Roadside Wildflowers

I've had enough free time this summer to get to know more of the wild plants with which I share this part of the planet. Here's some of my more recent photos and what I learned about them. This plant, obviously in the mint family (square stems, opposite leaves, tube shaped flowers with upper and lower lips), but I've never found it in my field manual or online. This year, however, I really, really searched and finally found it in the "Pink or Red Flowers" section. I'd previously only looked in the "Blue and Purple Flowers" section because that's what they look like to me. It is called Motherwort and probably originated in Europe and southern Asia. Now, however, it is considered invasive, though the bees sure like it.

I've previously photographed the minuscule Least Hop Clover, but this one, growing by my barn door, was bigger and I assumed it was (regular) Hop Clover. When I looked it up, though, I learned that it wasn't big enough and was therefore Smaller Hop Clover. It's nice to know there are bright yellow clovers:

A favorite of mine, Ladys-Thumb Smartweed:

Another common mint which I've never been able to identify before. This time, however, I tracked it down and decided it was Hemp-Nettle":

Springing up all around my house and barn are these Smooth Hawksbeard flowers. These only get to about 12" although taller, related species along many roadsides grow to over three feet tall:

Another of my favorites, Jewelweed, has begun blooming in wet places. The sap of Jewelweed plants is soothing for Poison Ivy, Nettles and bee sting irritations. I'm sensitive to Stinging Nettles and luckily, they tend to grow together in wet soil. Jewelweed's leaves shine like silver foil when submerged in water. If you scratch off the seed coat, Jewelweed's seeds are a bright blue color and, I've read, White-Footed Mice feeding on them develop blue bellies. Also called Touch-Me-Not, their ripe seed pods explode when touched, scattering their seeds up to six feet away and leaving tightly curled shreds of pod:

You've no doubt seen this plant all over waste areas where not much else will grow. Its seed pods turn dark brown when ripe and cling to the stalk. We used to think they looked like coffee grounds when we were kids and would strip them off the stalk and pretend we were going to make coffee. Apparently the tender young leaves are edible for humans, but cattle, sheep and chickens find the leaves and seeds toxic:

Queen Anne's Lace, of course, but surrounded by a Wild Cucumber Vine in full bloom:

A wildflower tableau: Northern Bedstraw, Butter-And-Eggs and Orpine:

I've seen Sedum plants growing along a drainage ditch in front of my house for years and assumed they had been planted by someone. This year I looked them up and discovered, to my surprise, that they are an alien wildflower which grows in some rather cold, northern locations:

Orpine looks for all the world like someone planted it here, and it looks even better with a bumblebee atop its bright pink flower head:

Goldenrod began blooming early in August and will continue right through autumn. There are over 60 species and I haven't even tried to learn them. I just enjoy their beauty, at least when they are not in my pastures:

One of the first flowers our mother taught us was Nightshade, a relative of potatoes, peppers and tomatoes. Our mother allowed a wild plant to grow in her flower garden just because we kids liked it so much:

Notes From Around The Farm

The neighbors across the road have six heifers, all of them pregnant. The first calf was born last weekend, a little bull they named Buford. But it was a difficult birth and both mother and calf might have died if they hadn't called on an Amish man to come help pull it out. Then the mother refused to feed it and they had to milk her and feed the baby by hand. But mom and calf were reconciled by day two and everything was working as it should. I stopped by to see the little guy. By the way, that's my house across the road:

The chickens' favorite spot is beneath the apple trees:

They seem to find lots to eat under the apple trees, and there's shelter from both sun and rain:

They mostly travel together as a flock, though there are always a few stragglers:

This year's two baby pigeons have been the only fantails to venture out so far this summer. You can see them on the roof of the milk room:

And they have been doing some fancy flying:

I seldom see honey bees anymore, but we have a kind of small bumblebee which keeps the Rugosa Roses pollinated:

The yellow Asiatic Lilies began blooming. The orange ones will bloom later:

The fantail pigeons get all excited when I give them fresh water. I assumed they wanted to drink it, but then I noticed them making motions like birds in a birdbath. I will get them something in which they can bathe and see if they like that:

I saw this elegant black, orange and blue beetle in the Elderberry flower buds and looked it up. It is called an Elderberry Borer Beetle:

This cornfield near me seemed to stretch almost to the horizon. That blue valley to the upper right was, I think, Canada:

The neighbors came over and helped me tattoo and tag Loretta's ears. She fought harder than any calf before her, but we got it done. The next morning, I saw that she had green tattoo ink all over her face, including around one eye. And she wanted to keep far away from me. She'll forgive me in time, though:

Farm Photos From The Memorial Day Weekend

I returned home from hiking the Wolf Lake Loop Trail and got the dogs comfortable. Then I took my camera and walked out to the south hay field to see what was blooming. Mostly I had lots of Buttercups and Ragged Robin, though there was some Cow Vetch and other flowers scattered throughout. The yellow and pink made for a nice picture:

A bumblebee collected nectar from Ragged Robin flowers, and the whole scene was pleasant and calming:

My newly sided barn was looking good nearby:

I walked to the gardens around the house and was surprised to find a pink Columbine in bloom. I knew the former owners had grown them because I'd found a tin of home grown seeds in the kitchen. But I've never seen one growing on the property until now. I was happy to see it:

And the Mock Orange, which had previously been chopped down to the ground, was rebounding nicely and just coming into bloom:

The Bleeding Hearts were blooming beside the pond and the strawberries had already formed, looking like they were going to be tasty:

Inside my farm apartment, the dogs all snoozed comfortably:

Clover, Daphne and Fergus hopped right up on the bed but the other dogs used the floor pillows:

Just out the side door, purple and yellow Iris was blooming:

And they were quite lovely:

These pale yellow Iris looked good next to the weather beaten old beams used as edging:

Old fashioned Spirea was blooming in front of the house. Yes, everything was feeling comfortable, healthy and welcoming. But I'd have to leave for home the next morning so it was all just a visit for me. Some day I'll retire and live there permanently:

An Afternoon At The Farm

The dogs and I were making a weekend visit to the farm and we'd gotten ourselves settled in. The dogs, in this case Clover and Fergus, were napping comfortably:

Wally chose one of his favorite spots to relax, hidden beneath the kitchen table:

And I went without doggy accompaniment on a walking tour of the farm, beginning with the flowering apple and pear trees:

They were even lovelier close up:

A quick view of the fruit trees with the barn in the background:

I didn't see any honeybees at work, but some species of large bumblebee was working those apple blossoms with great vigor:

I began mowing the lawn, and believe me there's a lot to mow. Alas, I hit a large rock and ruined the blades before I finished:

Since I couldn't finish the mowing I went back indoors, feeling secretly relieved but also guilty for feeling happy about it. I opened the door to my apartment to let in the spring air and see the flowering crabs in bloom:

The dogs ate some dinner while I decided what to do next:

C'mon Dad, can't we do something exciting?

I decided to put the dogs out in their fenced run to relieve their doggy bladders and then take the younger ones hiking. I'll post about that tomorrow: