Wild Orchids

Pink Lady's Slipper, Cypripedium acaule Ait. ,is a perennial orchid. I have been trying to modify the habitat in areas where I have found this beauty in order to encourage them to spread. This plant was used medicinally and over harvested for many years. That plus habitat loss caused it to become quite rare. I now have a small patch of it on our property. After clearing underbrush to encourage cranberries to spread a number of these came up two years later. I am now trying it in another area to see if more show up. I am not sure whether the area getting more sunlight or the disturbance of the sphagnum moss humps is the key factor. This year I am going to try collecting some seed and spreading it in similar areas.I might also try start a few in the green house.
  We have been busy the last couple of days collecting ostrich fern fiddle heads. The season is pretty short on them so you have to get them when you can. We will dry them all this year. We have canned them but the texture does not lend itself to much but soup after canning. They do make a great cream of asparagus type soup though.
Here is a pic of our take from Monday.  Free food! I like foraged foods but many of them give poor return on your investment of time. These provide meaningful amounts of food and are easy to preserve.