Wild Sierra Orchid

Recently had a slow paced, away-from-the-city weekend with a friend at her home in the Sierra Nevada foothills.

Spent quite a bit of time alone, walking around her wooded acres looking for the perfect downed tree branch for the new aviary. While scouting around I stumbled over this lovely wild orchid pushing up through the mat of fallen pine needles.....

It is a Spotted Coralroot orchid (Corallorhiza maculata) and thrives so well in the rich woodland humus of the Sierra pine forests that it has no need for leaves.


The backyard garden beds were just starting to show some color.....

 But the moss and lichen patterns on the tree bark were especially beautiful.....

And inspired this windowsill sized terrarium - a small fragment of the Sierra foothills, living in a tiny glass bell jar....

Today I'm linking up with An Oregon Cottage to be inspired by what's happening in other gardens.....