In the grasslands...

[Lori S.]

Here's what's been in bloom recently along the Bow River uplands (my cycling route to/from work)...
1) Big drifts of brilliantly-coloured Hedysarum boreale
2, 3) The earliest-blooming of the Gaura coccinea... there is quite a bit of variation in colour among the many plants, ranging to some quite intense orange-reds and pink-reds (those more colourful ones not showing up yet); the flowers often look a bit messy as though they are half-spent, but in close-up, the delicacy and intricacy of the long drooping anthers can be better appreciated.
4, 5) I'm surprised that Lilium philadelphicum has been able to survive in this heavily-used park!

[McDonough]

Here's what's been in bloom recently along the Bow River uplands (my cycling route to/from work)...

2, 3) The earliest-blooming of the Gaura coccinea... there is quite a bit of variation in colour among the many plants, ranging to some quite intense orange-reds and pink-reds (those more colourful ones not showing up yet); the flowers often look a bit messy as though they are half-spent, but in close-up, the delicacy and intricacy of the long drooping anthers can be better appreciated.

Glad to see this one again, and the explanation that there are bright colors.  I remember seeing this one time in Colorado, when visiting Panayoti, I believe we were walking a field near Boulder, and the flowers were bright red and made an indelible impression on my memory.  I wondered initially when Gaura lindheimeri was becoming popular as a garden plant... "but what about G. coccinea?".  Many of the subsequent named forms, many from Baldassare Mineo at Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery, caught up in the color department, and there are some strong pinks and pinky-red ones.  But, I've watched the seed lists for years hoping that G. coccinea would show up, and I don't think it has... in decades!

[Lori S.]

Mark, I have meant for years to snitch a few seeds, but the city always seems to mow the path edges right at that time, wiping out all the best-coloured ones that I mentally earmark!  I'll just have to try harder this year!

[Lori S.]

1, 2, 3) Zigadenus elegans
4, 5, 6) Erigeron Eriogonum flavum -- oops, mental glitch!
7) Gaillardia aristata
8, 9) The river valley, with the grey foliage of wolf-willow
10) Packera cana... sorry about the fuzzy pix (new camera, whose point of focus is rather difficult to determine, or to influence... grrr, both about that and about the previous much more-tractable camera which, however, conked out after 2 years, one month!  >)

[McDonough]

should 5-7 be Eriogonum?

[Lori S.]

Oops, yes, of course - thanks for the correction!  (Although the photos are so fuzzy one might be hard pressed to tell the difference... )

[Hoy]

Here's what's been in bloom recently along the Bow River uplands (my cycling route to/from work)...

Mark, I have meant for years to snitch a few seeds, but the city always seems to mow the path edges right at that time, wiping out all the best-coloured ones that I mentally earmark!

Lori, you have an interesting cycling route! Unfortunately I use car, it is about 20km each way, so it is a bit too long to cycle (for me). What do you do in winter? Cross country skiing?

Here at my summerhouse I have to use the boat to get anywhere as it is on a small island in the Kragerø archipelago. Not much of interest flowering here now, it has been little rain for the last months. Therefore it is nice to see your pictures.

You talk about mowing along the roads, here they not only mow, they use roundup as well! Should be forbidden!!

[Lori S.]

Yes, it's a very nice route, and quite interesting in parts all through the spring-to-fall - there are only a few blocks at either end on roads with any traffic, which is excellent!  Through the winter (well, from when I give up in fall to when it gets warm enough in the mornings in spring - 6 months of cycling), I take public transit, which now consists of walking about 10 minutes to a train station to get downtown... then I have to exercise in the basement - not quite so interesting, but it's a routine, so I have learned to accept it.   :   I have to admit that I am pretty much of a slug in winter, though I have cross-country skiied a bit in the past... I guess I mostly just hibernate!  Yes, 20 km one way is too far for me, too - that's my round-trip, and I'm ready for a rest after that, most days!

Round-up!?!  Yikes!

[Todd Boland]

Fond memories of Calgary grasslands...its been 3 years since I've seen those fields of wildflowers.  I hope there are still some bloom in the next 2 weeks when I'll be there to see them for myself.  Most of my trips have been in May or June.....mid-July trip to Alberta will be a first for me!  10 days will not be enough time.