Flowers

Where the Wild Flowers Are

/ Pat / 23 Comments

I am fully engaged in my Michigan environment as I’m watching spring unfold. How perfect that Tina has given us the Lens-Artist Challenge of Environment. The daffodils and naturalized grape hyacinths in my garden have me eager to get out in a couple of weeks to find and photograph some nice specimens of wild flowers. My favorite spots to photograph are in the spring-time woods where gentle light is filtered through newly emerging leaves.

These photos are from my files, taken at Hidden Lake Garden in the Irish Hills of southern Michigan on visits in May of previous years. I think maybe a couple were taken in other wooded areas that are so plentiful in my Michigan environment. We have some warm sunny days predicted for next week so my agenda includes a trip to Hidden Lake Garden and then on to Tecumseh where there is a fabulous quilt fabric store.

The part of my environment that is really exciting my soul is the green haze of the undergrowth in wooded areas along roads that we frequent. This morning on our way to breakfast and exercising we talked about how much the leaves have opened in the tall branches of the many hardwoods – just in the past two days. And I smiled when I looked out my kitchen window and saw dandelions blooming under our neighbor’s burning bush.

If you would like to share a piece of the environment you live in or those you have visiting you can click here to join in.

Anticipatory Buds

/ Pat / 14 Comments
Aren’t these cone flowers striking? And look how many buds are opening. Last year, or maybe the year before, I divided the yellow daylilies along our drive and filled in places that could use some easy color. But this year I’ve decided my garden is toooooo yellow. My coneflowers have started blooming in the lower tier, in this beautiful orange, in yellow, and the typical bright pink. I’ve decided to remove some of the yellow daylilies in the upper tier (my daughter-in-law want some) and put some coneflowers in. But that can wait until fall or next spring.

Last winter I was thinking that I would start putting more evergreens in with less flowers. Somewhere, probably in one of local garden shops, I forgot about that decision. Or maybe it was when I was sitting on my purple porch swing on a cool spring morning surveying the plants coming up. I’ll blame it on the coffee I was drinking.

If you have a flower you would like to show us you can join in Cee’s Flower of the Day postings.

Too Many Flowers?

/ Pat / 6 Comments

Last fall I planted three new bearded irises and two of the six bulbs bloomed. How lovely they were when they bloomed this spring – and it makes me wonder what color the third pair is.

I’m thinking that a clump of pink irises would be pretty in my spring garden but I’m also thinking I would like some Japanese Iris. I think I need to make a decision so I can get them for fall planting. Today I’m focusing on making quilts to take to Florida for a church quilt project. More to come on that. I sure am glad that I’m retired!

Cee also posted a beautiful bearded iris for today’s FOTD.

Flower of the Day: Pink Quill

/ Pat / 2 Comments

I first saw this flower growing in the Orchid Garden of the Naples Botanical Garden but it wasn’t labelled. I took some photos but didn’t post them because I wanted to do a little research to find it’s name. What luck that there were several of these plants hanging on the border wall of the entrance boardwalk when they decorated for the orchid show and it had a pretty little sign telling me what it is. I find it absolutely delightful and hope it brings joy to your life today.

Linked to Cee’s Flower of the Day.

Favorite Flower of Today: Zennia

/ Pat / 9 Comments
This was a flower growing in the Botanical Garden in January and I admired the colors for few weeks – and then they were gone. The people of the Naples Garden Club had pulled them and planted a new batch of seedlings. Now I have to wait until they bloom to see what colors the new ones are.

I’m looking forward to sharing some of the flowers blooming in the garden that aren’t water lilies and orchids over the next few weeks, linked with Cee’s Flower of the Day Challenge (FOTD).