Friday's Flowers

Today's flowers include these pretty blossoms found near John's favorite trout stream in Utah...

Hound's Tongue, Gypsyflower
(Cynoglossum officinale)

...and a blossom of the knitted variety.


Blossom Washcloth and Soap Sack
Pattern: Fiber Trends Bathtime Blossoms
Yarn: Dalegarn Stork, 100% Cotton
Color: 6
Needles: US 3 (3.25 mm) Straight

Instructions for two other flower-inspired washcloths and matching soap sacks are also included on Fiber Trends pattern leaflet #224x. The round shape of these cloths is achieved by knitting back and forth in short row wedges. The short rows are very easy to execute--just knit up to a specified point before the end of the row, then turn work. A total of eight connecting wedges make a complete circle. To finish, only one seam needs to be sewn with a whip stitch. The soap sacks are also knitted flat and seamed.

Hound's Tongue

Folklore: Wearing a hound's tongue leaf in your shoe will ward off dog attacks.

Beautiful Bluebonnet

If you're experiencing a terrible case of spring fever, I'm not sure if this post will cheer you or depress you. I know some parts of the country are still thawing out, but spring has sprung here and I have pictures.

Last Sunday afternoon we drove to the Brenham area in search of wildflowers and we were not disappointed.


The fields are just beginning to show their colors. We saw bluebonnets, Indian paintbrush and other wildflowers at Old Baylor Park in Independence.


The most beautiful of the wildflowers is the Texas bluebonnet. It's our state flower and source of pride for Texans.


There is nothing that can compare to sitting in a field of bluebonnets on a warm spring day. I recommend everyone experience this at least once in their life.


In Brenham we had a field of bluebonnets all to ourselves, so we set up the tripod for pictures. John was the cameraman for this shoot. He did all the running back and forth.


I should have known he was up to something when I saw a twinkle in his eye right before this shot.


This weekend should be even better for bluebonnets in Brenham. Other parts of Texas may have to wait a bit longer.

Texas Wildflower Sightings Report

Wherever you live, no matter the weather, I hope you have a great weekend!

Happy Spring

Cinnamongirl who blogs at Happy Handwork is celebrating the start of spring with a contest. The prize is Malabrigo worsted weight yarn in a beautiful variegated color called velvet grapes. Everyone is invited to enter. You'll find all the contest details (like entry deadline) here.



The basic rules copied directly from Happy Handwork:

You can only enter one time. If you mention my contest on your blog with a link you will receive an extra 3 entries! If one of your friends enters because of your input you will get one extra entry. And lastly, just for fun, make sure to mention in your post one of your favorite flowers.

So, what is my favorite flower? Wildflowers are at the top of the list. They are beginning to bloom around here--a sure sign of spring. We saw some Indian Paintbrush last weekend, so I know the Texas Bluebonnets can't be far behind.

However, this week my favorite flower is the orchid John gave me for no special reason, except he knew it would make me happy.



And it does.

Wishing happiness to everyone!

Happy Weekend.
Happy Easter.
Happy Spring.

Friday's Flowers

Friday's Flowers has been an enjoyable part of my summer. I've had lots of fun photographing flowers in my yard and on my travels. To end this series of posts, I'd like to share with you some of the roses that bloom in my garden. These photos were taken at different times throughout the summer.

Valentine



Lafter



Blumenschmidt



Dr. Grill (I think)



Dame de Coeur


Have a great weekend!

Friday's Flowers

A collection of flower photos from our camping trip at Arcadia Lake, Edmond, Oklahoma.

Ashy Sunflower







Flowering Spurge



Trailing Wildbean



Partridge Pea



Tall Thistle


Wishing everyone a great Labor Day weekend!

Friday's Flowers

Turk's Cap

Our shrub is about seven feet tall and twice as wide.



It blooms profusely from spring until frost.



And is a favorite source of nectar for butterflies...



...and hummingbirds.



