More on wildflowers

I just had to share more of the flowers. The purple ones are still unidentified, although Jenn gave us some great suggestions yesterday, and also revealed the identity of the yellow flowers for us. I thought some pictures showing the leaves of the other two might help us in our quest for identification.

UPDATE: Jenn was right on track with the family for the white flowers. I found their identity from the website of the same horticulturalist (Bob Zuberbuhler) who helped us with the lesser celandines. The white flowers are Horse-nettle, and they are indeed making these crazy little green "tomatoes." I'll get a picture of those for you soon! Still stumped on the purple ones... the flowers look thistle-y, but the leaves just don't match!

The blue flower you see next to the house is sort of a kindred spirit of mine. There are a few different morning glories growing around here – white ones, pink-and-white striped ones, and these blue ones. The blue ones are only open in the mornings, and on overcast days. As soon as that sun breaks loose, they curl up into these whithered-looking purple clumps, and it looks like they aren’t even there!

Now, I know that the sun does some very important things for the Earth and her inhabitants, but I really think I could live in a place where it was permanently cloudy, grey, and rainy, and be perfectly happy.

And yes – those “weeds” comprise my “flower bed.” Hey – I like the local flora! Besides, you have no idea how educational it has been to just let the birds and the wind determine what’s growing next to my house. Virtually all these little herbaceous plants are new to me, and even if I start to plant bulbs and other flowers this autumn, I intend to allow the natives to persist right along with them. Oh yes - and I must go pirate some of that bee balm soon!

Coming up: emergent fungus, butterflies and caterpillars, and the stockpile of the red squirrel (or, the ballad of the Red Headed Stranger).