Some of My Favorite Wildflowers

I was beginning to think that this year of very strange weather was going to take a toll on the wild flowers. Several of my favorites seem to have disappeared this year. However, this week three of my favorites are blooming at last - anywhere from two weeks to six weeks late - but blooming none the less.

One of my favorites is Greater Blue Lobelia. It seems to prefer moist soil and some shade though I've seen it blooming in the cow pastures in full sun. It is usually blooming here in August.

Another favorite is wild White Aster. It reminds you a little of Baby's Breathe. It's one of the plants that likes fence rows so I am always careful not to cut it down. The same goes for the Golden Rod. Both of these are good dye plants. White Aster gives a soft clear yellow with an alum mordant (fixative). Golden Rod is a brassy yellow.

The last of the three to bloom is the Purple Aster. I always love to see the fence rows full of Golden Rod and Purple Aster with the White Aster underneath. Both the Purple Aster and the Golden Rod are tall, while the White Aster is shorter.

An update on the cider. My sister and I decided we might just try pressing only one or two gallons as apples are expensive and it takes a bushel or so to get a gallon.  We can go to Irons Fruit Farm which is next door to us and get their cider blend of apples to press our own cider. They make really good cider but the law now makes them pasteurize it. I suppose that's the best thing to do now days since we have so much wildlife poohing all over the place.  Irons wash their apples thoroughly, but its better to be safe than sorry. We will wash our apples as well, we always do, and we've never had any problems. And too, if we make it into hard cider the alcohol will kill any bacteria.

When I was a kid we went over to Iron's to get cider every fall. We'd bring our own jugs or they would provide one. Leon's sister would be sitting inside the big old barn up against the wall where there was a tap in the wall. You gave her your jug and she opened the tap to fill the jug with fresh sweet apple cider. That was the best thing in the world!  It's still good, but not as good as that fresh raw cider way back when. Hopefully my sister and I can come close with our cider. Our mother reminds us that back in the 1950's was a time of DDT and consequently we didn't have the wildlife we have now.  I'll take the wildlife anytime and be glad we have forstalled the "Silent Spring".