Tour de Fleur: Ross Marble

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Ross Marble Tour de Fleurers

Special thanks to those who attended the Tour de Fleur to the Ross Marble Quarry Natural Area at Ijams last Saturday. The walk was organized by Kathleen Gibi, with the city parks and rec, and Ellen Blasius with the county parks and rec.

Highlights were: ironweed, frostweed, New England aster, Spanish needles, Pennsylvania smartweed, Virginia knotweed, Florida blue lettuce (that's a lot of state and regional proper names, too bad we did not find any Tennessee chickweed). And, of course, lots and lots of blooming ragweed, both giant and common.

Thanks, Kathleen and Ellen.

Kathleen Gibi and Ellen Blasius

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Tour de Fleur: Ten Mile Creek

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Ten Mile Creek Greenway in West Knoxville

Join Kathleen Gibi, with the City of Knoxville parks and rec, and Ellen Blasius with Knox County parks and rec and me for this month's Tour Knoxville on Saturday morning, August 6 at 10 a.m. and walk along the Ten Mile Creek Greenway west towards Windsong.

Some of the wildflowers we expect to find are thin-leaved coneflower, green passionflower, Joe Pye weed, jewelweed, goldenrod and the eye-popping cardinal flower.

This is a great outing along an often overlooked greenway. Wear comfortable shoes and bring water.

Kathleen Gibi and Ellen Blasius

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Tour de Fleur: Forks of the River

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July Tour de Fleurers

Special thanks to all the folks that attended this month's Tour de Fleur along the Will Skelton Greenway at Forks of the River WMA. The fields of sunflowers did not disappoint. Spectacular once again this year! Although you might think you are in the province of Provence in the south of France, a sunny location made famous by the sunflower paintings of Vincent van Gogh, you're here in East Tennessee. Giant sunflowers are actually native to America. 

Hats off to Kathleen Gibi, with the City of Knoxville parks and rec, and Ellen Blasius with Knox County parks and rec for organizing the outing.

Along the way we also heard common yellowthroats, yellow-breasted chats, field sparrows and indigo buntings singing, as well as Robinson's, swamp and scissor-grinder cicadas "zeering" their buzzy songs in the trees. 

Ahhhh summer!

Sunflower (Helianthus annuus)

Other wildflowers found along the way.

Common mullein

Sow thistle

Chicory 

Garden Coreopsis

Partridge pea

Horse nettle

Hedge nettle

Queen Anne's lace

White avens

Wood sorrel

St. John's wort

Crown-beard

Asian dayflower

Kathleen Gibi and Ellen Blasius

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Tour de Fleur: Sunflowers

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Join Kathleen Gibi, with the City of Knoxville parks and rec, and Ellen Blasius with Knox County parks and rec and myself for this month's Tour de Fleur: Sunflower Walk along the Will Skeleton Greenway to Forks of the River Wildlife Management Area.

TWRA manages the 400+ acre parcel of land for wildlife. They have planted acres of sunflowers reminiscent of a canvas by Vincent van Gogh.  

We'll meet at Ijams Saturday morning, July 9 at 10 a.m. and ride a bus out to the location in South Knoxville on the French Broad River. 

Other July flowers of note blooming along the way are chicory, garden coreopsis, Queen Anne's lace, mullien and trumpet creeper, but it's the spectacular fields of sunflowers that will make the walk memorable. 

Birds we are likely to hear are common yellowthroat, yellow breasted chat and indigo bunting.

This is a great outing along an often overlooked greenway.

Kathleen Gibi and Ellen Blasius

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Tour de Fleur thank you

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White-eyed vireo

Special thanks to those who attended the Tour de Fleur along Ten Mile Creek Greenway last Saturday. The walk was organized by Kathleen Gibi, with the city parks and rec, and Ellen Blasius with the county parks and rec.

Highlights were several small meadow wildflowers like field madder, gill, yellow lesser hop, Carolina cranebill and bird's eye speedwell. We also saw a wild turkey, yellow warbler and a red-shouldered hawk on her nest. Plus, it appears to be excellent habitat for white-eyed vireos, we heard and saw several.

This summer the Tour de Fleur will visit several city and county park/greenway locations.

Thanks, Kathleen and Ellen.

Red field madder

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thanks Tour de Fleur

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Purple phacelia

Special thanks goes to those that attended the first of several wildflower walks organized by Kathleen Gibi, with the city parks and rec, and Ellen Blasius with the county parks and rec.

Despite the cool winds and mucky mud we had a wonderful turnout.

The Tour de Fleur will visit several city and county locations over the next few months.

On Saturday, we walked along the Will Skelton Greenway in South Knoxville and the River Trail at Ijams looking for seasonal wildflowers. One of the most beautiful was the purple phacelia, a.k.a fern-leaf phacelia that's blooming near the Ijams boardwalk above the Tennessee River.

Thanks, Kathleen and Ellen.


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Tour de Fleur

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The City of Knoxville and Knox County's Parks and Recreation Departments are offering a new program beginning this weekend that combines walking with an opportunity to learn more about wildflowers.

The walks are organized by Kathleen Gibi, Public Affairs Specialist with the City of Knoxville Parks & Rec.

The Tour de Fleur, a monthly wildflower walking series is set to begin at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 16 at Ijams Nature Center. The series will continue through the first weekend in September.

Kathleen and I will be leading this first walk along the Will Skelton Greenway from Ijams and venture out onto the breathtaking boardwalk that hangs out over the Tennessee River for a good view of the wildflowers growing along the Bluff.

All Tour de Fleur walks will be on Saturdays and led by a nature guide. Walks will either be on Will Skelton Greenway or the Ten Mile Creek Greenway, developed by both the city and county, in West Knoxville.

- Pictured above: yellow trillium at Ijams Nature Center

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