MORE FROM OUR MEADOWLARK VISIT ON 6-30-24

You should be able to enlarge all photos to see more detail.

Our main reason for going to Meadowlark, was that I had seen their lilies blooming on one of the local websites. They have a marvelous display of them and it is another favorite area that we make our way to at this time of the year. 

However, with the temperatures soaring we put it off hoping for a cooler day. It became apparent that we were in for several of those high soaring temperature days and, not wanting to miss the lilies, and not knowing how long the blooms would last, I asked Gregg if we could go anyway. 

I promised that it would only be for a short walk, just to see the lilies. His concern is always for me as I don't do well in high humidity. I promised, promised, promised, I would make this a short visit. Normally we usually like to take our time.  Promises, promises! Ah well, if wishes were horses as the old saying goes. We loaded up on water and placed the flasks which I had refrigerated the night before into a backpack. I took along my pretty umbrella for shade...

one of my gifts from son and daughter-in-law. The handle is in the shape of a duck's head. Do they know me? I think very much so, I love it! Off we went, encouraged by the fact that there are several benches under shady trees where we would sit and rest and drink water to keep hydrated, and with the idea of keeping in the shade as much as we could while we walked.  The first three lily photos are a little pre-show, and I will share a post of them on their own shortly. In the meantime, here is a website you can look at that will show how to care for them. I will need this one day as I have in mind to plant a whole border of them in the back.

There was a most beautiful and large display of Queen Anne's Lace (you can see a short video, plus a photo from my post here if you missed it). I have never seen this many in a single flower bed at the garden. They were an absolute delight. 

Other names are Wild carrot, Bishop's Lace, Bird's nest and Bee's nest. Its botanical name is Daucus carota. Originally native to Europe and Asia, it has spread to North America and Australia. 

I had only ever seen the white kind before, and not this different pink shade.

Apparently, it is very similar in look to Poison hemlock and this website tells you the difference.  According to what I read, "The most apparent difference between the two plants is their height. Poison hemlock grows much taller than Queen Anne's Lace and appears earlier in the year. While Queen Anne's Lace doesn't grow much taller than three feet, poison hemlock can grow to ten feet. Another distinction between the two is their stems. Poison hemlock stems are smooth, while Queen Anne's Lace stems are covered with tiny hairs.”  If you want to know more there is a lot of information at the above link.

Studies of historical paintings suggest that the carrot was cultivated in Turkey, Spain and North Africa for centuries.

 Many scholars believe that it is the ancestor of all hybrid carrots. The specific epithet, "carota' is derived from the Greek word karoton, meaning carrot. As it is often grown in the wild, so it is called wild carrot.  

This flower when in full bloom looks similar to the actual Queen Anne's lace, which is one of the prestigious clothing accessories. 

“A tiny red flower can sometimes be seen in the center and is thought to represent a blood droplet in which Queen Anne accidentally pricked herself with a needle while making the lace. Hence, it is called Queen Anne's lace.” The ones I saw on this day didn't have this tiny red flower, but I remember taking a photo once of one that shows it. I have been trying my best to look for it to share today, but no luck yet. A last photo of a patch spotted across one of the lakes.

The purple flowers below are called “Dense blazing star, also known as Marsh blazing star, Button snakewort and there are others. Its botanical name is Liatris spicata. It is a flowering plant native to eastern North America, and comes from the same genetic family as sunflowers and daisies. It is a popular choice for a variety of pollinators such as bees and butterflies. They are said to have rather exacting demands on the soil, but benefit the local ecosystems by attracting scores of pollinating insects. It can be found in meadows, marshes, savannahs, damp slopes and poor dry ridges.” I usually find all my information on these flowers from my plant app, Picture This.  I am also sharing a website which you can look at here. It is from the Wellfield Botanic Garden in Elkhart, Indiana.

This is my last flower photo today. More to follow as soon as I can share another post. 

Below I have added our forecast from July 10th to the 18th. We won't be going on any long walks for a while. I understand people have it much hotter than us, so please stay safe and cool.

Thanks for looking and, happy Thursday!

Hopefully this will give you a smile, a little humor with a point.

PHOTO INTO ART AND BUBBLES 8-4-23

I have this app on my iPad called ArtCard.  It gives some nice effects, and this is one of several. You will see a bee on a plant, one of the many bees I saw that day on a walk around Green Spring Gardens.  I will be sharing the actual photo soon. 

 This was two days ago (the 4th).  I love going to these places at different times of the year.  There is always something different blooming, and on every visit something new to see.  We definitely feel fortunate that we have several botanical gardens and parks within a short car ride away.

It was a tad humid but tolerable and I always keep water handy.  There were not too many people out and about, but I met Bubbles and her family.  A sweet little pup and two nice young ladies who were only too happy to tell me about her.  I said as I walked by, “You have a sweet pup!” and that was enough to start a conversation.  I had no intention of disrupting their own photographic session with Bubbles. I was following Gregg and he was half-way back to the car, walking ahead quickly so that he could turn the air on to cool the car.  But the closer I approached on the walking path, I spotted Bubbles.  When she saw me she started wriggling her body from side to side, her tail was doing a good impression of a whirligig, her front paws marching on the spot in a continuous Philip Souza motion. She was very excited, and the young ladies were concerned when she started jumping all over me. She had only been with them for a short time, but I reassured them that I was a tried-and-true dog lover and I understood puppies. I think Bubbles recognized a friendly ear scratcher and she certainly loved the attention.  

They probably would have been surprised if they knew that being around Bubbles was heartbalm for me, as Seraphina was a few days before.  Dogs always call to me like a siren song, as it did my father and his mother before him. I wouldn't be surprised if this has been passed down through even more generations before them.  Bye for now Bubbles, have a very happy life you sweet little dog.

So, finally at our car and with air-conditioner cooling (thank you Gregg), I was grateful for the extra water I had brought with me.  It was still nice and cold.  How on earth those early settlers managed when they experienced their first humid summer here, not to mention further south to the tip of Florida. They were brave souls.  

This shows our temperatures for the week.  It is cooler than it has been, and most nights are going to be from the mid to high 60’s.  

And another Sunday post. I am not sure this will be a weekly tradition as I usually take a rest day from the laptop. But while I have lots to share, along with the time and inclination, I will just keep them coming. At least for a while.  

Happy Sunday everyone, and

thanks for stopping by.