Sunday, April 11 2010, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm
If you have never seen a carpet of Bluebells, you don’t know what you are missing! Merrimac Farm is a truly unique treasure. The event is free and a wonderful opportunity to see the Virginia’s amazing assets.
Prince William Conservation played an integral role in the birth of Merrimac Farm.
Bring your family and friends to Merrimac Farm on Sunday, April 11, beginning at 9:00 am, to welcome spring and view the spectacular display of Virginia Bluebells that carpet the floodplain along Cedar Run for nearly a mile. In the words of one visitor, it’s like walking through Oz.
We’ll have naturalist-led tours to the Bluebells and Cedar Run, where you can stay as long as you’d like. Along the way we’ll travel through a variety of habitats, talking about the birds, butterflies, frogs and other wildlife that lives at Merrimac Farm and in Northern Virginia.
A nature art show featuring local artists and photographers will be ongoing inside the Stone House Visitor Center. Outside on the front lawn, local groups will have fun nature activities for children of all ages.
Bring your kids, cameras and binoculars for the Annual Bluebell Festival at Merrimac Farm Wildlife Management Area! Appropriate attire for Merrimac Farm is always sturdy shoes and long pants, no matter the season. The Bluebells are in the floodplain wetlands, waterproof or water resistent shoes are a plus.
Sponsored by the Prince William Conservation Alliance,
Virginia Dept. of Game & Inland Fisheries and Marine Corps Base Quantico.
The bluebells are just breathtaking! I hope to get out there on Sunday and enjoy another year of Mother Earth’s artwork.
I’ll never forget the first time I saw bluebells in the fresh spring air. I felt like I was in a colorful mountain meadow and Grandfather from “Heidi” would soon be calling me to come milk the goats!
I can’t wait to see the bluebells at Merrimac Farm this Sunday.
Did you know that bluebells were the “County Flower”?
We’ve gone from slavery to the Supreme Court to Westboro Baptist to mining disasters to Barbie’s underwear to bluebells in PWC — all in a matter of days. I’m telling you, Moon, I’m getting whiplash here. Fun though. I was just thinking of Elena “tiptoeing” through the Virginia bluebells.
Wolverine. I kinda like the topics changing at a good clip. I found out that Merrimac is a no-carry zone so I couldn’t go and see the bluebells.
On the upside, I did take some time to leave my bunker and go help my neice’s soccer team. Enjoyed the day (and sun!) outside for the rest of the day and now I’m settling in to some NASCAR. 🙂
Didn’t know that Lafayette. Thanks for the knowledge.
My bluebells have been in full bloom for about a week. I was going to Merrimac to help out but I am incapacitated by this pollen. Pollen is supposedly worse this year than in recorded pollen history. It was up to 7000 the other day. Apparently the snow storms inhibited the tree pollen and it all hit at once rather than gradually.
Wolverine, sorry about that whiplash. Lots is happening. No one can accuse us obsessing over one thing, now can they?
I’m just joshing, Moon. You are spot on about that one, though. Around here you have to learn to “obsess” real fast or you get lapped before you know it!!!! How’s that for NASCAR talk?
Love the Bluebell Festival and a huge thank you for those who
fought to make sure they weren’t covered by McMansions but
M-H is right – this spring’s pollen is as above normal as
last winter’s huge snows . Claritin Nation.
This is the worst I can remember it, PR.
Wolverine, I knew you were kidding. I looked and it did seem like a lot of topics on the table at once, for sure. What is it they say about variety?
Another Damons Ribs bites the dust. The one out at 50 and 28 has closed. Is there even one left? Who has suggestions for a replacement? It must have trivia and big TVs.
Hi, Moonhowler!
We really like Buffalo Wild Wings in Gainesville. Lots of big tv’s and trivia too. It gets packed during “big games” but if you aren’t going during a hyped up play off game or hotly contested college game, it’s doable. I had never been to Damon’s when they were here in Manassas. Food is dominated by wings, but there are lots of other choices if you don’t like wings.
