Did you guess where we were headed after the Garnett Preserve? The hint is in the title. LOL
Before we made it to the last stop of the day (DQ) two more stops were made. The first stop was at a creek. Shirley had told me she had seen the Cardinal Flower here. However I had always just looked over the bridge railing without any luck. Well, Jeanne and I could not resist. So in fact over we went!
A Horseweed (Conyza canadensis var canadensis) was the emotional support for the Bindweed (Convolvulus equitans). LOL
Checking under the bridge, a double decker Phoebe’s nest. Interesting enough there were no Cliff Swallows nests. And only a few mud dauber nests. So I wondered why it was not a popular bridge?
The creek bed was dry. Indeed, no surprise there. Still the False Indigo (Amorpha fruticosa) and willow trees were doing okay.
And there it was just like Shirley remembered, the Cardinal Flower (Lobelia cardinalis). So it just had not been big enough to see in the drought years from above. This made me happy! Shirley lives on! 🙂
Now we were back on track for DQ! Well, almost until we spotted a new road. So more of the prairie has been divided into large lots. Thus a new road was built. Of course we couldn’t let the road passed by. 😉
Hold on Jeanne! Back up please. What a surprise to see one lone bush of the Black Dalea (Dalea frutescens).
Furthermore it was blooming so spectacularly! Since we were out the car, well we wandered a little further on the empty lot.
In fact a Two-leaf Senna (Senna roemeriana) was nearby!
Spreading Sida (Sida abutifolia) too!
Buckwheat (Eriogonum annuum)!
Sideoats Grama grass (Bouteloua curtipendula)!
Prairie Verbena (Glandularia bipinnatifida)! Indeed this prairie was awesome!
It was a beautiful a prairie. And no invasives yet. Most of the lots had been sold. One house had been built. So they had put out their bee houses, but yet they mowed most of their property. Go figure, eh.
Now it was time for that DQ. Yum! In fact I believe we deserved a DQ treat!
This summer the two-leaf senna, buffalo bur, partridge pea, frogfruit, greeneyes and spreading sida were drought champions around here. Everyone should get these into their yards ASAP. The disco snail parasite is horrifying creepy but I can’t look away. And it was BLIZZARD TIME!
Disco snail is crazy – how do people find d these?
I’ve wondered before why birds build under some bridges and not others. Must be a good reason. Prairie verbena sure is pretty.
This summer the two-leaf senna, buffalo bur, partridge pea, frogfruit, greeneyes and spreading sida were drought champions around here. Everyone should get these into their yards ASAP. The disco snail parasite is horrifying creepy but I can’t look away. And it was BLIZZARD TIME!
Yes, the native plants definitely rule!!!! And nature certainly is so crazy and wonderful!