Same photo cropped way down so you can see the hummingbird perched on the fence.

Friday's Flowers

Yellow Butterfly Vine

The tiny orchid-like flowers on this plant are pretty. The foliage is green and glossy.



But it's the seed pods that I love the best.



Bright chartreuse butterfly wings that fade to shades of brown as they dry.

Friday's Flowers

Morning Glory

Morning Glories are such pretty flowers, you wouldn't expect to hear that someone is trying to get rid of them, but that's exactly what we are doing. Several years ago we started a vine on the small arbor that marks the entrance to the vegetable garden. The vine grew well and filled the arbor quickly.



Unfortunately it grew so well and so fast that it began to take over everything. We were always having to pull runners out of the thorny rose bushes (not fun). The vines would grow at least a foot a day and twist themselves on anything near and far. It was a constant job to contain this vine and we couldn't keep up with. So this year we said good-bye to Morning Glory.



But it doesn't look like she's ready to say good-bye to us yet.

Friday's Flowers

Common Wild Sunflower

The strip of yard on the back side of our privacy fence doesn't get mowed very often. The grass has grown tall and the wild sunflowers are thriving there.



The plants grow taller than the fence and I enjoy seeing the blossoms that peek over the top.



Some believe cutting a sunflower at sunset while at the same time making a wish ensures that this wish will come true the next day. Click here and here for more sunflower folklore.



Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It's what sunflowers do. -Helen Keller

Friday's Flowers

Passionflower

We have a passionflower vine in our garden, but it is not blooming yet. However, I found these beauties in South Texas last week. They were growing on a fence near the entrance to Seawind RV Resort in Riviera.



The name Passionflower refers to the passion of Christ. Each part of the flower is symbolically related to the crucifixion. The cornea is the crown of thorns. The stamens represent Christ's wounds. The knob-like stigma are the nails. The curling tendrils suggests the whips and cords that tormented him.



You may know this flower as a Maypop, one of it's common names. When we purchased the vine we have in our yard, I remember the lady at the nursery telling us that as a child she and her sisters used to pick the flowers and play with them, imagining them to be fairy skirts.

Friday's Flowers

Musk Thistle

Weed or wildflower?

Thistles grow just about everywhere, I suppose. To most they are a weed. I wouldn't plant one on purpose or allow one to grow in my flowerbed, but I do happen to think they are beautiful.


Creamy Thistle




Genesis 3:17-19

17 To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,'
"Cursed is the ground because of you;
through painful toil you will eat of it
all the days of your life.

18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you,
and you will eat the plants of the field.

19 By the sweat of your brow
you will eat your food
until you return to the ground,
since from it you were taken;
for dust you are
and to dust you will return."

Friday's Flowers

Belinda's Dream

I have a rose collections of sorts. Each year on our wedding anniversary, John and I used to drive to Brenham to buy one or two roses at the Antique Rose Emporium. We did this for several years and as a result, we have over a dozen different varieties of roses growing in our yard. Many are old roses or early hybrids. These types of roses are very hardy and can survive just about anything, even neglect. I know, because mine have been neglected quite a bit in recent years as my interests have moved from gardening to knitting. Still, they continue to bloom and flourish.





The best part about growing roses is cutting them and bringing their beauty and fragrance indoors. And that's just what I did after taking these pictures, being very careful not to disturb this eight-legged guy who has decided a rose bush is a good place to spin a web.


Yellow Garden Spider

Friday's Flowers

Shooting Star

June is a good time to visit Colorado if you love wildflowers. I didn't even think about that when we left for our trip, because wildflower season here in Texas is much earlier in the year. Identifying the flowers became a fun activity for me and gave me something to do while John fished. In all, I found over 40 different flowers, many that I was not familiar with and do not grow in Texas. I promise not to share all them, but here are a few.


Mariposa Lily


Dusky Beardtongue


Yellow Pea


Tall Fringed Bluebells

Have a great weekend and don't forget to stop and smell the flowers every chance you get.