Breaking Ground

Hi River Roaders,

This is the first in a new blog series called “Grounding”.  I hope to share the sights and stories of spring unfolding on River Road grounds with the goal of sparking a sense of wonder and connection to our spiritual home.  

I hope you enjoy.

Joe

The mossy area under the Beech tree by the office door is lush in the spring and is graced with a spring bulb called “Glory of the Snow”. 
Daffodils by the sculpture outside our sanctuary.
Several locations on our property host Virginia Blue Bells (Mertensia virginica). I believe this group was planted by founding members, Brad and Shirley Patterson.
Spicebush (Lindera benzoin) is a common understory shrub on our grounds.  The subtle yellow flowers are one of the first to bloom. This plant is the host plant for the spicebush swallowtail butterfly and it produces high-energy red fruits for birds in the fall.
In a week or so, the memorial garden will be rich with the scent of our Korean spice viburnum, one of the many species of viburnum on our grounds.