Welcome to Summer!. Right on time those flowers of the field or meadow (what many people call 'weeds'), have started to bloom. Some of my favourite things to watch for over the next few months.
The Buttercups beat the solstice by a few days, but now there are lots.
Dame's Rocket is out in the ditches, a flower I loosely called Phlox until recently. It's actually easy to tell them apart. Dame's Rocket has 4 petals as in this picture. Phlox has 5.
Bright yellow Bird's-foot Trefoil has started to bloom; soon it will be all along the infrequently mowed boulevards. If I remember when it goes to seed I'll show you why it's labelled 'Bird's-foot'.
The deep purple Tufted Vetch has shown up in the tiny little patch of meadow I stop at. Not many bits of meadow left here in town.
Red Clover, used both for its nitrogen-fixing and as an alternative medicine.
I missed the bright yellow flowers of the Yellow Goat's Beard, but these are the seed heads, like giant Dandelions. The three green trumpet-like structures are closed flowers. Goat's Beard is 'heliotropic', meaning the flower turns toward the sun. In my experience they also open early in the morning and are mostly closed like this by noon. I never see them because I go for my rides after lunch.
And in a look forward to the coming weeks, the Milkweed flower bud clusters are developing.
Even this grass is in bloom. Grass 'flowers' are wind-pollinated, so they don't have to be showy to attract insects. At first glance they hardly look different from the grass seedhead the rest of the summer, and they are very fleeting, lasting only a few days. But those are the light-coloured stamens hanging loose and blowing in the wind. This is Orchard Grass, one of our most common.
We've had a run of hot sunny days and I actually got a little sunburn yesterday after sitting out in the sun on Friday and going for a long ride yesterday. Now I'm just well-started on my summer tan! Mrs. F.G. has been busy watering the garden as we haven't had a good rain for 10 days.
Thank you so much for all the great flower pictures. I didn't think that phlox was the right name for that plant, as I had a picture of it on my own blog awhile back. Thanks for letting me know the right name! :-)
ReplyDeleteYou have a great collection in your meadow. You photos are good for teaching some of us the names of the flowers.I have flowers in my garden the former owners planted and the look more like weeds with blooms but I like them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for naming the plants. I like to see the name with the photo.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know that about Phlox but will now count petals. We do need a gentle rain!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the distinction between phlox and rocket FG.
ReplyDeleteMany of those flowers, or weeds, are also common here, presumably they arrived among the seeds that the original settlers imported. One day I'll get around to identifying grasses; I always mean to but never get around to it.
ReplyDeleteWe used to call birds foot trefoil lady's fingers as kids in Yorkshire. I think they get red tipped, like polished nails.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the guided botany walk. I love to know what I'm seeing.
Yellow Goat's Beard, Yellow Goat's Beard....I want to remember that. I think I have seen the seed heads. I was trying to remember if I ever knew what it was and I don't know if I have ever heard that name. Interesting post...now I have got to remember to watch the Bird's foot Trefoil...I love those flowers.
ReplyDeleteSOme of the meadows and fallow fields in my area are a riot of color. They are just beautiful. Our roadside has lots of color too. It always seems right when it is at it's best the township comes along with it's ditch mower.
ReplyDeleteIf only I could remember birds and flower names as well as you do. Tell me the name of a flower today and I will forget it by tomorrow. Oh well, as long as I keep tuning into your blog I at least have half a chance of a few of those names sticking.
ReplyDeleteGreat flowers -- dame's rocket could be considered an exotic invasive, but it sure is pretty with its varied colors and abundant blooms. The same could be said of birdsfoot trefoil, but is yellow flowers really brighten the day.
ReplyDeleteYou are a bit ahead of us with blooming flowers! Happy Father's Day to you!
ReplyDeleteThese are all blooming here by me too.
ReplyDeleteLove to see all the pretty wild flowers!
Love the flowers of spring and summer.
ReplyDeleteWatering gardens is sure something we've needed to do. Not as easy up here with access to a water well. Maybe one day. Hah!
ReplyDeleteThe wildflowers are beautiful too but I am unable to name (& remember) many so thank you!
I enjoy wildflowers. I don't call them weeds.
ReplyDelete