Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Along the road

The woodland flowers share their  green beneath the now full canopy above them. All signs of their subtle colours are gone, but in their place, in another niche, stand the meadowland  flowers. These beauties of all shapes and sizes add sparkle and drama to the grasses around them.
The early flowering cherries are now well past their white. It’s the dogwoods and the locusts that now offer billowing beauty to the lake and road sides. 
Today was one of simple reflection on the beauty of the dance from spring to summer. Hope you enjoy these steps.

Pink locust

Locust in the background with silky dogwood taking front stage

Red osier dogwood is simple compared to the fancier silky dogwood

silky dogwood

My mother and I agreed  we would put aside the fact that Buttercups have an unpleasantly sharp, bitter juice which causes severe pain and inflammation to cows if they ate them. We just enjoyed the buttercups for what they were. 
  These buttercups filled the space leading to rock and white locust. 

Simply lovely

So we hope that the cows will eat good grass

One of my favourite meadowland plant that gives an unabashed splash of orange is the Devil’s Paint Brush or Orange Hawkweed. 
The Roman naturalist Pliny thought the bloom was eaten by hawks in order to strengthen their eyesight. 
It most certainly adds to my sight in a special way.




Did you know that in a week or so we can eat milk weed flowers? “Nah”, you say, “Ya,” I say! Boiled young shoots, leaves, 
unopened flower buds, flowers, and young pods,  are  yummy. 

Infant milkweed flower beginning its upward way.

Bee Keepers love Pink clover

but bees like all the colours

Black swallowtails prefer  Queen Anne's Lace, to clover, and they also eat garden plants in the carrot family, including carrots, parsley, dill, and fennel.

There is a special place in my heart for wild phlox, especially if growing along a cedar rail fence.

The bladder campion will be open soon. Do you remember “popping” them on your hand before they flowered? 
There were moments when I was somewhat insensitive I suppose.

We end today’s dance with a bee in the beard. Goats Beard that is.

Love to all. Hope you enjoyed