#american western flowers

[aisling-saoirse]

Larkspur and the coming Storm - May 22nd 2023

[the-cricket-chirps]

Ed Mell

Purple Iris

2002

(edmellgallery.com)

[solcattus]

The White Lilies, ca. 1895

By George Hitchcock

[quinnfrankephotography]

Nice long walk this morning in the cooler weather. It's started to feel a bit like fall. Not temperature wise, but in terms of the animals and plants.

[lesbianjudasiscariot]

[southdigitalcreation]

[verocd]

[rex-scrolling]

listening to squirrel flower on a train through the southwest (england) like I'm some lonely cowboy with a tragic backstory.

[flickpulse]

Martin Scorsese on the 3hr+ runtime of ‘KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON’ — “You can sit in front of the TV and watch something for 5 hours”

“There are many people who watch theatre for 3.5 hours... You give it that respect, give cinema some respect”

(source of the post)

[faguscarolinensis]

Bidens aristosa / Bearded Beggarticks on the American Tobacco Trail in Durham, NC

[aisling-saoirse]

Colorado White Columbine Aquilegia caerulea var. ochroleuca

This grouping immediately caught my attention, being from the east our Columbines inhabit a much less extreme habitat niche. Here I found many along a shaded cove canyon wall under an overhang on a dry-river bed, most growing through high cracks within the rock itself.

Because I'm less familiar with western species I actually did a fair bit of research as to why this flower was white if A. caeulea was commonly blue. Turns out this species exhibits a white color variation in Utah specifically to appeal to local pollinators in this range. There are many species of columbine in the west, some with little-to-no information about habitat and range, while I'm not 100% certain on the exact species, I'm just ID-ing off best inclination feel free to correct me.

As for habitat, Columbines are typically found from mid to relatively high elevations, in shadier zones, in a variety of soils that drain well, and in this case rock fractures. They typically grow around 18-20 inches tall, and have three lobbed leaves which are are deeply cleft and hydrophobic interraction with water. Keep an eye out, I always find them in rocky outcroppings

[the-cricket-chirps]

Ed Mell

Pink Rose

Oil on canvas

edmellgallery.com

[reasonsforhope]

"Next Monday [6/17/24] is the start of National Pollinator Awareness Week, and one Colorado advocacy group is hosting a flower planting drive to rewild Colorado’s meadows, gardens, and just maybe, its children too.

Created by constitutional amendment in 1992, Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) is a state-funded independent board that invests a portion of Colorado Lottery proceeds to help preserve and enhance the state’s parks, trails, wildlife, rivers, and open spaces.

This year, GOCO’s offshoot Generation Wild is distributing over 100,000 free packets of wildflower seeds to collection points at museums, Denver Parks and Rec. offices, and libraries all over the state to encourage kids and families to plant the seeds in their backyards.

The Save the Bees! initiative aims to make the state more beautiful, more ecologically diverse, and more friendly to pollinators.

According to a new report from the Colorado Department of Natural Resources, 20% of Colorado’s bumblebees are now at risk of extinction. Even in a small area like a backyard, planting wildflowers can make a positive impact on the local ecosystem and provide native bees with a healthy place to live.

“The Western Bumblebee population has declined in Colorado by 72%, and we’re calling on kids across Colorado to ‘bee’ the change,” said GOCO Executive Director Jackie Miller.

Named after Generation Wild’s official mascot “Wilder,” the Wilderflower Seed Mix was developed in partnership with Applewood Seed Co. and packets are now available for pickup at designated partner sites including more than 80 Little Free Library boxes.

By distributing 100,000 Wilderflower packets, Generation Wild is providing more than 56 million seeds for planting in every nook and cranny of the state. All seeds are regionally-native to Colorado, which is important for sustaining the living landscape of bees, birds, and other animals.

Additionally, by using flower species adapted to the Mile High climate, landscapers and gardeners need to use less water than if they were tending non-native plants.

“Applewood Seed Co. was excited to jump in and help Generation Wild identify a seed mix that is native to the Colorado region and the American West, containing a diversity of flower species to attract and support Colorado’s pollinator populations,” stated Norm Poppe, CEO of Applewood Seed Co. “We hope efforts like this continue to educate the public on pollinator conservation and the need to protect our native bees and butterflies.”

Concluding her statement Miller firmly stated that children grow up better outside, and if you or a parent you know agree with her, all the information on how to participate in Save the Bees! can be found here on their website, including a map showing all the local pickup points for the Wilderflower Seed Packets."

-via Good News Network, June 13, 2024

[quinnfrankephotography]

I ended up dawdling a lot on my walk today. It was a perfect day for it.

[lesbianjudasiscariot]

Roses Are Falling - Orville Peck

[mammalidentifier]

Hehe I think most cartoon skunks are meant to be striped skunks (Mephitis mephitis) because they’re the most common kind you can find in the US, unless ol’ uncle Walt was feeling mischievous and made Flower a hooded skunk (Mephitis macroura) without telling anyone.

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