#swamp aster

[vandaliatraveler]

In the shrinking sunlight of early October, life in Central Appalachia's forests and fields shows no signs of slowing down. A proliferation of asters and goldenrods fuels an insect feeding frenzy, at the same time ensuring that a late season eruption of seeds before the first frost will bring new life in the spring. From top: dog tooth lichen (Peltigera canina), also known as felt lichen, whose lobes are tipped by red apothecia ; large cranberries (Vaccinium macrocarpon), which dot wet mountain meadows and bogs; crooked-stemmed aster (Symphyotrichum prenanthoides); brown-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia triloba), which blooms later than black-eyed Susan and has three-lobed basal leaves; a bumblebee (Bombus) taking nectar from purple-stemmed aster (Symphyotrichum puniceum), also known as swamp aster; an American hoverfly (Eupeodes americanus) similarly drinking from purple-stemmed aster; blue wood aster (Symphyotrichum cordifolium); question mark butterfly (Polygonia interrogationis); and wrinkleleaf goldenrod (Solidago rugosa), also known as rough-leaf goldenrod.

[aisling-saoirse]

Symphyotrichum Puniceum - Swamp Aster

Also known as red stem aster, this species is typically associated with saturated soils and open wetlands. Like most asters this species blooms in fall with a typical light bluish-purple rays surrounding a disk of yellow/red tubular florets. This plant can grow rhizomally or through individual groupings with anywhere from 20-50 blooms. This plant is very prolific in the right conditions and can be found anywhere east of Texas to the coasts all the way to Canada.

This specimen was found growing on a full sun lakeside in Northern New Jersey. The water levels in this lake typically vary enough yearly to cause this stretch of lakeside to avoid the dreaded landscaper's mower (which is great news for the ecology and people like me who are always searching for niche habitats). Plants I see growing here are Joe Pye Weed, Speckled Alder, Cattails, Black willow, Nodding Beggartick and some Goldenrods. In the image below you can actually see an arrowhead leaf mixed within the aster, those are tubers preferred by waterfowl like ducks, the plant is partially protected by the less edible aster. Iroquois writtings describe using the roots of these plants in tobacco mixtures and as medicines (I don't advocate consuming these in unfamiliar contexts due to the heavy pollution in American waterways). This image was taken in early October of 2022.

[faguscarolinensis]

Symphyotrichum puniceum / Purplestem Aster

[solarpunkani]

Me, desperately googling trying to find out where the fuck to put my fictional solarpunk town and have it make sense considering the vibe I had in mind and distances between things and how long it takes to cross the state: why can't I just set things in places I've fuckin been to

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

Wasps

Because they don't get enough love. Unfortunately they are also very fast, which makes getting photos of them difficult, but as you can see, they really like flowers. :)

I've always thought of them as the cool and elegant versions of their fuzzier, cuter cousins. Never hated them, just respected their space. Those that sting (many don't) only do so when they or their nests are threatened, never for nothing. It's just sometimes "nest threatened" means you accidentally hit it with the end of your broom that you were resting against a tree where you had no idea a nest even was...Anyway, many are carnivorous, but they are also pollinators.

All photos mine, unedited. Featured wasps include stump-stabbers (native), yellowjackets (native), bald-faced hornet (native), and others I'm not sure about. Featured flower hosts include swamp milkweed (native), white wood aster (native), and a rhododendron cultivar (not native).

One day I will get a very good photo of one of those gorgeous iridescent blue-black wasps...

[jackkennedyofficial]

naomi's bday!

[selineram3421]

*is sleepy but wants fluff* Fuck it.

Soft Kisses

Alastor X Chubby Reader

Warnings? ⚠

⚠ small one shot, cuddles, kisses, fluff ⚠

Today was tiring.

Swamped with work like preparing for tomorrow's art activities, cleaning up the studio, putting away art tools, and having to help make dinner after.

Alastor had noticed and tried to get you to rest but you didn't want to leave all the work to him.

You almost fell asleep while cooking!

Good thing that you were able to catch yourself and finish up what you were making.

