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November 2, 2010

Corbett’s Glen

Filed under: Fall,Parks — Judy @ 6:19 pm

About a week ago, one of my sisters and I visited Corbett’s Glen again. It’s a beautiful area near where my grandmother used to live and we both remember following the old trolley bed behind her house with our Dad to the Glen. This, of course, was way before the trolley line became an expressway! While we were there, a train went by and brought more memories of waking up in the night to the trains rumbling by her house on the railway embankment.

Corbett's Glen sign

Corbett’s Glen is an 18 acre hollow along Allens Creek (note: there is no apostrophe in Allens) which is now, after much inertia and politicking and pressure from developers, part of a larger 52 acre tract in the Allens Creek Valley under the umbrella of “Corbett’s Glen Nature Park.” Located just outside of Rochester, NY, in the towns of Brighton and Penfield, this valley is of environmental and historical importance.

Environment: “The Glen is surrounded on three sides by sandy ridges deposited as the glaciers that once covered the area melted and receded. It has wonderful waterfalls and features a variety of habitats, including a marsh, open fields, and mature woodlands on the surrounding hills forming the valley. Remnants of its previously forested state are located on the higher elevations of the Glen, where some oaks are estimated to be over 150 years old.”

History: “A major foot trail of the Seneca people traversed the valley, and a sacred burial site was documented in the 1800s. Sixteenth-century traders established ties with local natives at nearby Indian Landing long before Rochester was founded. In the 19th century, European settlers farmed the fertile valley lands and constructed mills to harness the manageable power of Allens Creek. The Glen is also the previous home to a pre-Civil War powder mill. It has been reported that powder from this mill was carted as far as Lockport and used to blast out larger locks when the Erie Canal was being enlarged.”

That embankment that I mentioned above was built in 1882 and crosses over Allens Creek in Corbett’s Glen by way of a vaulted arch bridge, probably the largest in upstate New York. The south entrance to the park is under this historic overpass and you feel like you are entering a secret world once you walk through.

Railroad overpass

The stone for the arch was quarried from bedrock at the edge of the Glen and you can still see square blocks lying in the creek with traces of the quarrying on the banks.

Quarry

There are two miles of well-maintained trails through the park passing through all manner of habitat along Allens Creek. Check out these twin twisted vines we saw!

Twisty vines

This little pool at the base of Postcard Falls probably has some nice trout hanging around in it.

Pool

Postcard Falls is very pretty and was probably named that because it was used on postcards sent from Rochester back in the day. Apparently, the Glen was a popular private park and picnic site back in the late 1800s – early 1900s.

Postcard Falls

The day that we visited was cloudy and a little cool, but the fall colors warmed things up.

Allens Creek

Corbett’s Glen is a jewel and we will be visiting again soon. You can find more information here:
Genesee Land Trust
Allens Creek/Corbett’s Glen Preservation Group
Town of Brighton info
More pictures and info here from Upstate NY Waterfalls

October 28, 2010

Winner!

Filed under: Contests,Fall,Flowers,Miscellaneous — Judy @ 6:47 pm

Oh My! Our sunflower mix scan was chosen as the Silver Winner in the GGW Picture This contest for October. How thrilling as it is the first time to enter their monthly contest!

Sunflower mix]GGW Silver Award


I find it so much easier to arrange a composition on the flatbed scanner and get the picture right than to try to fiddle with my camera settings and compose something out in the field. Perhaps it is a matter of experience? I am largely self-taught in practically everything I do creatively – web design, graphics, sewing, cooking, . . . , and scanner photography. I haven’t got the depth of field thing mastered on my camera yet. Something more to work on!

October 23, 2010

Hot Fall Colors

Filed under: Fall,Our gardens,Slideshows — Judy @ 9:36 pm

Even though the gardens are rapidly winding down, things are coloring up very nicely. We’ve not had a hard frost yet and, with decent moisture still in the soil, relatively warmish days, and nights hovering under 45-50 degrees, the forecast is for continuing gorgeous fall color. Yes, the leaves are coming down, but there is much to admire out there. Take a look!


Hot Fall Colors 2010 Slideshow

October 16, 2010

More Fall Containers

Filed under: Containers,Fall — Judy @ 9:51 pm

We’ve had our first frost and we are planting bulbs and doing fall garden cleanups. Yes, it is almost time to hibernate! But before then, a few more fall containers that I put together.

Pumpkins and Angelina sedum

Sometimes my clients are very diligent about caring for their containers and they still look pretty good at this time of year. Adding a little color in the way of small mums or gourds or surrounding them with pumpkins are all they need to celebrate the fall season.

Elatior begonias and Diamond Frost Euphorbia

Gaura, lantana, and coleus

Sometimes the containers have not aged so well and need a more major reworking. Using the few remaining plants and ending up with something worthy of the season requires some ingenuity.

Fall vignette

Mixed fall container

And then there are those areas that never got addressed this year, but suddenly were front and center when a backyard party was planned. Case in point, this little garden near the gazebo was full of weeds and the former fountain in the center was no longer functional. The clients weren’t sure how they wanted to proceed with this area so I elected to use a few mums and sedums to temporarily brighten the ground. The pièce de résistance was finding a great plant stand and constructing this glorious basket with bright fall colors to place on top. Sort of simulates a fountain, doesn’t it?

Faux fountain

And finally, sometimes you just need to create all new plantings in the containers like this.

Ferns, heuchera, and rudbeckia

The leaves are turning, there is a nip in the air, but the colors of fall will keep us warm a while longer.

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