Showing posts with label flowers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flowers. Show all posts

Sunflowers

I love sunflowers.

Every late summer to autumn we see them along the roadside or in our pastures, the various varieties of sunflowers native to our state.

Tall, coarse and hairy, with stout stems, and a brown center surrounded by yellow rays of petals, their bright faces known for chasing the sun across the sky.

I love that Kansas's state flower is the sunflower. Bright, hopeful, and always ready to follow the Son.

More Prairie Wildflowers

Here are a few more pictures of some prairie wildflowers our youngest daughter captures with her camera. Note some of the identifying names. Aren't they pretty? 


Barbara's Buttons


Black-eyed Susan


Wild Bergamot


Not sure about the name of the flower but I really like the butterfly. Does anyone know what kind it is?


Round-fruited St John's Wort


Again, not sure. Looks like Black-Eyed Susan but it's close to the ground. . . 


Tube Beard Tongue


Yarrow

Prairie Wild Flowers

Here are a few pictures our youngest daughter captured of Prairie Wild Flowers. Identifying is sometimes difficult. If you can help me with any of these or see a mistake, please let me know. Here are a few of my favorites. 

 Sensitive Briar (Mimosa quadrivalvis)

 Pasture Rose (Rosa carolina)

Common Spiderwort (Tradescantia obiensis)

Showy Evening Primrose (Oenothera speciosa) 

Need help with this one.

Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)

 Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata) There were also some like this that were white.

 Guessing on this one - Prairie Larkspur (Delphinium carolinianum) or Foxglove Beard Tongue (Penstemon digitalis)

Rose Vervain (Glandularia canadensis)

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)

Flint Hills Wildflowers

Here are some pictures from one of our road trips into the Flint Hills. Most of these pictures were taken by our youngest daughter, who has a wonderful eye for photography. 

I'm guessing at the name of some of these, so if I'm wrong, please correct me in the comments below.

 Showy Evening Primrose

 Missouri Evening Primrose

 Showy Beard Tongue

Unknown

Roses and Kittens

"Raindrops on Roses and Whiskers on Kittens...These are a Few of My Favorite Things"

This summer we were having a terrible problem with mice in the barn. So, we decided it was time to get some kittens. 

We started with three. The oldest and wildest one "split" the first night, leaving us with two.

Out of the two darlings, we now have one. She might be small but she's a mighty huntress--and our mice problem has diminished considerably! 

She's even grown quite fond of our dog, Luther. They take care of each other... 

I love roses. My Peace Rose smells so good! 
What are some of your favorite things? 

Drive into the Flint Hills

Every time I have the chance to visit the Flint Hills, I try to turn off on a side road to take some pictures.


On my latest trip to Chase County, I managed to get some beautiful shots of the wildflowers. Enjoy!


Purple Coneflower


Showy Evening Primrose


Butterfly Milkweed


Cattle Pens


Water Crossing

Flower Beds and Rainbows

This past weekend, I talked my husband into doing a few honey-dos that I'd been dreaming about for awhile. 


You see, years ago I planted a flower bed in the front yard with iris, daffodils, peonies, wild day lilies, and this cute little evergreen bush. Over the years, however, my "little" bush became a great, big, gigantic bush that had since taken over much of my flowering bulbs. I dreamed of cutting that monster down. But alas, my husband liked it. Said it was the one tree that actually grew on our property! 


It took some doing, but our daughters and I finally convinced him it needed to go. He attacked it with his Bobcat loader and saw and it was gone within minutes.


Now our youngest daughter has the fun job of planning a new flower bed that will include new wild flowers along with the existing bulbs, driftwood, and some foundation rocks from an early pioneer cabin that was once on our land. I'll be sure to post pictures when it is finished.


Hubby also made me a wind chime this weekend. Don't you just love summer! In closing, here's a gorgeous double rainbow we spotted after a recent rain. Rainbows are such wonderful reminders of God's promises and His love for us and His creation. What about you? Do you have any special honey-dos you've been dreaming about? Share here in the comments below. 

First Rose of the Season

 If you've followed my blog for any length of time, you probably know how much I enjoy my roses during the summer. Here's a picture of my first bloom this season. So pretty. 

I've also included a photo of our new Fuschia plant we picked up at the store a few weeks ago. I thought the colors were so pretty, and the hummingbirds love it. What about you? Do you have special flowers you delight in during the spring and summer? Share with us here. 

The Colors of Spring

Spring has arrived, albeit a little late this year, but it appears to be here for good...at least I hope so as I have planted my spring and summer flowers and vegetables.

 Our daffodils in full bloom.

The Bradford Pear tree blooms were magnificent this year. So full and pretty.

Now our tulips and grape hyacinths are showing their pretty colors. Though, it's not my favorite season, I do enjoy springtime, when I can open the windows and hear the birds singing their songs, and look out at my yard to see all the pretty colors. What about you? What is your favorite season?