Tag: wildflower

An unassuming walk

On By Mike and Christy5 Comments

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Just the grass greening up in a landscape filled with sage and juniper. Quiet, perhaps the sounds of Meadowlarks and Sparrows singing, an unassuming landscape in a quiet place.

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Yet upon closer inspection we were provided with quite a treat. Chocolate Lily – Fritillaria atropurpurea were hidden in theses still greening grasses. 

“Chocolate lily, also called “rice root” by Indian people, has bulblets that look like grains of rice. The bulbs grow relatively close to the surface and are easily extracted. Bulbs were dug in spring (before flowering) or in summer or fall (after flowering) using a digging stick, a wooden spade, or the fingers”

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Some were on full display and added a a wonderful splash of color and gave us quite a surprise on what we thought would be a unassuming walk through an early spring landscape.

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It’s nice to have no assumptions.

References:

1.http://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=PMLIL0V020

2. https://plants.usda.gov/plantguide/pdf/cs_fraf2.pdf

Western Spring Beauties:Claytonia lanceolata

On By Mike and Christy1 Comment

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This week the fields near home are full of the Western Spring Beauties. A beautiful wildflower when viewed up close but it can appear unassuming from a distance.

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Native to much of the western United States Western Spring Beauty is a short flower only growing 2-3 inches tall in our area and it begins to bloom right about the time the last patch snow has melted from the ground.

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“As the name suggests, Western springbeauty blooms in the spring, barely waiting for the snow to melt. This perennial grows from a deeply buried, spherical, underground stem; when cooked, the stem tastes like a potato.” 1

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A beautiful flower and one we always look forward to seeing each spring.

Reference:

1. Wildflower.org The Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center.

From the forest floor

On By Mike and Christy6 Comments

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Todays post is brought to you courtesy of the forest floor. A place to discover wonders both large and small.  Like the sculptural beauty of a leaf  slowly working its way back to soil.

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and a pine cone in all its’ glory.

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So much to see in a 8 inch square.

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yes, so much to see on the forest floor.

Sagebrush Buttercups: Ranunculus glaberrimus

On By Mike and Christy1 Comment

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Just down the road, where the sun hits just right, is a small patch of earth warmed by the sun where the snow has melted and the Sagebrush Buttercups are already springing to life.

Growing low to the ground with their buttery shiny-waxy petals these wonderful little flowers are a challenge to photograph yet fun nonetheless. They are a bit poisonous to the touch so take care if handling them as they can cause blistering.

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While a few were blooming most we still just on their way.

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A wonderful sign that spring is indeed on it’s way despite the recent snows.

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Decembers Light

On By Mike and Christy8 Comments

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The mid-December sun, traveling low across southern sky casts long shadows on the icey blue face of a small pond and gently lights the landscape beyond. Decembers light is like no other and helps me keep track of the time like no wall calendar or wristwatch can.

The Fungus Among Us

On By Mike and Christy20 Comments

I have always found mushrooms fascinating life forms. Not plant, not animal yet vitally important for the health of both plants and animals. However, they are a bugger to photograph yet I never stop trying.

Paul Stamets wrote a great book on Fungus call “Mycellium Running” and delivered a very interesting TED talk several years ago:

Sights and sounds

On By Mike and Christy16 Comments

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The golden glow of the Aspens in the morning light.
Two chickadees singing a-dee-dee-dee with a nuthatch honking as the leaves rustle in the breeze.
The crows gurgling and woodpeckers pecking in the distance.
Sights and sounds of the forest on a morning hike.