Some Flag-colored Flowers (and others) at Orra Phelps

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):

Some GREEN berries atop the Indian Cucumber Root plants (Medeola virginiana):

And finally, some PURPLE Flowering Raspberry blooms (Rubus odoratus):

So there we have it:  a whole RAINBOW of colors, to celebrate the whole spectrum of folks from every part of the world in every era who have made their home on this land. May we yet make of our nation the UNITED States of America. May we yet find a way to celebrate one another and live together in peace.