I arrived at Norcross in 1982. The trails had been expanded when the new visitor center was constructed around 1977. All of the gardens were still located down by the …

The Short Trail

The Gardens of Tupper Hill
Sometimes I like to think about how this all started. Looking at our website under “Background and Beginnings” you can read that Mr. Norcross turned his lifelong interest in wildlife …

The Story of Oconee Bells
I love this story, it is one I tell again and again. I first read it in the North Carolina Native Plant Propagation Handbook which was printed by the North …

Spring Wildflowers
The weather this week has been wonderful! The sun is shining, it is pretty warm, the birds are singing and plants are poking their heads (and flowers) out of the …

Spring Has Sprung
We have had some incredible weather and everyone is thinking spring. Then it snows. Or we have a raw, cool day. Or there is rain. Typical New England weather is …

Bee Gardens
This week I have been thinking about bees. Honey bees, bumble bees, native bees; all kinds of bees that we encounter during the summer. I am thinking that I will …

Bushes
When walking through the woods I sometimes forget how important shrubs are. Here at Norcross our woods are open – you can see as far as the topography will let …

January Thaw
Yes, I know – it’s February, but did anyone miss the fantastic 50 degree weather that we have just experienced? To us, it feels like a taste of spring, making …

Invasive Plants
I know this may seem like my favorite topic, but invasive species are not just our problem in the northeast, or even the United States. I will be visiting Australia …

Quirky Quercus
Oak Trees (Quercus sp.) dominate the eastern forest. As I walk through the woods I know that most of the trees trunks I see are oak trees. Red Oak is …