Are We Walking to Alaska

Are We Walking to Alaska
Are We Walking to Alaska - A True Story

Sunday, June 10, 2018

Guemes Island 3

The roadsides on Guemes Island are covered with all kinds of wonders in the spring.  The Wild Celery (well, that is what we called it while growing up in Southeast Alaska) was in bloom and lined the roads for miles and miles.

 Vast plantations of it - sweeping up the hilly roadsides.

 In perfect flowering - the bees were very busy


 I'm not sure of this one - it looks sort of like Queen Anne's Lace - it was just beginning to bloom.
 I've heard it called Wild Carrot also.
 And the areas not covered with the larger Wild Celery, were blanketed with Queen Anne's Lace (I'll just call it that for now).  Whatever it is - it is simply gorgeous in the sun!
 And what could be prettier than wild roses in back - a fairy garden!!

 Along one fenced property were many plants of Honeysuckle.

 The scent on a sunny day is breathtaking!!!!



 And clambering up the trees and filling in spaces in the hedges alongside the roads was Wild Honeysuckle - locally called Twin Berry  (Lonicera involucrata) as in the autumn the fruit/seeds of the plant have berries in pairs.  A great food for the birds.





 And sweet little Fringe Cups - they don't get any bigger than this - with a tiny fringe of pink on the outer edges of the blossoms.
 And Scotch Broom (Cytisus scoparius) - though pretty to look at - has been declared a noxious weed in most areas - it has big seed pods that spread seeds everywhere and it blankets any area left untended.
 There was the bright yellow Scotch Broom and the bi-color.
 And just a few plants of wild Lupines - only the yellow ones this time - we did see purple ones but not in areas that we could stop for a photo.

And in the swampy areas - wild iris - brightening any day.
Thanks for coming along to Guemes Island again - more to come.




10 comments:

Maggie said...

Guemes Island looks like a stunning place to discover wild flowers, what a wonderful array you have shared with us on MM today. Thank you for the nature tour, such a lovely way to begin the day.

eileeninmd said...

Hello, beautiful roadside blooms. I love all the flowers. I would love to have that honeysuckle growing here. The yellow iris is lovely. Happy Monday and have a great new week.

Mary said...

This is why I would love to live in the Pacific Northwest!!!!!

Queen Anne's Lace and its 'look-a-likes', honeysuckle and lupines would do it for me - if only I was younger and could make the move I think I'd be heading your way JoAnn! Thanks for sharing your island drive - you've made my humid (big storm again last night but not damaging here thankfully) Monday - can't get started - morning much brighter.

Hugs - Mary

Gillena Cox said...

Beautiful beautiful thanks for sharing all these flowers. I know the Queen Anne's Lace. I have seen it here.

Happy Mosaic Monday

much love...

~Lavender Dreamer~ said...

The honeysuckle is gorgeous! Most of what we had when I was growing up was yellow and white! It looks so exotic in shades of pink! We've had enough rain that our wildflowers are blooming again here! Hugs!

Debra She Who Seeks said...

Just beautiful!

Lorrie said...

Gorgeous wildflowers blooming in your area. The Queen Anne's Lace and wild celery are so frothy and feminine. I love them. Oh that Scotch Broom. It's an invasive species and I hate the way it takes over areas. Lovely photos, JoAnn.

Snap said...

Wow! Guemes Island looks like a plant/flower paradise! Makes for a beautiful adventure. Have a lovely week.

Angie said...

I always think of islands as small for some reason, and so I am stunned at the flower variety that you captured … and so many of them we have in Montana as well - fortunately, we do not have to contend with Scotch Broom …

I laughed out loud at some of your flower names - not because I know any differently, but that you had 'childhood' names for them - we used to do that as well when we were young!!!

Sarah said...

Wildflowers! I'm so happy your shared this abundance of beauty! Thank you!