Wednesday, September 16, 2009

Goodbye to Summer

The end of summer is always a bittersweet time for me: while I do love the cool, crisp days of fall, I'm just not that fond of winter. The winter skies in Kentucky are gray and cloudy much of the time, and since we don't usually have much snow, everything else is just dirty brown. It's such a contrast to the lush growth of the other three seasons, which spoil us with rich emerald greens and golds, purples, pinks, oranges, and reds. Maybe it's because I'm a teacher, but winter just seems to last forever!
At this time of year, the plants appear determined to put on one big final show. It's like they're saying, "Uh-oh, we're running out of time- better set some seeds right now!" The blooms burst forth in a profusion of mostly purple and yellow, and it's easy to be lulled into the belief that summer will never end. Here are some photos of the wildflowers of late summer, taken in Lewis County, Kentucky. I hope you enjoy them!



These three are either Downy Lobelia (Lobelia puberula) or Great Blue Lobelia (Lobelia spihilitica), or some of each.


Heal-all (Prunella vulgaris)


Joe-pye weed and Ironweed


Joe-pye weed (Eupatorium fistulosum)


Ironweed (Vernonia gigantica)


Tune in next time for more wildflowers!

5 comments:

  1. Oh how I love all of these guys who come to call as we fall away from summer time and into the crisp what's next.
    can't wait to see the next installment.

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  2. Once again, your flower pics are as inspiring as your art. Are all those flowers around your house, or from other locations as well? Truly beautiful.

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  3. Thanks, Donna and Don, I love them too. I have 60 acres of forest in Lewis County, which is in the Appalachian foothills. These wildflower pics are from out there, about an hour and a half from my home in Kenton County. The vegetation out there is different from here- more eastern rain forest, like the Red River Gorge or Smokey Mountains.

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  4. What a celebration - you describe it perfectly, as the one big final show. Indeed!! This is my favorite time of the year, so I don't mind saying adios to summer time :) Thanks for sharing your bounty!

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  5. Yes, I'd love to see what this time of year brings in other parts of the country!

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