Tame Horses and Wildflowers

Each year I meet again my favorite wildflowers. Thanks to a love of horseback riding, I venture often to the woods and fields. Watching their return is like greeting old friends. And a good quiet horse provides a traveling vantage point!

A sure sign that spring is fully committed is the arrival of the May apples. Viewed from horseback, they appear as villages of vibrant green umbrellas! A party in the woods! We see them along the pathways under heavy shade. Each umbrella rises 8-10 inches tall then bursts forth with a delicate white bloom or two, tucked under the leaves. By the first of May the flowers are abundant. I have to lean down from my horse to see them and it is worth it. As spring progresses to summer the flowers turn to fruit, small “apples,” nestled under tiny canopies. I heard that the old-timers made jelly from the May apples and decided to investigate. Shockingly, I learned the plants are decidedly poisonous! Yet, the apples are indeed edible! I discovered a recipe, but am not sure who’s brave enough to try it.

Other beauties in the woods are trillium, found enjoying life in groups along the trail. Where I ride, I often find the yellow ones, and it is a special treat to see a white trillium. Along the creeks and streams are blankets of tiny bluets interspersed with bright red fire pinks, and in the drier spots, an occasional rare lady’s slipper (worth dismounting for a close look!).

While seeking wildflowers from horseback, take note that spring begets a not so friendly foliage—poison ivy, which surprisingly, does not affect horses in the least! In fact, given the opportunity, horse will eat poison ivy with delight! Many sweet kisses from favorite horses have come back to haunt me due to this affinity. So, beware of amorous equines in spring!

Please join us on horseback for a wildflower tour through the woods and meadows at Blackberry – a visual feast. Just be careful what you choose to eat there (and who you choose to kiss!).

Carla Hawkinson, Equestrian Program Manager
chawkinson@blackberryfarm.com
Stables 865-273-8545

Each year I meet again my favorite wildflowers. Thanks to a love of horseback riding, I venture often to the woods and fields. Watching their return is like greeting old friends. And a good quiet horse provides a traveling vantage point!

A sure sign that spring is fully committed is the arrival of the May apples. Viewed from horseback, they appear as villages of vibrant green umbrellas! A party in the woods! We see them along the pathways under heavy shade. Each umbrella rises 8-10 inches tall then bursts forth with a delicate white bloom or two, tucked under the leaves. By the first of May the flowers are abundant. I have to lean down from my horse to see them and it is worth it. As spring progresses to summer the flowers turn to fruit, small “apples,” nestled under tiny canopies. I heard that the old-timers made jelly from the May apples and decided to investigate. Shockingly, I learned the plants are decidedly poisonous! Yet, the apples are indeed edible! I discovered a recipe, but am not sure who’s brave enough to try it.

Other beauties in the woods are trillium, found enjoying life in groups along the trail. Where I ride, I often find the yellow ones, and it is a special treat to see a white trillium. Along the creeks and streams are blankets of tiny bluets interspersed with bright red fire pinks, and in the drier spots, an occasional rare lady’s slipper (worth dismounting for a close look!).

While seeking wildflowers from horseback, take note that spring begets a not so friendly foliage—poison ivy, which surprisingly, does not affect horses in the least! In fact, given the opportunity, horse will eat poison ivy with delight! Many sweet kisses from favorite horses have come back to haunt me due to this affinity. So, beware of amorous equines in spring!

Please join us on horseback for a wildflower tour through the woods and meadows at Blackberry – a visual feast. Just be careful what you choose to eat there (and who you choose to kiss!).

Carla Hawkinson, Equestrian Program Manager
chawkinson@blackberryfarm.com
Stables 865-273-8545