Collecting Wildflowers
On our camping trip this past weekend, one of my favorite activities was watching for wildflowers to photograph. I was quite impressed with my knowledge of the flowers I discovered along our hike.
For example, I recognized these little cuties as yellow violets!
And I knew the trillium because some of my blog readers clued me in on it a week or two ago. (This one wasn’t nearly as pretty and the first one!)
I wasn’t so sure about this one, but I thought it was likely some sort of berry.
I decided I needed a book… because, truth be told, I really don’t know the names of very many wildflowers. When I saw this Field Guide to [Western] Wildflowers at Costco the other evening, I snatched it up! Just what I needed!
Other books in the series were for birds and trees. It would be fun to identify all those things as we go on our little excursions, but I decided that I was most interested in the flowers.
Wanna know what I learned already?
- Turns out there are 5 different yellow violets listed in my book! I guess I didn’t know so much, after all. I identified the ones we saw as Stream Violets.
- The trillium is also known as the Western Wake Robin. (I could have identified it myself if I had had this book before, but it was more fun to have you help me!)
- The “mystery” berry is the Western Serviceberry.
So now I have a new hobby.
Because, of course, I need another hobby!
5 Comments
lady m's lavender cottage
Dear Karla,
And a great hobby it is! That is definately a great book.
blessings,
lady m
Jewelgirl
I enjoyed your wildflower pictures.
These are different wildflowers from the Midwest, where I live. A field
guide really helps to id the different species.
Dori
Ok, so I read this phrase "I decided I needed a book.." and cracked up!!! Of COURSE you NEEDED a book. You always NEED new books! I literally laughed out loud!
Andrea
Beautiful pictures, and yes, Lady M is right. You have a wonderful hobby! I wish I knew more about wildflowers. I really know so little.
Blessings to you,
Andrea
Dee
Photographing wildflowers is one of my most favorite activities! I have that book (got mine at Sam's Club), & several others that I pack along with my cameras when I know I'm going to see flowers. I'm itching to get up into the mountains, as we've had a nice, wet spring & the flowers are supposed to be abundant & beautiful right now!
Dee (@_dulcimer_), following you on Twitter.