Blog

The moment was even more colorful than this image reveals. Blue sky, green trees, blue and green water, and purple witch grass. This is the old gravel pit area in the southwest part of Ives preserve. It has been fun watching the succession of plants here as nature reclaims the property. Witch grass is an early arrival. It is a tumble grass. A little later in the season it will dry, the stems will break free, and they will blow across open areas to spread their seed. This was a good year for it because the water level was low and there were no larger plants in this spot to impede its progress. In the rest of the pit taller species are now established and witch grass has been largely replaced.

Too bad I can't bring you some of these shot in Iceland! This one was right outside the door. I think the seeds might have been a prize in a cereal box.

Goldenrods, beautiful from any perspective.

When I can, I take country roads. The trip to Oak Openings was no exception. That day, these morning glories stretched along the top of a roadside drain, and into a fallow field on the opposite side. A hundred yards or so of remarkable escaped beauty.

Blue curls (Trichostema dichotomum) are present in some of the sandy open areas at Oak Openings. What a treat to see them this far north! Now I have to start watching for them in the next county north (here!). These plants were much smaller and easily overlooked than the ones I've seen farther south.