Life in Bloom

Taking a break from the drama of forest fires and cooking disasters, I thought I'd simply share with you some of the beauty of a Northern Summer. I've captured some of the gorgeous wildflowers that can be found in Northern Saskatchewan in early-mid summer. Of course there are many more than these few, for example we get our fair share of dandelion and ragweed, and many tiny little flowers, but I just didn't feel the need to share these burdensome or miniscule plants here. Enjoy what I've pegged as the cream of the crop so far:

Some of the first blooms to appear are the Wrinkled Roses (Rosa rugosa), which showed themselves in mid-June and remained for about 1 month. They mostly flooded the roadsides, making the drive to and from town even more beautiful than it already was.

The Bunchberry flower (Cornus canadensis) reminds me a little of the trillium, which is the provincial flower of my home province, Ontario. The white flowers both like to grow in the shade of the woods, but the obvious difference is that the flowers have four petals instead of three.

This very common prairie flower is called Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). It also reminds me of home in that it makes me think of the experiments I did as a kid with Queen Anne's Lace; once plucked, the stems can be placed in water infused with dye and the white flowers slowly turn the colour of the dye. 

Fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium) seems to spread like, well, wildfire. It can be found dotting most landscapes, especially meadow-y areas and roadsides. Update: after a few heavy rains the forest fires around here seem to have petered out...for now).

Here's a cluster of Fireweed at a bend in our walking trail. I love how it brightens up the greenery.

You won't find the lowly Alsike Clover (Trifolium hybridium) in any bouquets or vases, but its soft pinks lend a romantic hue to the lush meadow scene.

These fragile flowers are called Smooth Aster (Aster laevis). They have a lovely purplish/blue colour and I think they're really cute. 

  

I have no idea what these little plants are; they're not even flowers, I know, but I simply had to include them here because I liked the look of them so! It's like a tiny forest in the meadow.(Update: I have since identified these weeds as Horsetail (Equisetum Arvense) thanks to a  beloved and knowledgeable Aunt).

Northern Hedysarum (Hedysarum boreale) are vibrant pinks, blues and purples. I've only seem them on the side of the road, so they must like open air and slanted, gravelly banks. 

I'm not sure about these yellow flowers; they seem more like weeds than flowers but they line the road so beautifully and intermingle with the Hedysarum so nicely that I couldn't ignore them. As to their name, your guess is as good as mine.

These little daisy-like flowers grow easily in my backyard and around fences and roadways. The Scentless Chamomile (Matricaria perforata Merat) has become a nuisance to many, but I don't mind it's sunny little heads poking around the yard a little.

This stalk looks a bit like Lupin (Lupinus argenteus), but I'm not convinced that it is. Not only did it have the audacity to remain nameless, it was also swaying in the wind on the day that I saw it, so I couldn't get a clear shot of the thing. (Another update thanks to Auntie; these are actually Purple Fringeless Orchids (Platanthera peramoena), just so you know!)

I've saved my favourite flower for last. It grows on the Canadian Shield right beside the water, apparently happy with trading spacious soil for a spectacular view. It looks like some sort of Bellflower, possibly the Wilkins Bellflower (Campanula wilkinsiana). I think they're absolutely beautiful and I hope you have too!