good people doing good things

we have a special place here in the twin cities—it is a central marketplace for local, chemical-free cut flower. it is the first, and still the only, 100% local AND chemical-free wholesale flower market in the US. it is woman-founded, owned and operated. i went this morning to pick up some hollyhocks (a favorite flower of mine that i don’t have enough sun to grow), and couldn’t resist these delphiniums as well. i mean, dusty mauve! c’mon.

delphinium

turning toward the light

our mallards are molting. molting is that painful process of replacing old feathers with new ones. the process leaves the birds very vulnerable while their new feathers grow in, and it can only be done during periods of relative safety and abundance of food. the blue on these mallard feathers is not pigment, but iridescence (reflected light). to make the photo, i had to keep rotating the feathers until the light (on my kitchen counter) hit at just the right angle. anything less, and the blue was half as vivid. there is probably a lesson in here about  how we must turn toward the light if we want people to really see what we are capable of. hiding in the shadows makes us all a little dull.

mallard feathers (Anas platyrhynchos)

the day when the daylilies bloom

i know the exact day the daylilies bloom in my area because my mom has a large patch of them beside her driveway, and i visit her most mornings. today was the day, which is was not surprising because this weekend we had the first significant rain in nearly two months. there are more than 35,000 daylily cultivars. daylilies grow in usda plant hardiness zones 1 through 11. highly adaptable, easily propagated, sturdy, and prolific. daylilies are everywhere. i used to find them uninterestingly common, but as i age, i grow more compassionate for these hardy ubiquitous types–like lilacas and daylilies. we need all types; the ephemerals and the long-lived, the delicate and the sturdy, the abundant and the scarce.  they all have a roll to play. and i truly delight in all of them.

orange daylilies (Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus L.)

one more for good measure

just because.

nodding (musk) thistle

and just like that

it’s musk  thistle season once again. a personal favorite. this year, due to drought, the roadsides are far magenta pink than normal. but a few have managed thrive, even without rain. i don’t know why i love these roadside weeds so dearly. they are an absolute nightmare to gather even with leather gardening gloves–those stems look innocent enough, but they are a master class in self-defense. enjoy them from a distance. you’ve been warned.

Musk thistle, nodding thistle (Carduus nutans L.)