Wildflower Blooms

From our morning walk the other day there were these showy, native flowers.

Bee Balm

Black-Eyed Susan

Blue Vervain

Compass Plant

Gray-Headed Coneflower

Joe Pye Weed

Obedient Plant

Prairie Blazing Star

Purple Coneflower 

Purple Prairie Clover

Wildflower Walk

Last Friday I was out servicing the trail cameras and had to stop to take this photo.

 

There is something on the order of a bazillion gray-headed cone flowers growing in this wildlife opening.

 

And not a single, solitary one of them directly seeded by us.

 

They established themselves completely on their own from seed that naturally ‘escaped’ from the pollinator planting.

 

Crazy nuts what nature can do all by itself…..

 

Wildflower Walk

 From one of our recent walks there were these blooming along the trail...

Gray-headed coneflower

Showy Tick-trefoil (amidst the Ox-eye)

Prairie blazing star

And Monarda (bee balm)

Stay-tuned, there's more to come.....

Walking the Dogs

Following days of storms we caught a break in the weather today.  Sunny, breezy, 73F (as opposed to 93F) and a comfortable dew point.  It's soggy in some spots on the trail but the girls got an opportunity to stretch their legs and get worn-out.  I suspect they'll be sleeping it-off for the balance of the day.

From our walk today there was this...

Bee Balm (Monarda)

Big Blue Stem (Turkey Foot) Taller Than I Am

Gray-Headed Cone Flower and Empty Nest Box

Turkey Foot, Switch Grass, False Sun Flower and Showy Tick Trefoil

Post Burn

Burn was conducted May 4th of this year leaving a carbonized moonscape that looked like this...

After twelve weeks the verdict is rendered - from our walk this morning it is clear that the green-up is complete... 

Liatris (Prairie Blazing Star)

Gray-Headed Coneflower

Native Blooms

On May 4 of this year we conducted a prescribed burn on the prairie planting out back behind the house. Yup, we set the entire backyard on fire.

Today marks ten weeks of green-up since the burn. And I am tickled to report that not only is it greening-up it is greening-up more vigorously than imagined.Here are some before and after photos for comparison.       

Panoramic view - Left (north) to right (east)          

View south with the house in the background       

And a few examples of nature's handiwork that are thriving post-burn .....     

Black-eyed Susan        

Boneset       

Pale Purple Coneflower       

Milkweed       

Gray-Headed Coneflower

Taking Time to Smell the Flowers

The weather lately has been wet, wet, wet.  As a consequence gardening has gotten slower and muddier, weeding has grown much easier and three and a half miles or so of trails cry-out for deferred maintenance. 

Yesterday afternoon I caught a break between storms and the girls and I were able to get out and fetch the SD cards from the trail cameras and inspect what's going on here at The Platz.

Check this out....

Gray-Headed Cone Flowers

Monarch caterpillar and Sweet Joe-Pye Weed











Strikingly-beautiful Blue Vervain

Towering eight foot tall Compass Plant

More Gray-Headed Coneflower amid the Fireweed (Evening Primrose) and a Monarch












And a Friterary Butterfly hanging out in the Joe-Pye Weed...

 

Click on images for a better look

 

Gray-headed Coneflower

Ratibida pinnata.  Commonly called the yellow coneflower this native plant is also a member of the aster family.  

And last week it has been spotted blooming all over the dang place.

What a year for the forbs.  Fantastic.

 click on image to enlarge

Sometimes called the Gray-headed Mexican hat this is a tall plant identified by its showy and droopy yellow flower petals. Beloved by the birds, bees and butterflies.  But mostly the bees.

Turning Gray

Seems I'm getting grayer by the year.  In the beard.  Not in my head of youthful hair.  Which leads me to the Gray-headed Coneflower - Ratibida pinnata.

click on the flower to enlarge

Another tall plant of the North American prairie it is doing particularly well during the recent stretch of dry and hot weather.  Like it's neighbor the Compass plant these beautiful prairie perennials thrive in hot and dry conditions because their root systems are established deed in the earth.  

After this showy flower drops its petals and dries the cone that is left at the end of the stalk smells of spices when you crumble it between your fingers.

Gray-headed Coneflower

Ratibida pinnata.  Commonly called the yellow coneflower this native plant is also a member of the aster family.

click on image to enlarge

A tall plant it is characterized by its showy and droopy yellow flower petals. Beloved by the birds, bees and butterflies.