After returning home to Annapolis County, I thought about the contrast between the two municipal units (Pictou and Annapolis) (see post Pictou County Visit). We decided to further explore this part of the Valley.
The first stop was the Edelweiss Restaurant on Mount Hanley Road to Port George. We hoped for lunch; but they are only open for Supper 4 – 8 pm. Another Day!
Afterwards, we stopped at the Clarence market, Friday 4-8 pm.
There were a few vendors. We walked away with butter tarts and a mint plant. We talked to Bob Bent about the availability of his next book.
Heather and I spent time on Brier Island in the early 1990’s. She completed her M.Sc in Biology at the University of Guelph in 1993 (see posts Biogeography, A Round Trip and Brier Island). The research topic was the Reproductive Biology and Developmental Morphology of Agalinis Neoscotica (Scrophulariaceae).
“Agalinis Neoscotica is the only plant that has the specific epithet ‘neoscotica’. Greene (1910) named the small plant he found at the Middleton railway station Gerardia neoscotica. Fernald (1921) after a field trip to Nova Scotia, made a new combination, Agalinis neoscotica, thus elevating Pennell’s variety to a species, and in 1929 Pennell adopted the name.“
Time (2025) for us to return to Brier Island (over thirty years).
We enjoyed the drive down Digby Neck, taking the two ferries. With Heather’s thesis in our backpack, we went to find the plant at Pea Jack Cove. We managed to obtain a map of the island, when we stopped at Brier Island Lodge.
Ah -ha , we found it, even though the site had been disturbed by earth works and ATV trails.
We did not have the time to check out the other location at Big Pond Cove. An excuse for a return trip. We also verified the flowering season, i.e. late July to early August. BTW Brier Island is in Digby County.
Feeling very pleased, we returned to Middleton, we will re-check the original Greene location, along the abandoned railway line ( stay tuned).
After our successful adventure, we went to hear the Best of Boxwood at the Kings Theatre in Annapolis Royal.
The music was excellent: Chris Norman, David Greenberg, Brid Harper and Colin Cotter. An excellent venue, it is certainly comparable to the de Coste Centre in Pictou County.
Postscript
Perhaps, Agalinis Neoscotica should be our Provincial flower. It would raise the profile of Middleton, where Greene discovered it, botanizing by the railway track in 1910.
Yesterday, Anne Wedler‘s plein air, “Spruce Meadowland”, was painted in oil near Lawrencetown Beach (Halifax County).
Acknowledgements
Heather provided the botanical knowledge. I added the Geography. Edward contributed the graphics and links.
References
Heather Stewart, 1993, Reproductive Biology and Developmental Morphology of Agalinis Neoscotica (Scrophulariaceae), University of Guelph, Department of Botany.
Ernest Blair Experiment 