LANDSCAPE OF BEAUTY AND MEANING 33 



margin, and that the surrounding: ridge on which perhaps stand pines, is 

 the older line of shore-cliff softened by erosion to gentle well-drained slopes 

 where a succession of plants has built nourishing soil from the crumbling 

 rocks until the forest now stands, held by the poorer drainage of the flat 

 meadow, on a line often closely following the line of the ancient sea cliffs. 



For flower displays of blazing color, the great meadow southeast of 

 Whalers Knoll is outstanding, with golden poppies in March, contrasted 

 with blue Ceanothus on the margins ; in the show of solid splashes of red- 

 brown Riimex in May, and the intermixed blue and pink and yellow of 

 Sisyrinchium, Geranium and Cenothera, lovely close to, but perhaps most 

 effective from the edges of the meadow, making vibrant variations in the 

 reds and maroons of the Rumex. For interesting compositions, for a study 

 of the old beach line and an undisturbed condition of forest margin and 

 meadow flora, and for the interesting mound formation that is typical of 

 the wet meadows in the Reserve, the big Mound Meadow on the south shore 

 is most typical. Here the meadow has never been plowed and the evidence 

 of forest clearing is small. There are, however, signs of a natural advance 

 of pine in successive stages down from the location of the present state 

 highway into this mounded area, with mounds, buried more or less deeply 

 by woods soil, extending all the way up to the highway. 



Each meadow has its peculiar' character and its dominating note of 

 interest. Around Carmel Cove and focused in its center is a low terrace 

 meadow surrounded by an upper terrace largely open and also meadow, 

 giving a fine opportunity to see the terraced formation. Northwest of 

 Whalers Knoll is a narrow meadow contained on the sides mostly by 

 brush-covered slopes, and strongly guiding the attention down to the Old 

 Veteran cypress and the cypress-enframed cove— one of the fine views of 

 the Reserve. Another outstanding meadow view is that obtained from the 

 north side of Vierras Knoll looking over the very lovely bushy meadow 

 to the panorama of the south shore as far as Whalers Rock and the Sand 

 Hill. This is, however, apparently in a stage of rapid transition from open 

 meadow, where grain was once raised, to chaparral, or more probably pine 

 forest. To the south of Vierras Knoll is a similar meadow looking toward 

 the dramatic coast to the south, showing no evidence of losing its herbaceous 

 character in which the chief color effects in the spring are derived from 

 Rumex and pure yellow Lupine. 



In both of these areas one is unpleasantly reminded of the close presence 

 of highway fence, cuts and traffic, and by the Carmel Highlands subdi- 

 vision, and that the future might easily bring building developments on the 

 hill east of the highway which would dominate this whole end of the 

 "natural" Reserve. Besides these areas are numerous little meadows full 

 of a variety of interest, tucked away all over the Reserve — well worth ex- 

 ploring, from the point of view of the artist, the naturalist or the less 

 specialized nature lover. 



Pine Forest Interiors 



In the pine forest are three very distinct types of character. The first 

 is where the trees are spaced quite wide and open, retaining considerable 

 low foliage here and there, with sufficient light entering to support grass 



Rounded domes, sheer-walled on the 



ocean side, shelter straight-shafted cypresses 



on their unexposed slopes 



