 24, 2015 at 5:43 AM
Texas seems to have changed its name to New Rainland. As I type this, a light rain is coming down.
Steve Schwartzman
May 24, 2015 at 7:53 AM
There’s rain, and then there’s rain. The Blanco River crested early this morning at just under 43 feet, setting a record, closing I-35 and wiping out the Fischer Store Road bridge in Wimberly. At least these beautiful ferns ought to be happy with the rain. Despite their delicate appearance, they’re pretty stout, and seem able to survive flooding.
shoreacres
May 24, 2015 at 8:27 AM
I hadn’t heard of the flooding in central Texas till you mentioned it. I looked online and found that about 40% of low-water crossings in the Austin area are closed, including the expected ones along Spicewood Springs Rd. a few miles from where I live. I looked up the Fischer Store Rd. Bridge and found it’s about 5 miles west of Wimberley. I don’t know that I’ve ever driven along that road and over that bridge, but a couple of hours ago I was telling someone about my visit to Jacob’s Well in Wimberley last fall, and how while there I learned to say bon voyage in Dutch.
Steve Schwartzman
May 24, 2015 at 10:59 AM
Verily very verdant
melissabluefineart
May 24, 2015 at 8:48 AM
So very verdant it could have inspired a Verdi aria.
Steve Schwartzman
May 24, 2015 at 10:50 AM
Ah, Verdi… I do love his arias. And there is the Verdi of children’s storybooks…he, of course, was green 🙂
melissabluefineart
May 24, 2015 at 10:57 PM
Is this the Verdi you had in mind?
http://www.amazon.com/Verdi-Janell-Cannon/dp/0152010289
I wasn’t familiar with it but the author chose the name well. It’s never too early to get kids started on etymology (and nature).
Steve Schwartzman
May 25, 2015 at 9:36 AM
Yes, that is the one. You’re right, and I loved it for that.
melissabluefineart
May 25, 2015 at 10:03 AM
Robert Greenberg, who did a multi-DVD presentation on the life and works of Verdi
http://www.thegreatcourses.com/courses/life-and-operas-of-verdi.html
and also dealt elsewhere with the operas of Monteverdi, likes to point out the Germanic name Greenberg means the same as the Italian name Monteverdi. Coincidentally, two nights ago I was at a wedding reception in Galveston and was sitting by a couple who are both musicologists from Italy (the bride is getting her PhD in musicology). At one point there was a bit of music by Monteverdi, and when the musicologist next to me identified it as being by Monteverdi, I mentioned the Greenberg connection.
Steve Schwartzman
May 25, 2015 at 10:13 AM
What a small, green world 🙂
melissabluefineart
May 25, 2015 at 10:21 AM
Another song from the wedding was the one that says “And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.” I can’t remember whether the singer was dressed in green.
Steve Schwartzman
May 25, 2015 at 10:36 AM
Maidenhair Ferns always remind me of my childhood home. My mother had a lot of these ferns on the shadow side of the house. They added some colour in the shade.
Raewyn's Photos
May 24, 2015 at 3:02 PM
I didn’t know you have ferns like these in New Zealand, but I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, given that you have more rain there than we do here in Texas (though recently we’ve been rivaling you).
Steve Schwartzman
May 25, 2015 at 9:27 AM
I saw that on the news. Keep dry
Raewyn's Photos
May 25, 2015 at 2:52 PM
It’s pouring here now and there have been new closings of low-water crossings. In addition, three funnel clouds have been sighted, so there have been continuing tornado warnings for the area.
Steve Schwartzman
May 25, 2015 at 3:32 PM
So green. I just heard about flooding in your area and wondered how you all were faring? I hope you, Linda and Yvonne all live on raised land.
Steve Gingold
May 24, 2015 at 6:15 PM
I was out of town for three days, and in fact it was a comment from Linda that made me aware of the flooding in parts of central and northern Texas. I then looked online and found the usual closings of low-water crossings in Austin, but no mention of flood damage around here. You’ve heard me mention Great Hills Park many times, and the creeks that flow through it have occasionally flooded from heavy rain, but our house is half a mile uphill from the nearest entrance to the park, so no flood (short of one on the scale of Noah’s) could affect our home.
Steve Schwartzman
May 25, 2015 at 9:32 AM
Glad to hear that. Although we live in a lower lying area, the closest major body of water, the Connecticut River, is several miles away and the same flood as you mention would be required…or at least several days of rain.
Steve Gingold
May 25, 2015 at 10:44 AM
It’s been raining steadily here for the last few hours, with continuing thunder, so there are more flash flood warnings tody. There have also been tornado warnings for parts of the Austin are because three funnel clouds have been observed so far.
Steve Schwartzman
May 25, 2015 at 3:30 PM
Could have been taken in North Wales too! I love the colours and the textures in the image.
theresagreen
May 28, 2015 at 4:23 AM
I just noticed that I somehow missed answering your comment. Sorry for the six-year delay. I’d love to see Wales someday, especially if it has scenes like this one.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 7:13 AM
By the way, I just posted a very different looking view of the same place:
https://portraitsofwildflowers.wordpress.com/2021/02/21/icicle-delights/
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 7:16 AM
[…] One highlight of my foray into Great Hills Park on February 16th was icicles, which our normally mild winters seldom produce. The ones shown here formed on a bank of the park’s main creek in an area called Potter’s Place, which is named after geologist Eric Potter, who carried out many projects in the park. It’s hard to believe how different this stretch of the creek looks in a rainy spring. […]
Icicle delights | Portraits of Wildflowers
February 21, 2021 at 4:30 AM
That is quite a contrast!
susurrus
February 21, 2021 at 6:42 AM
It sure is a huge contrast with this week’s icicles. I like it both ways, but I doubt I’ll ever get to see a richly icicled view again.
Steve Schwartzman
February 21, 2021 at 7:14 AM