Author Archives: jimr77
Summer Garden Flowers
Common garden flowers have added cheer to our summer landscape. This post is simply to share pictures of some of my favorites. Petunias Day Lilies Geraniums
Water Lily Pollination
Many Fragrant Water Lilies (Nymphaea odorata) bloom in our lake in July and August. The flowers are showy yet I had not noticed insects attracted to them, which caused me to wonder about its strategy for pollination. Investigation revealed that these plants have a very interesting reproduction process. Each flower of the Fragrant Water Lily …
Our Steadfast Bluegill
At our lake in north-central Minnesota we have often noticed circular areas on the lakebed, each a few feet across, where bottom muck is cleared away to reveal sand beneath. With a little research we discovered that bluegill sunfish were likely responsible, and that these circles are their nests. But we had not seen fish …
Wildflowers Flourishing in Dry Utah
The summer of 2021 has been exceptionally dry in Utah. Despite this several hardy wildflowers are flowering along hiking trails at high elevations east of Salt Lake City. Think of the water that could be saved by replacement of grass lawns with attractive plants like these.
Roses in a Cold Climate
Roses can be successfully grown in cold climates, like our area in Northern Minnesota which is in USDA hardiness zone 3 (very cold winters). Helpful web pages from the Minnesota Rose Society and Gardening Know How provide terrific information on proper selection and care of roses that can survive even brutal winters. Alternatively, there are …
Oaks of Northern Minnesota
Seven species of oak trees are native to Minnesota, according to the website of the Minnesota DNR. Three of these are found in northern Minnesota; the Bur Oak (Quercus macrocarpa), Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra), and Northern Pin Oak (Quercus ellipsoidalis). There are two main groups of oak trees, the white oaks and the red …
Spring Sunset
Science tells us that beautiful sunsets are most common in the late fall and winter. The best sunsets follow clear cool days with low humidity. The following images from a chilly May 26 in northern Minnesota show that sunsets in the springtime can be stunning too.
Hawk’s Nest in our Sweetgum Tree
A pair of hawks have built their nest in the sweetgum tree in our front yard in Louisiana. The nest is too high for us to see any chicks, but there are calls that sound like chicks and the two adult hawks seem to be tending a brood. Identification of the hawk’s species was difficult …
Advocating for Planting Roses
Rose plants in your landscape reward a little effort with terrific value. Over the past month in my yard in SE Louisiana several roses have exploded with blooms. Some of these roses also bloomed in the winter months, but then it was just one flower at a time and the blooms developed over several weeks. …