Then when everything was done, and Niffty taking care of the dishes. Alastor swept you up, carrying you over to your hotel room.

"Alastor! Put me down, I'm too heavy!", you panicked.

"Nonsense love! You're not heavy at all. Though you do need rest!", he smiled and pecked you on the cheek.

Once inside your room, he placed you down on the bed and laid you on your back.

"Now, don't lift a finger dear.", he said and started to take off your right shoe.

"Honey, really. I can get myself settled in.", you sighed and reached to take off your other shoe, but your hand was quickly snatched up and kissed.

You blushed.

"I told you not to lift a finger.", the deer demon grinned handsomely and kissed the inside of your wrist.

Then he helped you change into something comfortable before getting you under the covers. In seconds you felt yourself start to get sleepier.

"Take a nap darling. You've been up and down all day.", Alastor whispers before kissing your forehead.

As he turns to leave, you take hold of his hand. Looking back, he can see you're fighting sleep just to keep him there.

"Stay? I want to be next to you.", you ask.

"Of course love.", he says, taking off his coat and shoes before going under the covers to join you.

You sigh in content once you wrap your arms around each other, nuzzling your head against his chest as you get comfortable. He hums and rubs your back, kissing the top of your head as you do so.

Feeling a familiar claw finger lift your head up by your chin, you feel a soft kiss. You kiss back, but it's small repeated ones.

"Sleep well."

Is the last thing you hear before you let sleep take you.

*slow, slow blink* I'm tired and want cuddles. But I don't have my body pillow, so this is the best I'm going to get.

~Seline, the person.

Taglist@

@c4rved-pumpk1n @scary-noodlesblog @stolas-thebirb @naelys-the-aster @biromanticboba @lbcreations-blog @ducky-died-inside @kiraisastay @pooplyface1423 @line-viper @117s-girl @spiderlegsling @alastorsgoldie @repentant-repeller @kcsketches @lofasofabread @kotaleee @im-coolrat @superzombiewho @speckle-meow-meow @jammcookie @dilucragnvindr-my-beloved @trashbin-nie @koioli @fatherlesschild2 @mmik3yy @just-here-reading @nealeart @hudiexiaoying @crystal-multiplefandomlover @glowinggoldfish0 @tiredgamerhere @fluffy-koalala @valenfawkes @willowshadenox @+?

ML II for Alastor🎙️

[thatfreshi]

"He Can't Have You" (Astarion x Reader)

Seems as though Auntie Ethel doesn't go down without a fight, and that fight involves bringing out the worst in people's minds. (Also we get to see where the nickname Aster came from)

tw - mentions of abuse, panic attack

The Sunny Wetlands, later revealed to be a putrid swamp, have proven particularly difficult for Astarion. The last thing any of you expected was to find a Gur hunting him, especially this far from the city. It made your heart skip a beat, hearing the monster hunter utter his name, and you could feel the tension in the vampire. Thankfully, you did away with him quickly. By now, he's told you plenty about his past, at least as much as he could bear to tell. That haunting feeling though, knowing that Cazador was hunting him, it was paralyzing. As you searched for Mayrina, you and Astarion fell behind the rest of the group.

"Are you alright my love? I could tell them we should just set up camp for the night, rest up for dealing with the hag."

"Nonsense. What would I look like, asking everyone to stop for me? The Gur has been dealt with, let's just leave it at that darling."

"I cannot imagine dealing with the hag will be easy though."

"I'll simply run my blade through her like I do everything else. I'll be fine."

It hasn't been long enough with him to truly know if he's lying, but you certainly have a hunch. On the way back to the hag's house, Gale casts detect magic.

"She's definitely in here. We should be prepared."

Sure, she looked like a sad old woman, but those adventurers told you the truth, how she took their sister. When Karlach leads the charge, opening the door, she tries to look shocked.

"Oh dear! It's quite rude to storm into someone's house like that. Where are your manners?"

Without responding, Karlach throws her axe into the hag's shoulder, breaking the illusion, showing the monster for who she is. Covered in grime, like a witch born straight from the mud.

