Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Golden Flower Season

Here's what currently showing on the road ditch stage right now: the glowing footlights of sunflowers and goldenrod. (Lots of ragweed, too........Ah-ah-ah-CHOO!! Yes, I have hayfever this time of year; runny nose and itchy, watery eyes. I look forever like I've just had a crying jag. I don't take medicine for it, but do take plenty of tissues along! Years ago, my mom didn't believe in spending money on kleenex, so I always had to have an icky handkerchief with me. She loved pretty hankies, and still does. We had to iron them back then, too!)
I believe this to be Showy Goldenrod, solidago speciosa, of the Aster Family......so says the wildflower book.
Many prairie sunflowers are a-bloomin' now, too, and each one seems to have its own bug-in-residence:
Although golden-colored blossoms are in the majority right now, there are a few dissenters.........here's a purplish one........it may be Germander. If anyone recognizes it as something else, let me know in a comment.
And, lastly, this is "Oyster Plant" or "Salsify". Here's what the Peterson Field Guide says about it: Note the long grasslike leaves and spiky, sepal-like bracts that exceed the rays. Flowers close by mid-afternoon. Stems hollow. There is a similar yellow species, Yellow Goat's Beard, with which it often hybridizes. (Early in the summer, we did have lots of Goat's Beard in bloom here.)
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Enjoy the glow in your world today!! If you care to, describe it as one color in a comment. I'll go first: GOLDEN!
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6 comments:

Pat - Arkansas said...

Green. Just green.

Ruth Hull Chatlien said...

Hmmm. The glow in my world today? Peach, I guess. One of my favorite colors.

Odd Chick said...

ahh.. you do have a golden world ... ours is dishwater green, a corn field with mite damage

Egghead said...

Mine is green. I love the Oyster Plant. Very unusual.

Anonymous said...

I'll call mine black and white. I also am a dairy farmer's wife, from British Columbia, Canada, and am pretty involved in the farm activies. I'm amazed that you can find time to blog! Have just found your blog recently, and enjoyed your stories about the college, normal school, (they called it that in Canada too), and your great aunt, and grandmother. You are a good story teller. Dairymary

Jeannelle said...

Pat, Ruth, odd chick, egghead,

Thanks for commenting!

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dairymary,

Thanks for stopping by! And the tidbit about "normal" schools also in Canada.

You're probably a much better dairy wife than I am. I had some serious mental problems a couple years ago and realized I needed an outlet for my thoughts. Blogging seems to fit the bill. Click my tag "depression" if you want to know more.

We don't travel, have practically no social life.....my husband comes in exhausted every night, eats supper and watches TV, which bores me to tears.....thus I blog.