Wild flowers

I sure do appreciate all the beautiful plants people plant each year in order to enhance the beauty of their property. It is a delight when I pass by and see them in all their splendor. I also appreciate the plants that just pop up with no planning (or work) -- the wild flowers and volunteer plants. These little beauties sprout up along roadsides and in empty fields and I get to enjoy them if I take the time to pay attention.

This butterfly weed is so bright and beautiful. I am glad I saw it. It was hiding among bushes and vines but the bright orange, showy flowers drew me over to take a look. I think it is actually a wild flower and relative of the milkweed but I also think there is a relative of this wild flower that is sold in nurseries. I can understand why a butterfly would be drawn to it. The color is brilliant.

I also enjoyed taking a closer look at these wild blackberry bushes. The blooms are gone and the berries are beginning to get ripe. I think there might have been a ripe blackberry, too, but I took the liberty of tasting it -- just to make sure it was good. I think I will have to start picking them next week. 

I think they are ripe a little early this year. I have noticed that the blackberries really do "hide" behind other bushes. They also have some of the worst briers I have ever seen. It is almost not worth picking them. If I didn't love them so much I wouldn't bother because they certainly do "bite" if you get tangled up in the branches. I love them when they are bright red -- the color of raspberries before they turn a rich black and become ripe and sweet. Birds will sometimes eat these berries but I think the briers are a deterrent to them, too.

There are so many other wild flowers I would love to see but I will have to wait until I have the time.