Tag Archives: wild flowers

Blog, Inspiration, Photography, Wanderings

Mountain treasures

August 24, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above: the skyline, viewed from the Heather Trail, E.C. Manning Provincial Park, BC.

Summer, the perfect time for a road trip. A few weeks ago, I headed to the alpine meadows of the Cascades.

There were colourful treasures on that mountain path…

(Pssst: click on these photos, to view them full size.)

Meet the Indian paintbrush (Castilleja), up close. All these plants are really tough guys. They have to reproduce during a very short season (I was told that snow melted in late May to mid-June, at that altitude). The soil is poor, and the elements are cruel. And this particular plant, Indian paintbrush, is a hemiparasite, meaning that it gets some of its nutrients by living off its neighbours… Tsk, tsk.

Up on the mountain, the trail beckons.

Some of the flowering plants are very ancient-looking. Meet Lousewort (Pedicularis bracteosa), with pollinators on board.

I spotted a white and maroon variety of Indian paintbrush (Castilleja).

I was a few weeks too late to admire blooming Western Pasque flowers (Anemone occidentalis)… So instead, here is a close-up of a seedhead, with insect ornaments.

For that golden touch, there were specimens ofTiger lily (Lilium columbianum).

The lovely blue of Lupine (but which? maybe Large-leaved, maybe not…)

An intimate portrait of the Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis).

In a moist area near the main road, Spirea in bloom, by the Beaver pond.

And here is a landscape, featuring the Beaver pond.

And I leave you with the irony of a hiking quatuor, catching up with the news near the cell tower. Top of the mountain, at 2200 meters, where they had many bars on their cells.

Blog, Photo Wednesday, Photography, Wanderings

Witty’s Lagoon – Photo Wednesday

May 4, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above: Spring wildflowers abound at Tower Point, Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park in Metchosin, close to Victoria on Vancouver Island, BC.

The Haystack Rocks are just offshore and with their cloud crown, the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State, supply the backdrop to a lovely sunny afternoon.

These alien-looking blooms are everywhere on Tower Point. Very eye-catching in the afternoon sunlight.

Here is a macro look at the panicles. Anthers like little orbiting planets around the main spike, maturing in sequence from the bottom up… Click on the photo above for a really intimate view!

Here is another shot of these interesting “weeds”…

And then there were the spring classic flowers, the Camas lilies (Camassia quamash). Intense blue!

And Menzie’s Larkspur (Delphinium menziesii)… Bright purple.

After eating my picnic in the flower meadow, I made my way around to the beach at low tide. It’s quite a walk…

Ocean and mountains: that is the view at low tide, from the beach at Witty’s Lagoon, Vancouver Island, BC. The Strait of Juan de Fuca, Race Rocks and the lighthouse in the middle distance, and across the international line, the mountains of the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Majestic.

I loved the ridges left in the sand by retreating tides.

Here is a special effects photo close-up.

And besides the dog walkers, there were young boogie boarders, getting to the water’s edge.

And on the way back to my car, the shady trail revealed this treasure, a tall – as yet unidentified by me – flower spike. There was an entire colony of those, almost three feet tall, in the deep shade…

And on May 1st, back at home, this was the sunset moment. A great end to a lovely weekend…

Quand l’heure se fait plus douce…

Blog, Just Because, Wanderings

Weekend Report

April 3, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above: close-up of a flowering tree on East Point Road, Saturna Island, BC. Roadside poetry…

What follows is a visual report of my weekend. It involved a little commute on the ferry, a little road trip on Vancouver Island, and a little excursion to Winter Cove park on Saturna Island.

On Friday morning, we left on the mid-morning ferry and I got to admire the fog that was caught between islands, hanging on before the sun could do its thing and burn it out…

This is the cute islet that lies just off North Pender Island. I don’t know its name, but it stands out in a lovely silhouette, against a fog backdrop.

While on Vancouver Island, I got to admire the greenery in bloom, including this tall Oregon grape…

And while walking in a meadow, I caught a glance of a hawk overhead. I was a little slow on the photo op, and got him a little bit “fuzzy”.

Patrolling the fields for mice and other goodies, no doubt.

Back on Saturna after a pleasant road trip and a return ferry commute, we all headed to the pub for sundown.

The sky and water had a dramatic moment…

You have to keep a watch on the sky and water, at sunset. It pays off handsomely.

And this morning, I headed to Winter Cove with a friend, and looked for spring wildflowers.

We were rewarded. Lots of Fawn lilies (Erythronium oregonum) and what looks like soon-to-open chocolate lilies (maybe).

There is always one that stands out. This was the pinky one:

There were masses of them, right up to the edge of the rocky shore.

And there were also daisies here and there.

At the water’s edge, a solitary heron was watching the shallows.

It is good to get out and breathe some fresh air.

Blog, Just Because, Photography, Wanderings

Spring flowers on Saturna

March 20, 2016 Andree Fredette

Above: today’s header photo is a budding Fawn lily (Erythronium oregonum), a sweet sign of spring if there ever was one!

First day of spring, and here is a report of the flowers that are starting to appear on this shore.

Took a walk at Winter Cove, an area that is part of the Gulf Islands National Park Reserve (there’s a mouthful) and pointed my camera at assorted blossoms. Above: salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis), looking a tad bedraggled after an iffy late winter.

And this warm golden yellow is a gift of the Oregon grape (Mahonia oregonum), which was blooming on a bluff, out of the reach of our ravenous black-tailed deer…

Above: the assertive pink flash of Flowering currant (Ribes sanguineum), another sure sign of spring on this island.

Above: another shot of a Fawn lily (Erythronium oregonum), starting to open up.

And if you wonder about the setting, here is a shot of the salt pond by Winter Cove.

On the right, above, you can spot a weed – Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) – that is incredibly invasive. It’s the tall thing bearing yellow blooms.

At my house, I keep pulling seedlings out of the yard, the neighbourhood paths and meadows… But it is a losing battle. The park is losing the broom battle, and the weed keeps marching forward, taking over. More info on this link.

Scotch broom blooms in the spring, and its blossoms redeem it somewhat…

And finally, because my garden is also offering interesting yellows of a more tame variety…