The ever-loved, summer favorite, Day Lily was blooming among a garden arrangement in Lincoln Park, Chicago.Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Summer regular…
Chicago
Fiddle arrival…
Spring marks many beginnings and renewals. Emergent shoots of shade loving Ferns have acquired the apt nickname of “Fiddle Heads” as seen in this image taken earlier this year. Nature continues to amaze and spark our imaginations. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Choices…
The Black Swallowtail (Papilio) feeds on various flowering perennials. This one paused long enough for a portrait. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Close up look at spring…
These are buds and blooms from a flowering tree this past spring; perhaps a kind of Crab Apple tree. The varying shades from white to purple make the flower fascinating to observe; at least for me. Copyright Pamela Breitberg
Sometimes the best view is super close-up. These images were taken with my Nikon macro lens. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Chicago 2018 Lighthouses….
Sharing here just some of the MANY lighthouses decorating Michigan Avenue this summer. These were made to highlight special needs persons and to showcase their gifts of talents. Enjoy and come see! All images copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
What plant does this belong to….
What early summer seed head does this belong to? It should be a native plant because in a restored prairie area of Lincoln Park, Chicago. It doesn’t seem to be Wild Quinine, nor Queen of the Prairie, nor Cow Parsnip which are all beginning to go into seed. But the seed head is conspicuous and amazing to observe. Enjoy. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Prolific abundance of seeds can sometimes single a stressed plant; it provides for the future of it’s species by making many more seeds than usual. Saving the species takes precedence over saving it’s own life. An interesting concept! Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
July snowballs…
Those that have read my blog for a while know that Snowball flowers are one of my favorite since childhood. In my garden I had a Snowball Shrub (Viburnum plicatum). The Snowballs I observe in abundance now are Snowball Hydrangea (Handrangea arborescens), a shrub with a lower profile and native to the United States of unlike the Viburnum species. Thier intricate, delicate, complicated design is truly the work of higher being.
The delicate color changes with subtle lighting changes. Flowers are a greenish white in the sunlight and a golden off-white in the shade. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Simple design of each flower plus dozens, perhaps hundereds or blooms per cluster equal an established miracle. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Ordinary beauty…
There are many varieties of Allium so I don’t dare guess at the specific Allium shown here. Alliums include onion, garlic and leek varieties; this one was decorative in purpose. The Cabbage Butterfly (Pieris rapae) rests momentarily. It is probably the most readily visible butterfly in the Midwest, so it’s beauty is too often overlooked. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg.
A moment of calm…
Hiding amongst the Coneflowers (Echinacea) is the wondrous Monarch (Danaus plexippus) butterfly. Here one rests on the Conflower, but it’s preferred food is grasses while it lays eggs on the Milkweed plant. Monarchs in Chicago (and other northern places) and then travel over 3000 miles to Mexico for the winter. It will be a new generation that travels North next summer. CLICK the image above to track migration via “Journey North”. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Years of butterfly observation have taught me that Monarchs toward the end of their life fly slower and slower making them easy to catch by hand and hold for a short time before setting them free. They are fascinating to observe close up. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Unexpected…
The perennial Aster blooms in the Autumn. These Asters were spotted blooming this spring in a Chicago planter. Totally unexpected find. The portrait pose was natural; all I need to do was move to capture their arrangement. Nature’s compositions are always my favorite. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg