Summer in the Rocky Mountains!

[Front-Ranger]

Spring is finally here. This is a sample of what you will find blooming if you come to the BBQ at the end of this month.

Here's a delphinium. When they first bloom, they are reddish-violet and then they become blue violet.

[Front-Ranger]

Here is a lovely stand of chickweed. It doesn't seem right to saddle this pretty groundcover with such a plebian name.

[Front-Ranger]

Here is a clump of chiming bells. Anyone want me to post the Latin names of these? I'd be happy to.

[Front-Ranger]

My "back yard" is a whole field of blooming ball cacti. It looks like the Easter bunny has visited and left his eggs all over!

[loneleeb3]

WOw Lee,
Those are beautiful!
Do all those plants just grow wild around there?

[Front-Ranger]

Yes, everything I'm posting here is a native Rocky Mountain wildflower. Here's a real treat, a Pasqueflower that I found growing at the base of a tree:



I hope shakestheground will drop by and look at these flowers sometime. How are your irises from Lightning Flat doing?

I set out all the houseplants from my sunroom yesterday outside and this morning all the geranium blooms were carefully cropped off. But that's okay, the deer left the wildflowers intact.

[Front-Ranger]

Wildflower report: Penstemons are blooming on the Front Range where our BBQ will be! Here they are with a sphinx moth.


 

[Jeff Wrangler]

What about wild columbine? Or is it too early for that?

[injest]

What about wild columbine? Or is it too early for that?

Why? You got plans??

 

[Front-Ranger]

What about wild columbine? Or is it too early for that?

The wild Rocky Mountain columbine, the state flower of Colorado, is in bud here at 7300 ft in elevation and by the time of our BBQ, the plants on the sunny side of the mountain may be blooming!! We also have a BBQer coming from Australia named ministering angel. I'll have to watch you two together and make sure that no bruises ensue, but the tumble down the hill might make for some good video!