"It looks like I'll just have to teach you all how to be polite!"

Karlach tries to go for a second hit, but the hag teleports. Gale soon tracks her down, casting a ray of frost. Astarion follows her up the stairs while she tries to counterspell Gale. You and Lae'zel try to attack from a distance, missing because of just how quick she can move from place to place. Wyll has focused on assisting Gale, and Shadowheart is keeping track of all your party members, making sure to be there as soon as one of you takes a hit. In the meantime, she casts guidance on Astarion, who is fighting much more intensely than usual. Perhaps killing the Gur wasn't enough, and the anger was still boiling inside.

"Alright little mosquito, you want to be a thorn in my side? Poor decision."

The hag disappears from sight, and Astarion stops in his tracks. At first you think nothing of it. It almost looks like he's searching the room for where your enemy landed. For him though, the hag has cast a strong illusion, preying on his worst fear: being back in Cazador's grasp. The teahouse has transformed into the kennels, cold stone on bare feet, blood spattered across the walls.

Well, well, well. Seems as though the boy never learns! Perhaps, this time, will set you straight.

He hears the voice of Godey taunting him, threatening to pull him apart again.

"No! No, I left- I left, I was free!"

It's at this moment you realize he's not here, not in the mental sense.

"Focus on the hag, I'll try to snap him out of it."

You order the rest of the group, and they nod without a word, searching the teahouse for where she's gone now. You run up the stairs, finding a trembling pale man who has dropped his daggers.

Deep down, you like bein' leashed, don't ya?

The words bounce around in his head, a vision of Cazador appearing. You try to shake him, to mentally connect him back to his body, but it only plays into the illusion more, your actions becoming Cazador's.

"Astarion! Astarion it's just a spell, it's not real. It's not real my love, please."

Soon enough, your group finds the hag again, disrupting her concentration, releasing her grip on the elf. His breathing is terrifyingly fast, and he takes a moment to come out of the vision, grabbing a dagger from the floor and very quickly brandishing it towards you.

"DON'T."

You're trying desperately not to cry, because you know he doesn't need your shared sadness right now.

"Hey, it's okay. It's just me, Tav."

You lightly touch the hand holding the dagger, and he loosens his grip. Your hands move to take the blade from his grasp, setting his weapons to the side.

"I... I was there. I was back there."

"I know. Seems as though Ethel knows more than she should."

Astarion is still trying to root himself back in reality, you blood still racing in his dead veins.

"I can't go back Tav. Please, I can't go back."

"I know. I won't let you end up back there, ever."

He's still weary of physical touch, so you simply rub across his knuckles, trying to ground him in the moment. Your deepest urge is to wrap yourself around him and never let go, keep him in a protective case where no one can ever hurt him again, but that's not real. Being entirely safe isn't real. But damn, do you wish it was, for his sake.

As you're sitting there with him, the group makes their way back.

"We lost her. Have a feeling she went deeper into a cave somewhere."

You eye Karlach, and the two of you come to a silent understanding as you hold onto Astarion's shakey hands.

"We'll go set up camp where we entered the swamp. Take your time."

And with that, the tiefling takes the rest of your companions out of the teahouse, leaving the two of you alone.

"Why?"

You turn to look at him, cocking your head slightly.

"Why what?"

"Why would you say you won't let me end up there again? Cazador isn't some being you can simply keep me from, he's... different."

"I don't care."

"What do you mean you don't care?"

"I just, don't care. I don't care how powerful he is or whatever abilities he has, he can't have you. He just can't."

You finally do tear up now, not sure how else to explain it to the vampire.

"He most definitely cou-"

"No."

You try to blink the tears away, feeling the little callouses on his palm from over the decades.

"I want you to know what it's like to belong to someone in a pure way, not for personal gain, but just because they need you. And now that I have you... I just need you. I need you Astarion, so he can't have you. I'd die before he could take you from me."

He's silent for a moment. All forms of ownership he's known have been terrifying. Whatever could you mean by belonging to someone in a pure way? How can you belong to someone innocently? Your tadpole senses his concern, connecting without much effort at all.

