Don's Blog Woodpecker 7-31-19

We were walking by a stream and this woodpecker was working away. I think it is a medium sized downy woodpecker. He made a racket.

Flower for the Day Dog Rose 7-30-19

Jan and I are in Rocky Mountain National Park for awhile as we take a break. On a trip today we found this beautiful flower which is  dog rose (Rosa canine) which Jan readily identified as a rose hips flower. 

 It is really striking and they were blanketing both sides of the trail.

The rose hip is the rounded area just below the petals. It forms a ball and will mature later in the summer.

It is used to make rose hips tea and various medicinals.

Flower for the Day Sweet William 7-21-19

Many years ago I put in some seeds for Sweet William (Dianthus barbatous). They did not bloom at all in the first year. The next year they came in as an entire garden of colorful flowers. Since then they have returned in diminishing numbers and in different but nearby areas.

They thrive in partial sun  and full shade,

and come in many pleasing colors.

Its time to re-seed again.

                        This Sweet William Poem is by an unnamed member of Poetry Nook

"But to Lay in a Field of Sweet William's Flower"
 

Adrift upon clouded mists 

  In some distant 

Forever land 

Slipping towards the edge of night 

The beginning of

  The valley's end

And the middle of a field of Dianth

Taken then for unsung love

Hand to mouth

With Sweet Williams Flower

And wild heather

Growing thick above the brave 

O my heart

  My heart beguiled 

My sorrowed 

  Purpose undone 

Forget October that spoiled hour

That wretched 

  Cursed time

Forget it now and be reborn

A naked crying boy

Flower for the Day Blackberry Lily 6-18-19

We have a plethora of blackberry lily (Belamcanda chinensis or Iris domestica).

Although this little beauty is called a lily it is in the iris family. It is invasive but easy to weed out.

After the blossom stage clusters of seeds that look like black berries form hence its name. They last well after the first frost.

Flower for the Day Last Lilies 6-17-19

This was our longest lily season ever. They just keep rising up with fresh beauty. These are oriental

lilies - new this year.

These tiger lilies (over 35 years old) are always the last to bloom. Jan put these in when we bought the house. They are now in three different gardens probably spread by the birds.

Flower for the Day Delphinium 7-11-19

Delphinium or larkspur is a perennial in the wildflower gardens. 

It has feathery leaves and grows as a 1-2 foot tall spire.

The Gardener

  Lily, jasmine and roses

  Tulips, carnations and daffodils

              He adores and chooses Cosmos, zinnia and daisies
              His hands paintbrush of nature
              His eyes tasters of beauty
             He turns seeds in flower
             His caring hands have power
             Flowers are his babies
             He nurtures and nurses
             Liatris, orchids and quinces
             Just like Prince and Princes
             Springs come to treat him
             The clouds stay to greet him
             The breeze blows to meet him
              None other to compete him
             Sight of a withering larkspur
              Anguish cuts him deeper 
              Seeing a lisianthus blowing
              A profound delight bestowing 
              He places the Divine paintings
               In splendid frame of garden
              To meet the earth's yearnings
              His prolific hands are chosen
              A Celestial color sprayer
               The job he does is a prayer

              Quatrains

                 Copyright © Mohammad Yamin | Year Posted 2008

---

Flower for the Day Penstemon 6-3-19

This delicate penstemon returns yearly in various spots in the wild flower garden.

Its prominent feature is an infertile stamen called a staminoid. It extends to the mouth of the corolla and is hairy resulting in the common name beardtongue. These beards are white and rest on the lower middle petal.

Flower for the Day Shasta Daisy 7-2-19

My old vegetable garden has turned into a shasta daisy patch. 

They  come up later than the more common ox-eyed daisies. They also are larger, grow taller, have a flatter head and last longer.

Flower for the Day More Lilies 6-1-19

The lilies continue. The standard day lilies come several weeks later. These last only one day.

Its good we have many so they bloom different days.

This one was here when we bought our house in 1976. They just keep blooming along.

And we have some late appearing Oriental lilies which last considerably longer.