Pitcher Plants looked good yet.
Pickerelweed (Pontederia cordata) was blooming in the damp mud, just along the shoreline. I especially like the attractive spikes of blue-violet flowers, and also the leaves of this plant, which have interesting veins.
Around home about mid July, I found a lovely Broad Leaved Helleborine, a non-native orchid that doesn't stand a chance if it grows in Mike's lawn. This one found a safe place under the play structure in the back yard. So it was one of the few to survive.
I didn't see many Indian Pipe (Monotropa uniflora) this year. Whether I wasn't out in the woods as much or it was too hot and dry, I'm not sure.
On July 11 - Marie and I were able to get together for an adventure to Port Sheldon Natural Area, and it was hot! Port Sheldon Natural Area in Ottawa County is 440 acres including gently rolling terrain, woods, wildlife ponds and Ten Hagen Creek.
At another pond we saw beautiful Buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), in their prime!
Mike and I were able to walk at Connor Bayou and Crockery Creek, here are some photos from Crockery Creek.
In the garden, Mike had some sticks in the soil for the green peas to climb up. Well the rabbits ate the pea plants, but the dragonflies enjoy perching on the sticks. So here are a couple of shots of the dragonflies.
Late in July, our oldest son, Andrew, and his family came to stay with us for a week. We spent much of our time at the Lake Michigan beach, visited a petting zoo, walked the boardwalk and pier in Grand Haven, and had a fun hike at Hoffmaster State Park. Andrew brought a couple of jet skis, I don't care to ride them but I made some nice sand castles with the kids.
July 30 - my sister, Sugar and I visited Bass River Recreational Area. She had seen Cardinal Flower blooming and we wanted to see how they were doing at Bass. Here is what we found.
One more adventure in the month of July, to Happy Boots in Allegan County!
Marie added two Life Plants to her list! Spikenard....
And ....Larger Canada St. John'swort
On the way home we stopped at the park in Hamilton...
4 comments:
Wow! That was fun! Even the walks I didn't go on. Looking up plants online, I see a lot of photos. Yours really are the best! I'm not kidding. The orchids. That Culver's Root with its anthers sticking out. The beautiful veins on Pickerelweed. The round flower of Buttonbush looks like a space satellite! The Rose. Don't have to apologize for the Michigan Lily, it's a knockout. The reddish-brown anthers around the orange stigma hanging down out of the reflexed petals. A yellow spider on the Red Clover. Happy Boots didn't disappoint. The Spikenard was huge and in a disturbed area. Then to see the big butterfly, too! Giant Swallowtail, indeed. Swamps are such cool places. I like all the enticing paths through the woods you capture forever. Let's go see! M :)
Even your trestles are prettier than ours!
The rose pogonia is still beautiful even if it was a little rough, and what luck finding the helleborine in your yard. I have to search for them.
Culver's root is unusual. I've never seen the flowers that open.
That's a beautiful shot of the pickerel weed leaf. I wish I'd taken it!
Two plants that I've never seen are the water plantain and the spikenard. The water plantain flower reminds me of arrowhead flowers.
Great post!
Thanks M :) Just when I'm ready to give up the blog and camera, then you go saying nice things again! Yes it is fun to go on adventures, and look up plants online and in our many books. We are actually quite knowledgeable! Of course if I'm researching flowers or working on my photos, I get nothing else done. Like housework.
The Culver's Root flower looked woolly, like yarn. With all the things going on in July and the hot weather, we probably missed some plants. Now we are going into late summer, with gentians, Ladies' Tresses, Blazing Star, and more! I almost went to Bass today but maybe tomorrow. Thanks again for your support.
:)
Thanks so much Allen! Really our trestles are prettier? I think I remember some train bridges on your blog that were quite impressive!
I'm still excited about the Rose Pogonia, having it grow where I can visit it within 20 minutes of home! We see so much Helleborine, in the woods, in the lawn, and in almost every type of place. Many grow along our long dirt driveway, but usually before they bloom, they dry up. The one I kept an eye on in the back yard under the slide, was growing in wood chips AND got watered by the sprinklers. I remember several years back, Mike started finding them in the lawn, and he would comment on how tough the stem and roots were. They might not be native but they can be beautiful!
I have been thinking lately of not taking so many pictures, since I have so many plants documented already. I should just go through the past years and pick the best photo, then each time I see a familiar plant I wouldn't have to take another picture? It is about time for a new camera too. Mine has tape holding it together!
Spikenard was new to us. It was in an area disturbed about two years ago. Water Plantain we see fairly often, and I think, Arrowhead is in the same family. They do look like miniature Arrowhead! I never thought of that before.
:) Chris
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