"I don't need anything from you. I don't need you to do anything for me, I just need you Aster."

He smiles a little.

"Aster?"

"Yeah. Sorry, I had just been thinking about it. If you don't like it-"

"No I- I love it. Aster. Like the flower?"

"Yeah."

Somehow, the teahouse is peaceful in this moment. You feel young all over again, like you've never been in love before, like Astarion is the only being you've ever known. He interrupts your thoughts.

"Thank you, for saying all that. Maybe I wouldn't mind belonging to someone without expectations. It sounds, nice."

His voice cracks on the last word.

"Well, Aster, then you can belong to me as long as you'd like."

You swipe a piece of hair behind his ear, looking for a reason to get close to his face. As if the fates knew it to be true, you lock lips, despite the horrific smell outside and the creaking wood of the floorboards, you're somewhere else. Some place where the asters bloom in peace.

[flowerishness]

Symphyotrichum puniceum (bog aster, swamp aster)

The bog aster prefers wet habitats and I'm quite sure this particular specimen absolutely loves this location. As autumn approaches, many wildflowers are fading fast but this aster is in full bloom. This is good news for the local bee population and if you look closely, there's a bumble bee in the second photo.

Plants that flower in the early spring or late summer are essential for bee populations, otherwise they cannot survive. Gardeners are encouraged to plant at least a couple of these species for this reason alone. Not only does it add a bit of color to your flowerbeds before the summer rush-hour arrives, but it also helps out our little buddies in the beehive.

[mousetoe-wc]

I Got bored one time awhile ago and made a list of every prefix plus some into organised sections so I thought I might as well share.

All the ones that aren’t cannon to warriors, yet at lest are bold

Describing names

Colours: red, russet, copper, golden, amber, yellow, green, blue, violet, pink, white, gray, black, ebony, dark, pale, silver, brown, tawny, fallow

Pattern, Texture + Size: spot/ted, dapple, speckle, freckle, brindle, patch, mottle, ragged, tangle, kink, bristle, fuzzy, curl/y, wooly, soft, sleek, little, tiny, small, slight, short, tall, long, big, heavy, crooked, broken, half, stumpy, shred, torn, jagged

Actions + Character: flip, pounce, bounce, jump, hop, crouch, down, low, drift, flail, strike, running, fidget, mumble, whistle, snap, sneeze, shiver/ing, shining, flutter, fallen, lost, rush, fleet, quick, shy, sweet, brave, loud, quiet, wild, hope, wish,

Other: claw, whisker, dead, odd, one, spike, fringe, echo, song, hallow, haven

Elements

Time + Weather: day, night, dusk, dawn, morning, sky, sun/ny, moon, storm, lightning, thunder, cloud/y, mist/y, fog, snow, blizzard, ice, frost, dew, drizzle, rain, clear, wind, breeze, gale, shadow, shade, bright, light,

Earth/Water/Fire names: stone, rock, boulder, slate, flint, pebble, gravel, sand/y, dust, mud/dy, meadow, hill, rubble, river, ripple, whorl, float, rapid, shimmer, lake, swamp, marsh, wave, wet, bubbling, splash, puddle, pool, creek, fire, flame, flicker, flash, blaze, scorch, ember, spark, ash, soot, cinder, smoke

Plants

Trees: alder, aspen, birch, beech, cedar, cypress, pine, elm, willow, oak, larch, maple, bay, rowan, timber, bark, log, wood, twig, acorn, cone, seed, spire

Berry/Nut/Fruit/Herb: juniper, elder, sloe, holly, yew, mistle, bramble, hickory, hazel, chestnut, nut, apple, cherry, cranberry, olive, pear, plum, peach, chive, mint, fennel, sage, basil, mallow, parsley

Flowers: aster, poppy, primrose, rose, bluebell, marigold, tansy, pansy, briar, cherry, daisy, dandelion, daffodil, tulip, violet, lily, myrtle, thrift, yarrow, heather, lavender, blossom, bloom, flower, petal

