The ditches running beside the country roads are sprinkled with a variety of seasonal flowers. Though often overlooked, they add beauty, color and texture to the landscape for all to enjoy.
Fiery red Cardinal flowers …
… growing together with showy pink clusters of milkweed.
Ironweed’s deep purple blooms …
… surrounded by a variety of other late summer beauties.
“If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden.” ~Frances Hodgson Burnett
Everywhere you look, nature is aglow with autumn’s golden hues. These are some of the beautiful golden treasures that I have seen and appreciated over recent weeks.
… Life on earth is truly a gift
every moment we must treasure,
it’s the simple things we take for granted
that become our ultimate pleasures.
~Kathy J Parenteau
Shots of a field of wildflowers growing at a wildlife refuge near Kentucky Lake.
“How lovely is the silence of growing things.” ~Unknown
“No matter how chaotic it is, wildflowers will still spring up in the middle of nowhere.” ~ Sheryl Crow
“Wildflowers don’t care where they grow.” ~Dolly Parton
“I think I like wildflowers best … They just grow wherever they want. No one has to plant them. And then their seeds blow in the wind and they find a new place to grow.” ~Rebecca Donovan
“Above all, watch with glittering eyes the whole world around you because the greatest secrets are always hidden in the most unlikely places.” ~Ronald Dahl
“How does the Meadow flower its bloom unfold? Because the lovely little flower is free down to its root, and in that freedom bold.” ~William Wordsworth
It was nice to get away recently and spend a few days relaxing with family at Chickasaw State Park. The park is a rustic place, not too far from home, where one can be out in nature enjoying walking trails, picnics, camp fires, and a variety of lake activities.
“A vacation is what you take when you can no longer take what you’ve been taking.” ~Earl Wilson
The landscape along the Mississippi levee was ablaze with the beautiful, vibrant colors of a variety of wildflowers this past weekend. No matter which direction you looked, the scenery was breathtaking.
“Spring is a whimsical wanderer, blooming beauty along her path”. ~Angie Weiland-Crosby
A recent leisurely walk in a wooded park on a warm, sunny afternoon revealed ample evidence that springtime is finally here.
“It’s spring fever. That is what the name of it is. And when you’ve got it, you want — oh you don’t quite know what it is you do want, but it just fairly makes your heart ache, you want it so!” ~Mark Twain
In autumn, the landscape is dotted with the vibrant golden-yellow blooms of goldenrod, a wildflower that grows in fields and along roadways. One insect that is commonly attracted to goldenrod is the goldenrod soldier beetle, or Pennsylvania leatherwing. Adult soldier beetles feed on the pollen and nectar, and forage along the flowers for insect eggs and aphids. The flowers also serve as a place for them to meet and mate.
“There’s something about autumn that wakes up our senses and reminds us to live … ” ~Unknown
Here are a variety of wildflowers which pepper the fields and country roads in our area during the spring and summer months. Wildflowers not only brighten the landscape, but also provide habitat for birds and insects and food for many animals.
“Flowers are the music of the ground
From earth’s lips spoken without sound.”
~Edwin Curran
A leisurely drive along the Mississippi levee at this time of the year never disappoints. One of my favorite sightings this month was several Ruby-throated hummingbirds darting in and out among the red clover. We sat and watched their playful activity for some time. No photos, but clear, beautiful images in my mind.
“Memory … is the diary that we all carry around with us.” ~Oscar Wilde