Oh, and I meant to add that I really like this topic and wish I could go! Son is playing travel soccer this year though, so that means I’m heading to Fairfax County all afternoon today. It’s going to be a long season.
Twinad, I am more interested in the horseracing. Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont coming up. Derby is first Sat. in May. Damons in Manassas has been closed a long time. It was no surprise this one closed in Chantilly.
Thanks for the tip. Is that in the Bonefish shopping center?
Just returned from the Bluebell Festival. Absolutely lovely. Ran into one of our more loveable activists working away! What a great place. We took the long hike to the bluebells and enjoyed every minute of it. Thanks for the information.
Good thing it’s a no carry zone, you’re likely to trip over some of those massive grapevines and shoot yourself. 🙂 But you may hunt there….during specific hours.
Juturna ,
Did I see you 😉 ? Did I give you my Merrimac Farm history lesson and not realize it was you???? Of course, you had a few of us local activists there today volunteering!
What a perfect day for nature. I wasn’t able to do the hike, but my children did, (Kim Hosen as their chaperone) and they had a blast! My son was kind enough to walk back one of the trails a little bit and get some pictures of bluebells for me!
Wolverine, you crack me up! Did you make it to the festival?
Festival pictures, please!
Emma, I wish I had some. My camera has died. 🙁
It was an amazing sight to say the least.
Elena – we spent our time with a terrific botanist. What a great place. We will be back – it is a great place for summer given the tree cover.
I want a mosquito report when you do that, Juturna.
MH,
No, not in the Bonefish plaza. It is right off of Wellington Road…in the back of VA Gateway. I think it is Wellington Road! If you take 66 to Gainesville, take the left onto Linton Hall Road and then a left at the light onto Wellington. It is on a corner section of the plaza that faces Wellington. I am positive they would be showing the Preakness etc.
@Moon-howler
The “bug man” (truck w/fogger) won’t be spraying at Merrimac Farm or Sudley Manor. 😉
Emma,
My little boy took some great pics with my cell phone. I will upload them and post a few! I am sure that http://www.pwconserve.org will have a bunch on the website soon!
I’ve survived RI mosquito’s. That’s survival.
Are they worse than VA ones, Juturna?
I know right where it is then, Twinad. Thanks. Do you feel like you are in a warehouse?
That is one of the Bungalow Billiard chains isn’t it?
Lafayette, consistent. No lights and no mosquito spray.
Couldn’t make the festival, Elena. We had five family birthdays all within a week or two, so we held one big bash for everybody. Lot of work with that this weekend. Family came in from all over the area. In any case, Mrs. W has planted bluebells all around our house and even in the woods behind us. I’m up to my neck in bluebells every day! BTW, she sure did enjoy that photo on this thread. She loves what you guys have done and will probably get out there one of these days.
You’re probably lucky I didn’t show up. Mrs. W has an incredible “green thumb.” Me, if I so much as walk past a blade of grass, it seems to curl up and die. Even after 40 years, Mrs. W does not let me forget how I once ruined a whole balcony full of morning glories by over watering them. I probably would have created havoc in the bluebell patch just by showing up! The only plants that seem to become attached to me are Michigan sandburs!
Wish I could have made it, but we had church stuff a good part of the day. In any event:
http://www2.insidenova.com/isn/news/local/nokesville/article/virginia_bluebells_carpet_floodplain_along_cedar_run/55606/
How did you kill morning glories? I didn’t think that was possible, Wolverine!
About killing all those those morning glories, I don’t know, Moon. Mrs. W says I just have a certain special talent.
My father spent half his life trying to kill morning glories and never could. I have killed them before. its pretty easy actually.
@Juturna RI mosquitos are more like miniature pterodactyls.
I missed the festival at Merrimac because I was out of town so my mother and I toured the bluebells at Bull Run Regional Park yesterday. They’ll probably be good looking for a few more days. If you take their trail, wear shoes that won’t be ruined by mud. The trails have improved over the years but they’re still mucky after a rain.
Bluebells galore at Stone Bridge on Rte 29 if you have to commute by that way.