Flower for the Day Last Irises 5-31-17

Here are images of my last irises. I have been trying to grow orange irises 

for a long time and these are finally coming back yearly.

And here is a delicate blue one.

An heirloom from someone's grandmother.

My  favorite in this group.

This final one appeared in a field circle.

There are many more of this years bumper crop on the blogsite.

www.donsessions.blogspot.com

Flower for the Day Last Peony 5-30-17

All of the peony blooms are on or near the ground. Weighty heads and heavy

rain accomplishes this yearly phenomenon. It takes not away from their impact.

This "double" is messy beautiful.

JUNE BEAUTY

Just  a   one trick  peony-  my it smelt divine

Copyright © Brian Strand | Year Posted 2009 

Flower for the Day Poppy Memorial Day

Several of my gardens have a few poppies which are  appropriate for the day.

Although I was born between the two world wars I grew up with 

this poem.

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Flower for the Day Delphinium 5-25-17

Delphinium is a flower genus in the Ranunculaceae Family. These flowers were along a shaded trail. Each flower consists of 5 petal like sepals which grow together to form a hollow pocket with a spur on the end. Within the sepals are four inconspicuous petals similar in color, dark blue. The long spur of the upper sepal encloses the nectar containing spurs of the upper 2 petals.

After many years of taking images of this flower my opinion is that I have never been able to show its described parts very successfully.

Whispery Questions

Pandemonium 

Adds to my delirium 

Wild delphinium 

By Robb A. Kopp  

Copyright © Robb A. Kopp | Year Posted 2010 

Flower for the Day White Violets 5-24-17

I walk a lot at nearby Sugar Creek Park. Recently under the trees I noticed the ground was entirely carpeted with white flowers. Several of my flower experts (Claire and MoBot) identified them as white violets. They are striking.

DIRE verse two RAIN

Thin sound of clarity when rain starts to fall. 

Porcelain droplets clutch at fields and treetops. 

Violet solar fingers trace the lines of each reflection. 

Dawn awakens us 

Almost as if each sound will be formed once more. 

It gathers itself as wind strokes through treetops shaking the branches. 

Shaking the light from the branches enticing the trees with an aura of cloud. 

This curtain of rain travels skies and spheres where broken starlight offers 

us knowledge . 

It carries the tears of the universe, 

the sighs of the sun 

There is a blueprint of lifelines to follow 

Sacred scars anointed with ancient wounds dried in this light 

These hemispheres have no name. 

They are of rotating formation. 

Each breath begins again in the stillness of reflection. 

All is of sight and of sound 

After this stillness, we will learn to speak again

Copyright © Kornelia Birch | Year Posted 2017

Flower for the Day Creeping Charlie 5-23-17

Creeping charlie is the common name for Glechoma hederaceae which is a creeping evergreen

in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is also called ground-ivy, gill-over-the-ground, ale hoof,tun hoof, 

cats foot, field balm, runaway robin.

To most gardeners it is a runaway weed which takes over lawns at the gardens edge. It does have

a pleasing  violet shaped flower.

It is difficult to eradicate as the roots live deep.

Flower for the Day White Viola 5-22-17

This miniature white violet (Viola) was growing in abundance along a trail. The scollops and purple stripes can be seen

only close-up. The flowers are formed from five petals; four are upswept or fan-shaped petals with two per side, and there is one broad, lobed lower petal pointing downward. 

        Never Too Late For Love

     …. Flushed with feelings captured in a glow anew 

It's never, never too late for a love that is true  

Copyright © Tim Smith | Year Posted 2017

       

Flowerer the Day Peony III 5-18-17

I love the soft colors of this pink peony.

About to bloom,
And exhale a rainbow,
The peony!
– Buson

Flower for he Day PeonyII 5-17

Its been a good year for peonies. These luxuriant  white flowers are not quite heavy enough

to drag on the ground. Rain will make it happen.