Other: leaf, frond, fern, bracken, sorrel, hay, rye, oat, wheat, cotton, reed, pod, cinnamon, milkweed, grass, clover, weed, stem, sedge, gorse, furze, flax, nettle, thistle, ivy, moss, lichen, bush, vine, root, thorn, prickle, nectar

Animals

Mammals: mouse, rat, mole, vole, shrew, squirrel, hedgehog, bat, rabbit, hare, ferret, weasel, stoat, mink, marten, otter, hog, wolf, hound, fox, vixen, badger, deer, doe, stag, fawn, sheep, cow, pig, lion, tiger, leopard, lynx, milk

Birds: robin, jay, cardinal, thrush, sparrow, swallow, shrike, starling, rook, swift, dove, pigeon, crow, raven, duck, goose, heron, wren, finch, swan, stork, quail, gull, lark, owl, eagle, hawk, kestrel, buzzard, kite, hoot, feather, bird, egg, talon

Fish, Reptiles + Amphibians: pike, perch, pollack, trout, tench, cod, carp, bass, bream, eel, minnow, fin, snake, adder, lizard, turtle, frog, toad, newt

Bug type Names: bug, lady or ladybug, moth, spider, ant, snail, slug, beetle, bee, wasp, dragon or dragonfly, bumble, worm, maggot, cricket, fly, midge, web, honey

Skyclan + Warriorclan: Bella, Billy, Big, Harry, Harvey, Snook, Ebony, Monkey

[justalittletomato]

Of Yabby and Swamps

A big thanks to @patchiefrog who prompted this fishing trip

@eyecandyeoz @gran-maul-seizure @storm89 @hannagoldworthy @pixiestookourstardust @id-rather-be-a-druid @apocalypticwafflekitten @dukeoftheblackstar @stardustbee

The Oppress sister may have been raised as proper ladies but they were still Zabrak. So that meant hunting! 

“Dani do you want to go fi-” Before Aster could utter another syllable, the small girl embraced her around the waist. Large amber eyes looked up at her with eagerness. 

Danica could never pass up fishing with Aster. Fishing meant crustaceans! 

She licked her lips oh the possibility of shrimp and crab! Oh how her tummy grumbled, “Let’s go! Let’s go! I'll get my ruler! 

The younger sister returned with her swim gear and the ruler gifted to her by Cress after the boy was mortified to learn Danica was fishing any crab she caught, “Aster!” their brother had said aghast. “You know better too!” 

The eldest Oppress girl had pouted, “ But she was so happy how could I crush her joy with the importance of conservation and regulation?”  The boy gave them an admonished shake of the head and a lecture after that. 

The result was Danica rattling off the importance of a crab being the right size or needing to be tossed back in the water. She repeated back the figures as well as gave an almost perfect impression of thier brother. Aster laughed as Danica has tossed back one of her catch, “Maybe next time little crab!” 

The black pincher crab failed to measure up and waved its claws as it sunk back into the water. 

—

Aster dived into the water, the swamps of Dathomir were not of the blues from the holos and pictures of books. They had a beauty she could not resist. Something Ancient, something from long ago that refused to fade away. Gleaming greens and abuzz with life. A power she could feel thrumming just under the surface. “ Like calls to like,” Maul had told her. Dathomir called to her, recognized her, knew her…

—

Danica looked into the water. To an outsider it was murky, to her eyes it was clear as could be. A gift from the red planet bestowed on the children of Dathomir. 

“Aster there’s a swarm of yabby!”  the child whispered, barely able to contain her delight. 

 Aster handed her the net, and tsked her to adjust her gloves. 

Like all things on Dathomir even a mere shrimp has its evolved dangers. 

Venomous barbs on its claws and bodies, catching them meant special gear.  

Aster was dressed in a similar fashion to Danica, a suit that ensured the swamp did not bring out its surprises. It was for Danica’s sake. 

Aster has developed a tolderance to the venom, she had swum in the swamps since she was Danica’s age. No hit of venom could halt her in the water. Maul had been impressed, truly Aster was his child. 

