Sunflowers and more

Below is a photograph I took when I was growing this magnificent sunflower in our front yard in Santa Fe. Bees and other pollinators loved visiting the flower and once the seeds came in the Fall a variety of birds flocked to scarf up the seeds.

                   Helianthus annuus macrocarpus
                  (Hopi Black Dye Sunflower 

   Hopi name: Tceqa' Qu' Si)

And now I have planted seeds, again in our front yard, here in Cotati. I purposefully planted the seeds near the Ukrainian flag we have "flying" on the East fence. This flower has a long history in the country symbolizing peace. Russians and Ukrainians are presently at war, however the meaning of the sunflowers as a symbol of peace has not changed. Ukrainians are encouraging the planting of sunflowers worldwide to encourage leaders once again to embrace peace. Thus I am doing my small part in supporting the Ukrainians stance for peace.

To celebrate May Day as I did as a child when we created May baskets filled with whatever early flowers were available and delivered them to

neighbors' doors, I am creating here a May basket filled with pictures of some of my favorite native flowers.

 

Berlandiera lyrata (Chocolate Flower)
Yes, the flowers really smell like chocolate!

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) 

with  Indian Ricegrass (Achnatherum hymenoides)

 in the background.

All three of the above plants are in Todd planters and presently very quite small. They are too small, in fact,  to be set out in the ground as of yet. Shasta can hardly wait for a plethora of Echinacea as she loves grazing on the leaves finding them extremely tasty just like Zinnia leaves.

                                            Mimulus aurantiacus (Sticky monkeyflower)

                                            planted and flowering in our Cotati front yard.

Phacelia bolanderi (Bolander’s Phaceli)
flowering our Cotati front yard.

Penstemon heterophyllus
(Blue Bedder penstemon ‘Margarita BOP’)

flowering in our Cotati front yard.

Calylophus drum mondianus (Sundrops)
with a plethora of flowers in our Cotati front yard

Blue eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium bellum)
in full display at Ren Brown's
garden in Bodega Bay, California.

And now to the exciting news: Saturday past I was gifted five teeny, tiny Pipevine Swallowtail caterpillars. I drove to Sebastopol to pick them up. My dear friend Rob had brought in a small jelly jar the five caterpillars pictured below. It was no easy task getting them out of the jar onto one of the Pipevine's leaves. We have had an extraordinary windy day! When I recently checked I could only locate three but I am hopeful the other two are sequestered among the leaves.

As I carefully moved these precious little ones onto the healthy, vibrant Dutchman's pipevine leaves, instead of holding my breath, I have a good belly 

In Recognition of Earth Day, 2022

 Penstemon heterophyllus (Blue Bedder penstemon  ‘Margarita BOP’)

"What would the world be, once bereft

Of wet and of wildness? Let them be left,

I let them be left, wildness and wet,

Long live the weeds and the wilderness yet."

                                   GERALD MANLEY HOPKINS

 Aristolochia californica (Dutchman’s pipevine)
 grows wild in the wildness of 
 California twinning up trees and
supporting the life cycle of the Pipevine Swallowtail.

                                       

The Pipevine pictured above was the only native plant on the property we bought a year ago, now known as PageRefuge. Over the almost year we have now lived here I have cared for this plant. Finally it is flourishing as you can see from the picture above. 

Presently I am wondering if it could support a caterpillar or two? My friend Rob has offered to provide them to me. I am of the mind to accept two. I know if they survive and develop into butterflies that they will lay eggs next season on the fresh, succulent leaves. The black and red caterpillars will demolish many of the leaves before pupating. I truly love watching the life cycle of this magnificent "wild" one!

Pipevine Swallowtail's chrysalis
in the greenhouse at MuRefuge.

Just emerged Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly
in the greenhouse at MuRefuge.

Showcasing, so to speak, members of the wildness here in California only seems fitting on the 2022 Earth Day.

In the foreground: three Calylophus drum mondianus (Sundrops),

then Dwight's stunning green vase,

and in the background three of the

    Penstemon heterophyllus (Blue Bedder penstemon  ‘Margarita BOP’),

all just South of the hummingbird feeder hanging 

in the window of our breakfast nook

so we can view the hummingbirds partaking of the nectar.

I have seen the hummingbirds nectaring on both of the above flowers; just as I was out and about to take the picture I heard the hum of the fast flapping wings of a hummer who dipped and zipped. To me those little bitty birds represent the toughness of the inhabitants of the "wildness and wet". 

As we each herald "long live the weeds and the wilderness", may we also  open our minds, hearts and whole BEing with a hearty belly