Have a Bloomin' Nice Time
Go.
What will you see? The Lakeside Daisy, in its rare and wonderful full-bloomin' glory. The Lakeside Daisy is known to grow naturally in only two other places worldwide. It flourishes on nearly barren limestone bedrock in full sunlight. A wonderful Ohio Buckeye Trail volunteer, Liz Jones, likened the site to seeing flowers bloom on the moon. In my opinion, it's a wise Natural Resources Department that protects areas like Lakeside Daisy (and others) yet makes them accessible--in some form--to Ohio residents as well. But why have the restrictions? In short, some areas are too fragile to be open, continually, to the general public, and yet many of those areas are also too beautiful to hide. Hence, protective rules and restricted viewing present a good compromise. For everyone. Our state is richer because places like Lakeside Daisy http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/dnap/location... exist within it. Read on for another example... but first, make a note of this great article by Suite101 editor Gregg Pasterick, where he educates us on the beauty of Ohio's Rarest Plant, the Lakeside Daisy: http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/wild...
Get Your Cranberry Lottery Ticket Now!
Cranberry Bog is one of Ohio's most unique natural areas. If you want to see the 11-acre island, located approximately 100 yards off the north shore of Buckeye Lake, you've got to be a little bit lucky.
The bog is open this year for one day only--June 21--and there's a limit of 480 visitors. The state has set up a lottery system was registered as a National Natural Landmark in 1968. Details are below. So, you wonder if it's worth it? Consider the bog's many features...
The island was created when Buckeye Lake was created, in 1830. A 50-acre portion of the lake's bed, once a thriving sphagnum* bog, broke loose and rose with the waters. The 11-acres of Cranberry Bog is all that remains of that original portion. Oh, but what a wild and wonderful 11 acres it is.
Besides the namesake cranberry, rare orchids and pitcher plants, tawny cottongrass, scheuchzeria, mud sedge and round-leafed sundew (a cute but carnivorous plant) flourish here. The open house date is set to take advantage of the peak blooming period of the island's grass-pink and rose pogonia orchids.
If you want a chance to tour the bog this year, here's what you've got to do: Send a postcard during the month of May to the ODNR Division of Natural Areas & Preserves at 1889 Fountain Square Court, F-1, Columbus, Ohio 43224. The postcard must include contact name, address, daytime phone number and total number of people in the party (not to exceed four). Only one postcard per family, please. Lottery winners will be notified by mail in early June. To learn more, visit
The copyright of the article Have a Bloomin' Nice Time in Ohio is owned by Diane Stresing. Permission to republish Have a Bloomin' Nice Time in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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