But with Dani, well Danica Oppress had always raised concerns. The only non-force sensitive of Maul’s children and as clumsy as a tot. Maul was cautious about his youngest and with that came the gear, helmets and the guard. 

Atticus, the tusken Massiff sat and kept on alert. The massiff had been the child’s guard since his arrival when Dani was merely 6 months of age. Always about and near his little Dani. 

The massiff sniffed and gruffed as Danica resurfaced with a triumphant smile on her face and wiggling yabbies in the mesh net. She hooked it to the edge of the wooden pier and promised Atticus a good helping. The massiff’s typical stoic composure melted into a happy yip. His little Dani was so generous with her food! 

—

Another moment longer, Aster’s lungs did not burn. The swamp was filled with life, the schools of silver fish that flickered under the low light, the large catfish that avoided her presence. She kept a careful eye out for the strong-jawed gators that thrived under the depths. She was a competing predator in the swamp of course….

–

In her net she had already nabbed the black clawed crabs. Thoughts of raw marinated crab swum by. Coated in chili powder that stung her tongue! What a delight! 

The sisters resurfaced with their treasures, Nets full of yabby and crab (all properly sized) Aster assured their brother as they returned home. 

Their buir delighted in thier large bounty, the Mandalorian weighing the nets with a smile. “My dear girls brought us a feast.” 

–

Preparing yabby was not pleasant, the blue shrimp piled on the bowl, but Dani did not mind. Not when it meant the yabby would get added into a spiced stew that made the kitchen smell so delightfully or better yet sizzled in oil after being put in a batter of tempura. 

“Hey!Hey don't toss out the barbs!” Eris asked. Savage’s daughter always made sure to ask, as the Fortress’s up-and-coming poisons expert it was only natural she would want to collect samples. 

“As long as you do not try and eat them” Starlight warned. 

“Eat them!? Oh that’s silly I only apply the collected venom topically.”

Aster took apart the crabs with gusto. Curing the crabs got rid of the slightly venomous barbs on the pinchers. Eris gave Aster a disappointed look. 

“You will have to rip the claws from my teeth,” Aster assured. Growing up alongside Adter, Eris knew that threat to be true. She still had scars from little Edika. 

—

The Oppress sisters lay back after dinner. Danica patting her satisfied tummy,  “Maybe we will catch a gator one day” 

“Dad will wring my neck if I took you to catch a gator” 

“And Buir will wish us all the luck” 

“And Cress will weep over the gator.” 

“And then wring our necks” 

The sisters laughed, their voices ringing in the dark. Dathomir thrummed at the sound as slumber came.  

[vandaliatraveler]

Early summer at Summit Lake, a quick detour off the Highland Scenic Highway in the Monongahela National Forest.

From top: an unidentified fungi growing in a mossy nook; an impressive young Berkeley's polypore (Bondarzewia berkeleyei), which is not a true polypore but a member of the Russulales order; another massive Berkeley's polypore with my hand for perspective - these beauties can grow up to three feet wide and produce additional shelf-like caps from a single stem, giving them a tiered appearance as they mature; the tall and stately foxglove beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis), whose profusion of tubular white flowers draws hordes of long-tongued bees and hummingbirds from late spring to early summer; common milkweed (Asclepias syriaca), whose large, dangling umbels of pink to purplish flowers are Mother Nature's ultimate pollinator buffets; swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata), also known as rose milkweed, a wetlands-loving beauty with narrow, lanceolate leaves; black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), an irresistible summer aster with a prominent, dark brown button at the center of its flower head; and the sensual arc of a fireweed (Chamaenerion angustifolium), whose flowers have elongated, dangling stamens and a four-cleft, curling stamen.

