What a lovely day it was to celebrate our nation's independence! Warm enough, but not too hot, with a gentle breeze and no rain to ruin folks' cook-outs. As for me, I usually try to lie low on The Fourth, feeling grateful for my nation's stated high values but not wishing to join in the widespread celebration of the bellicose with "bombs bursting in air and rockets' red glare." But this is a noisy holiday it's often hard to avoid. I did spend a quiet firecracker-free hour wandering the Orra Phelps Nature Preserve in nearby Wilton, and even there, I found the flowers blooming in all the colors of the American flag.
The RED ones you sure couldn't miss, with a beam of sunlight illuminating the flaming red of Oswego Tea (Monarda didyma):
As for the WHITE, there were several choices. The biggest, showiest white flowers were those of Rosebay Rhododendron (Rhododendron maximum):
The fluffiest whites were the delicate blooms of Tall Meadow Rue (Thalictrum pubescens):
And the tiniest whites were the easy-to-overlook miniature blooms of Enchanter's Nightshade (Circaea canadensis):
As for BLUE, there was just one native option right now. Two species of Gentians will bloom here later, but today the only blue flowers were those of Spiked Lobelia (Lobelia spicata):
So, Hurrah for the Red, White, and Blue!
And to round out the color spectrum, I also found some gorgeous YELLOW Canada Lilies (Lilium canadense):
3 comments:
Hi!
I love your photos and your blog and I was wondering if I may be able to use some of your photos. I work on a farm and we are trying to conserve the native woods and perennials and we want to showcase some of the beautiful trees on our website. Your photos are breathtaking, and I couldn't find anything about licensing your photos so I figured I'd post directly!
Thanks so much!
Evan
Nice photos of your botanical finds on July 4. Given how the flag and many other symbols of the country have been usurped by those who only pay lip-service to its ideals, we no longer fly the flag nor celebrate the 4th.
Evan, if your use of my photos is intended to conserve native trees and wildflowers, you are welcome to borrow them. A credit to "Jacqueline Donnelly" is always appreciated, but not demanded, unless for commercial use (in which case, a fee is requested).
Thanks, Woody. Ever since the war in Vietnam, and the subsequent wars of aggression the US has waged since then, the flag has come to stand for murderous hegemony in my understanding. I gag when I hear these invasions defended as "protecting our liberties." My ass! Protecting corporate profits, maybe, but none of the nations the US has attacked presented any threat to our personal or political liberties. How many schoolkids at their bus stops got blown away when US Marines barged into Panama to arrest Noriega? The more Americans start waving their flags, the more the people of other nations start burying their dead. Especially black and brown people.
Post a Comment