My MTH Friends & Kin

a trilliun

Dutchman's Breeches (Dicentra cucullaria)

yes

Tipula trivittata Tipula trivittata from 180 Hemenway Rd, Framingham, MA 01701, USA on May 13, 2025 at 03:36 PM by Diana Griffin

This insect could be a Tipula trivittata. I took a blurry picture of one yesterday. www.inaturalist.org/observations...

"Close up landscapes," 4th set

from Garden in the Woods (Framingham, MA), Waseeka (Hopkinton, MA), and our home garden (Ashland, MA)

from 5/13 and 4/30

Pictured: Phlox, moss, Epimedium, Narcissus

#nature
#photography
#wildflowers
#flowers

More variety of fern friends! (5th post about ferns)

Kin structure and details are so diverse and interesting to me...from Garden in the Woods in Framingham, seen 5/4 and 5/13

- Interrupted Fern
- an unidentified fern (2nd)
- Braun's Holly Fern
- Cinnamon Fern

#ferns
#nature
#gardeninthewoods

3rd set of "Close up landscapes"

Two each from Garden in the Woods (Framingham, MA...our 2nd home!) and our home garden (Ashland, MA).

Pictured: Phlox, Groundsel, Narcissus, Columbine & Hosta

#nature
#photography
#wildflowers
#flowers

2nd set of "Close up landscapes". More to follow!

I'm doing these "random chance" photos due to my current physical challenges. But they are fun and a good practice.

These are from our home (Ashland), Waseeka Wildlife Sanctuary (Mass Audubon, Hopkinton, MA) & Garden in the Woods (Framingham, MA)

"Close up landscapes" are my friends & kin because kin help me to see my environment from a different point of view.

I put my camera near the ground & guess on the framing. I focus on a focal flower/plant, trying to include a wider background. I consider variety of colors, textures & sizes

#nature

Trillium, maybe a Large White

Love these spirals and curves!

Met these friends today at Garden in the Woods, Framingham. Did I tell you already that I love it there?

We got a membership level that lets us bring lots of friends. Looking forward to sharing this joy with others soon.

#gardeninthewoods
#wildflowers
#ferns

Doesn't that kind of look like (remind us of) an underwater scene with coral, etc? That picture does for me, anyway. LOL

Thanks for pointing that out; I didn't know! Just posted that on iNat too.

Texture and delicate details are my friend & kin because kin are a gift from nature that we can enjoy if we just pay attention.

All seen at Garden in the Woods in Framingham today: (maybe?) Azure Bluet, moss on a roof, Ostrich Fern, and Eastern Pricklypear.

#nature
#flowers
#wildflowers
#grateful

More variety of fern friends!
from Garden in the Woods in Framingham, today

- Ostrich Fern (1st & 4th)
- American Royal Fern
- Northern Maidenhair Fern

#ferns

These fern friends growing in my garden show some of their variety & current stage of development:

- Japanese Painted
- Christmas
- Northern Lady
- Ostrich

I'm doing *lots* of photography & posting for the "City Nature Challenge 2025: Boston Area" (See www.inaturalist.org, dagtrees)

#ferns

Ferns are my friends & kin because kin start as cute, tightly curled-up fuzzy fiddleheads; later kin open up wide & majestically. Coming in a lot of varieties, ferns are easy to grow & maintain. Who doesn't love ferns?

Met these friends today at Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA.

#wildflowers

peach tree's pink flower close up

peach tree's pink flower close up

peach tree in flower seen when looking down from the road

peach tree in flower seen when looking up from the garden with the street in the background

The peach tree in my garden is my friend & kin because ki is small, pretty in pink, provides peaches to squirrels mostly, and was a surprise gift from the compost pile!

A visitor educated me about who ki was when ki was much smaller, and not flowering. Good to know!

#floweringtrees #fruittrees

an adolescent chicken (with black feathers with golden streaks) on a hand of a white person

an adolescent chicken (with black feathers with golden streaks) on a hand of a white person. photo by Phil, philslens.com

two adolescent chickens (with black feathers with golden and white streaks). photo by Phil, philslens.com

6 adolescent chickens (with black feathers with golden and white streaks) standing in sawdust

Chicks are my friends & kin because kin are entertaining pets of my friends, while growing up to be laying hens.

While I was meeting them for the first time, one jumped up on my hand when I was reaching out for something else, and then stayed a while! That was fun.

#nature
#chickens

Red hen, photo by Phil. See more: Philslens.com

Blood hen, photo by Phil. See more: Philslens.com

A dozen brown eggs

Three hens, photo by Phil. See more: Philslens.com

Chickens are my friends & kin because kin are entertaining pets of my friends (pictured ones live with GB & Anthony...others live with Elaine & Mia...and others with KB); they provide good protein in their fresh eggs, and help to control insects.

#nature
#chickens

a worm in leaves in compost pile

2 worms in leaves in compost pile

a compost pile with wooden sides and wooden sticks marking the side that is closer to being ready for the garden

a wooden post in the corner of the compost pile with some metal figurines attached for decoration and fun: a mermaid sitting with her hands behind her head, and a large grasshopper crawling up the side

Worms are my friends & kin because kin graciously turn my kitchen scraps into healthy & happy compost for use in my garden. I love giving to them.

Great in the ecosystem, worms recycle organic material, increase nutrient availability, improve soil structure, and provide food for predators.

#nature

Love all that red!

What is a keystone species? - The Plant Native These vital plants and animals shape entire ecosystems. Learn how they impact biodiversity and how to plant them in your yard.

I forgot to mention:

1. Oak trees are a keystone species. Learn more: theplantnative.com/faqs/what-is-a-keystone-species

2. Leaf "litter" (what I left/put below my Oak) has other beneficial effects for the tree, soil, and more in the ecosystem.

Here ki is, so big now! (And this is with pruning over the years.) I think ki was about 5 feet tall when I brought ki here to live. (FWIW, the birds and squirrels get most of the cherries that grow on this tree. I have a tart cherry tree in the front yard that I get to consume more of)

Oak trees are my friends & kin because kin are a native plant hosting many insects & birds (the most? 500?); they are big, strong & beautiful.

I provided a safe landing zone under one of the oaks in my yard last year since caterpillars eating ki's leaves need a safe place to evolve.

#nativeplants

Calathea Lancifolia is my friend & kin because ki is a gorgeous indoor plant with green patterns on top of the leaves with burgundy undersides. Ki closes up at night!

Phil took pictures of a relative. Inspired, I made mixed media art (see 3/21 on @dagart4activism.bsky.social). I got him the plant!

My partner, Phil, took these Bloodroot photos early yesterday morning. So lovely I need to share. Not posted on his site yet, but you can see more of his beautiful, mostly nature photography...many are close ups (my favs): philslens.com

Cherry trees are my friends & kin because kin flower beautifully, attract pollinators and provide food for kin, and create edible food for us humans too!

This is a Bing Cherry tree that I planted in my side yard in 1998. Ki has grown so big!

#nature
#flowers
#floweringtrees
#fruittrees
#garden

look who showed up in my terrarium in the last couple of days! I would like to identify these mushrooms, so just posted on my iNat page: www.inaturalist.org/observations...

fun to add little things I find around the house... like shells, rocks, and little sculptures... to my (in)door gardens