Pheasant Creek - Some July Wildflowers

I am sitting in the coulee, early morning. Last day of July. Two weeks of heat have shifted the air, the smells, the blossoms, changed the sounds underfoot to a crunchy sound. I can feel the shift from full summer to a time of turning. August flowers are blooming while leaves and grasses are changing colour and seed pods are forming. We pick up burrs and speargrass.

There has been such abundance in July that I sometimes felt overwhelmed. This post is titled “Some July Wildflowers” because so many are missing. I have so many yet to learn about!!

A special joy once the ticks disappear are early mornings spent painting amongst the wildflowers. One of my favourite things to do. Go the the bottom of this post to see some of my paintings.

With daily visits to the coulee, I notice the blossoms but also the plant emerging before the blossoms (mystery – who will this be?)and the seed head after. My idea of beauty has expanded. I am more and more interested in the posture of a plant, her form, how her leaves are arranged

Western Wild Bergamot

Western Wild Bergamot, a wonderful peppery leaf added to tea

Skeleton Weed

Hedysarum, above and Northern Hedysarum, below plus a little yarrow

Northern Hedysarum

Juniper is not a flower but so lovely and fresh with new berries coming

Low milkweed started blooming in June, but I am discovering patches of her for the first time, and she continues to bloom in July

Green Milkweed

Silvery groundsel going to seed…in this photo the seeds of the bottom three have flown away. I painted this seedhead last winter not knowing what is was