Red Spotted Purple Butterfly
The eye cannot resist following the trail of these iridescent blue and black butterflies.
Month: May 2012
Rosa Multiflora (multi-flower wild rose)
Rosa multiflora is a wild rose species with small, multiple blooms. This wild rose species has an intoxicating fragrance… I always move in close to drink in the heady perfume. Have you stopped to smell the roses today?
How To Identify Wild Rose
The cultivated wild rose pictured here is a favorite of gardeners in Illinois, and is often used as a low maintenance ornamental plant. The blooms are about 3″ across with showy, bright petals, and the typical wild rose leaf pattern.
10 Foraging Tips for Wild Plants
Learning how to forage for wild plants is a deeply satisfying experience, but it can also be very dangerous if you’re hasty or unsure of what you’re doing. Always use multiple sources and know the plant deeply before you do any tasting or touching. Learn with an experienced guide, but if you insist on going it alone be sure to read these 10 tips for safety and success.
Mottled Sunset and Evergreens
I love sunsets… it amazes me that the same event can take place every single night of our lives and always look different and new.
Natural Desert Arch
There is a pressurized salt bed underneath the sandstone that originally helped create this arch and other structures of Arches National Park. Featured here is landscape arch.
Coyote, The Trickster
He gave a good howl while holding that macaroon in his mouth, pleased with his “killing,” so we reluctantly left the pup behind. When we reached the end of the road we turned to look back one last time at our sweet little friend who had thought us worthy of his very special attention. That’s when we saw another car driving up the road.
Hosta Lines
While hostas do not grow wild here in northern Illinois, they are a favorite amongst gardeners. There are many varieties ranging from small to large with varying shades of green, some of which tolerate shade and others full sun.
Sunset Over Lake Powell
Lake Powell is part of Glen Canyon National Recreation Area in Utah / Arizona. It’s quite unique with the red rocks surrounding a large lake in the middle of the desert. Sunsets during the rainy season are nearly always beautiful.
Indian Paintbrush
Indian paintbrush is a US spring blooming wildflower, though you will often see it persist through late summer – growing taller with the passing of days. A number of native american tribes have used this plant as a paintbrush – hence the name. This particular paintbrush is a southwest variety.