Flower for the Day Liatrice 8-27-18

The liatrice also is a victim of the heat and lack of water. Latrice spicata is also called blazing star.It is a perennial native in the sunflower and daisy family Asteraceae. Its tall spikes resemble bottle brushes.

Flower for the Day Lavender 8-26-18

We are back in the heartland in brutal heat. The weather has not been kind to my lavender ((Levandula).All but one of my plants have died this year and the remaining one is real puny. Lavender is in the mint family.

Maybe next year.

Flower for the Day Rose Hip 8-20-18

Rose hip is the accessory fruit of the rose plant. They form after successful pollination of

the flowers in spring and ripen in late summer. Rose hips are particularly rich in Vitamin C and are often used for herbal teas.

These were growing beside Mill Creek in RMNP.

Flower for the Day Jacob's Ladder 8-19-18

Jacob's ladder (Polemonium reptans) is a beautiful little wildflower that was growing 

along a shady moist mountain trail near Bear lake. The flowers are light blue and bell shaped. The pinnate leaves are arranged in the form of a ladder. It is also called Greek valerian. At this time of the year it was great to see a delicate flower still blooming. You can see the ladder.

Don's Blog - Congratulations

Today is our 57th Wedding Anniversary. We are still in a state of JOY!

May you all be so HAPPY and LUCKY.

Don and Jan

Flower for the Day Indian Paintbrush

Indian Paintbrush (Castilleja) grows in the west from the rockies all the way south to the Andes. I also have it occasionally in the heartland. It is described as hemiparasitic on the roots of grasses and forbs. This one was on a trail just below the tundra.

Don's Blog Humming birds 8-14-18

Another advantage of our cabin is that we have hummingbirds at all times.

After awhile then get used to us. If we wear red they buzz around us for

half a minute or more.

After several weeks we have had rufous humming birds (Selasphorus rufous) which are obnoxiously aggressive chasing away our favorite red throats. We are trying to figure out how to handle this .

Flower for the Day Harebell 8-13-18

The little harebells (Campanula rotundifolia) are common tundra and subarctic flowers. They are down facing and are everywhere.

They are members of the bellflower family.

Flower for the Day Gaillardia 8-12-18

Gaillardia or blanket flower is very common n the National ParkIt is in the sunflower family and is also found in the heartland. It is always comforting to be surrounded by friends.

Flower for the Day Alpine Gentian 8-11-18

This alpine gentian (Gentiana family) was seen on a tundra hike

at about 12,000 feet. Th small alpine plants are tough and beautiful.