A nice small white wildflower along the Appalachian Trail called Rue Anemone…

Rue Anemone

The white blazes that mark the Appalachian Trail match the snow on the ground…

No Footprints on the Snowcovered Appalachian Trail

White Blaze and White Snow

White Blaze Marking the Appalachian Trail

The Appalachian Trail through Mount Rogers National Recreation Area is very scenic.

Appalachian Trail View in Mount Rogers National Recreation Area

As I mentioned earlier, I was excited to find showy orchis wildflowers in the yard this spring for the first time. I have since discovered even more showy orchis and took some additional pictures:

Showy Orchis

Showy Orchis

Showy Orchis

Where to See Showy Orchis

In addition to the showy orchis in the backyard, I also found a couple showy orchis flowers along the Appalachian Trail just south of the Mosby Camp (south of Linden between Rte 55 and 522). You have to look carefully… it may not be obvious from the photos, but showy orchis wildflowers are relatively small and close to the ground. In fact, some folks may not be that impressed. My brother remarked, “If that’s the showy orchis, then I’d hate to see the non-showy orchis!”

Here are a couple pictures from our yard of yellow lady’s slippers. Lady Slippers are one of my favorite flowers. We did not know they were there when we bought our property and were very pleased when we discovered them.

Yellow Ladys Slippers

Yellow Ladys Slippers

Ladys Slipper Closeup

The yellow lady’s slippers in our yard are now past peak, but early May is the time of year to see them. In the May 2010 Potomac Appalachian newsletter, Lee Scheaffer describes where you can find them along the Appalachian Trail near Linden, VA in the G. Richard Thompson Wildlife Management Area. The article starts on the first page and is entitled “It’s A Flower Thing.”