Wildflower night

Along our road, on the East side, the ditch is hardly a ditch at all; it's quite shallow. In it, every year at this time, Tiger Lilies bloom. They are one of my most favorite wild flowers. I love the orange, and also the velvety brown spots. I've never understood why it is called a Tiger Lily... it should be a Leopard Lily (but since one of those already exists, down in Florida & other southern states, I suppose we're stuck with Tiger).

I look for them every night now when I drive home from work.


I went out back on our property and saw a pretty clump of Joe-Pye-Weed. There was a butterfly on it, a Great Spangled Fritillary. You can just see his friend in the background.


I'm not sure what it is, a butterfly or moth or what...


but this photo shows him drinking deeply... cool!


The Black-eyed Susans are everywhere.


So are the Queen Anne's Lace, another of my favorites. When I was little, I loved to pick a huge blossom, one as big as my head, and carry it around. Queen Anne's Lace always makes me think of summertime and happiness, the school's-out kind of happiness.


The thing about wildflowers is that they have many friends.




Just off the edge of our back yard, there is growing a huge clump of crimson monarda (or bee balm). These are gone wild... they are from when I got some plants from my sister, Kathy (she of the tremendously impressive green thumb!), and I tried to grow them in my flower garden. I could not keep them alive there, but now there are at least 2 spots I know of on our property where the birds have planted some for me. And they flourish...


Beautifully.