Soft Peony Clouds

soft peony clouds 

ensconced with wet petals 

drops of liquid sun 

pools in earthly hollows 

reflect sky and earth as one 

(June 19, 2011  Wausau, Wisconsin USA) 

(c) Copyright 2011 by Christine A Kysely, All Rights Reserved

Copyright © christine a kysely | Year Posted 2011 

Iris III

Iris II

Iris I

Flower for the Day Iris 5-9-17

We have had a great year for iris. Here are three of my favorites so far.

The profound depth of color here is pleasing.

This one has fragile beauty.

And this one seems old timey.

I will be putting images of 18 more different irises on the website:

www.donsessions.blogspot.com

Flower for the Day Wallflower 5-5-17

My wallflowers (Erysimum) have always been one of the first wildflowers to bloom

each year. They have very bright long lasting orange flowers.

They have been thinning almost to disappearance but this year

a new group has shown up in a separate garden. 

Flower for the Day Miami Mist 5-4-16

Miami Mist (Phacelia purshii) is an exquisite native perennial wildflower. It is in the waterleaf family

(Hydrophallaceae). It is also called purple scorpion weed. Its five petals are delicate lavender and the leaves are pinnate.

The edges of the petals are a lacy fringe.

These flowers were abundant along a trail in full sun.

Flower for the Day Allium 5-3-17

Allium is a spring favorite. Very trustworthy, allium always shows up on time. I have them  in purple and white. The purple bloom first and the white grow significantly higher.

Allium Amiss

We lay, we love, we blossom.
I have planted myself in this garden so many times that the soil knows to not shift back into place when you rain.
You are my sun, clouds, oxygen.
I breathe you in and am filled with fiery hope.
Where there is hope there is fear.
I have been conquered.
My fragile heart is resilient when it comes to your ocean.
My brain is begging to drown.
You demolish my walls and demolish my roots for you,
then watch me attempt to regrow and rebuild the thick walls I need so badly.
You are my hero and my tormentor -
saving me and aching me over and over until you can enter my garden whenever you so choose.
This is love.  

This place in my chest is supposed to feel sacred.
It does not feel sacred anymore unless you are watering me.
I wilt and bloom with your changing tides.
You will leave soon, and I will have to find another way to keep myself alive until you want to come home again.

Britt Nichole March 2016

Flower for the Day Star of Bethlehem 5-2-17

This meadow and trail flower grows well in direct sun and partial shade. Star of Bethlehem  (Ornithogalum umbellatum) is a perennial which has basal leaves with a white stripe.

Stalks develop from a center of leaf rosettes which terminate in white flowers.

Each flower consists of 6 white tepals, 6 stamens, and one pistil. Petals are part of the corolla and are modified leaves which usually are colored. Sepals surround the corolla and are usually green  leaves. Tepals occur in flowers where petals and sepals are not differentiated.The stamen is the male fertilizing organ and consists  of an anther and a filament. The pistil consists of the female organs and includes the stigma, style and ovary. The stamen of Star of Bethlehem has a yellow anther at its apex and a white filament underneath.

The Star of Bethlehem is an aggressive plant. It is a member of the lily family and is related to Allium (Onion) and Nothoscordum bivalve (False Garlic). Thanks to Claire for the ID.

Flower for the Day Forget-Me-Not 5-1-17

The Forget-Me-Nots (Myosotis) have been blooming in the wildflower garden for weeks. Myosotis

is Greek for mouses ear after the form of the leaf.

Forget Me Not is a delicate flower
But in those three words it holds power
The power to say - don't let me go
Keep me in your heart where love can grow
 
by Margmax 2012 

Rain in the west 4-29-17

It has been raining for 5 days and when it stopped this

afternoon we went to see the results. Here is the outflow of our Lake Aspen.

After a beautiful walk we found a welcoming chalet and enjoyed the sounds of the falling water.

What did we drink on the deck - WATER. As you can see the sun came out.

There is nothing like Innsbrook when the woods are all leafed out.