[aisling-saoirse]

First Aster's Bloom, Lord Stirling Park, NJ - September 10th 2024

[systastic]

hi! i dont want to make things harder w/ you but if itd be cool a level one/two (choose either, idm) of a witch w/ cottagecore aesthetic/vibe? optionally inspired off of empires s2 shubble, but feel free to go as canon-divergent as you want. ty in advance and i hope you're having a good timezone ^^

you had my attention at “cottagecore”! skipping you up because inspiration is high :] —🌳

meow still don’t know anything about empires qmq… hoping mew like her anyways!! —🍥

name :: shelby, shelley, marie, viola, laurel, ivy, endora, faye, celeste, hazel, olive, juniper

age :: between 18 n 23 ; ageslider!

pronouns :: she/her, they/them, spark/sparks/sparkself, ast/aster/asters/asterself, bud/buds/budself, clo/clover/clov/clovs/cloverself, lau/rel/aur/laur/laurelself, man/mangrove/mangroves/mangroveself, glim/glimmer/glimmerself, glow/glows/glowself

roles :: perinaut, ameliorator, resonancian, anchor

species :: human (witch) ; ruler of evermoore

gender identity :: fadingsunsetgender, mothgender, noctofloric, glimcollectic, lustrellaic, naturewivic

orientation :: ace sapphic (out of respect 2 the person playing the character! also iirc she has a wife in canon? -🍥)

source :: empires smp s2

aesthetic :: witchcore, goblincore, mossy, soggy

appearance description :: olive stands at five feet and two inches tall, being a good foot or so shorter than her wife. hazel doesn’t mind the gap between their heights all that much much so long as glim gets glimmer fair share of attention from glimmers wife throughout the day. celeste can be seen wearing her trademark outfit whenever she is out and out: green overalls and a green witch’s hat, a purple turtleneck, brown leather boots, and a half-length purple cape with scalloped edges. her pockets are constantly stuffed full of random items like rocks, weeds, cool things she found, and her handy-dandy wand for spell work! glow wears glows style with pride, rarely ever changing glows wardrobe unless something unprecedented happens (ie loss of friend or family, ball or another former occasion, unusual events happening out of the blue). vines and flowers abound on their clothes, growing between the seams and over delicate stitchwork to help protect them. endora’s magic does most of the work — but man wouldn’t dare tell the plants that. they’re doing a good job in mangrove eyes.

personality description :: ivy is a menace and a terror to the local ecosystem, not because clo is disrupting it or being harmful to the plants within, but due to the fact that clover antics tend to draw the attention of the animals within and distract them from their daily lives. clover friends are mostly forest animals that live within evermoore, such as frogs, axolotls, smaller birds, ladybugs, and even worms. viola always seems to be up to something, whether it be digging a giant hole in rel backyard, befriending swamp creatures, or executing frog heists on friends. toady jr. did not deserve jail time! their quirky personality has earned them friends and foes alike who either admire their freedom and unabashed actions or think them reckless due to their tendency to leap before they look. at least ast is still on aster way to prove the school of magic wrong: aster is more than capable of becoming a full-fledged witch no matter what kind of insults they hurl!!

source: here n here!!

[necro-romantic]

A year of finding native plants on a property left to grow wild. These are some of my favorites.

In order, wild geranium, swamp rose, carex lurida, Jewelweed, hollow joe pye, white wood aster, unknown aster possibly New England aster, white turtlehead

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

Bzzz!

Just some bees in my garden and in the fields and on a neighbourhood walk. :)

Featured bees include bumblebees (native), green sweatbees (native), honeybees (invasive), carpenter bees (native), and some I'm not sure about.

Featured flower hosts include bull thistles (invasive weed), rose of sharon (invasive), New England aster (native), cup plant (native), starthistle (not native), Nuttall's sunflower (native), purple coneflower (native), anise hyssop (native), white wood aster (native), swamp milkweed (native), sow thistle (invasive weed), creeping charlie (invasive), creeping thistle (invasive weed), wild rose (native maybe), wild bergamot (native), bride's feathers (native), bigleaf lupin (native maybe or invasive), and upright prairie coneflower "Mexican hat" (native species, but a cultivar).

All my photos, unedited. Don't mind the weirdness of the third last photo. It's my phone's "portrait" which I found out belatedly can have, uh, interesting results.