This is for you, Bee! I know how you (DON’T) love Violets. You know I don’t consider them weeds. We agree to disagree!
Macro image of the hardy Violet. I love them because as a child they were the only flowers in our yard my mother let us freely pick. Most consider it a weed. After all a weed is anything that is growing that one does not want in their garden. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
These were another favorite in my garden; now I enjoy them during my walks in Lincoln Park, Chicago.
Macro photograph of the delicate, small, Cranesbill flowers and buds. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Wild Geranium (Cransebill) is late spring/early summer perennial native to the Chicago area. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg.
Feel the warmth of the late springtime air. The grasses are green and the Shooting Star is in bloom by North Pond in Lincoln Park, Chicago. This delicate beauty is a native perennial for Chicago. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Close up of the small, too often unnoticed, Shooting Star. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
These delicate spring blooms are the only Columbine native to Illinois: Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis). These blooms were prolific today in Lincoln Park’s best kept secret, Alfred Caldwell Lily Pond.
Abundant spring Wild Columbine brighten the shady Caldwell Lily Pond. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Close up image of one of the Wild Columbine flowers. These flowers are visited by insects but avoided by larger animals who find them poisonous. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Restorative scene with Wild Columbine inviting one’s restful enjoyment. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
For more information on this Illinois native CLICK the image above. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
I always assumed Mango trees grew about the size of apple and cherry trees. I should know that in tropical climates everything thrives better. We saw this tree on our neighborhood walk the other day. There were a few Mango low enough that I could have sampled one or two; but I was good and just captured these images. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Not quite ripe enough to enjoy other than with my eyes. Copyright 2018 Pamela Breitberg
Looking back to the more colorful days of late summer, early autumn.
Hardy, perennial prairie plants gradually go dormant, resting until next springs longer, warmer days. Copyright 2017, Pamela Breitberg
Purple prairie clover (Dalea purpurea) amongst prairie diversity. Copyright 2017 Pamela Breitberg
Purple Aster, a dependable sign of the end of Summer. Copyright 2017, Pamela Breitberg
As most plants begin dormancy this vine resiliently bloomed, wrapping itself around a front yard iron fence for support. I believe this a Mandavilla vine, not hearty to our Midwest winter , so even more impressive it was still in bloom. Perhaps the concrete micro-environment helped warm it’s roots. Copyright 2017 Pamela Breitberg
Buds show possible future blooms this end-of-autumn season. Copyright 2017 Pamela Breitberg
Not all wildlife migrates south for the winter. Like people, some species acclimate to the many Midwest climate changes during the year. Here are some native Northerners enjoying the cooler days of autumn in Chicago.
The hardiest Heron do not migrate to Florida for the winter but remain at Lincoln Park’s assorted ponds. Copyright 2017 Pamela Breitberg
Always on public display, grooming is never private. Copyright 2017 Pamela Breitberg
Squirrels squirreling away nuts is easily witnessed this time of year in preparation for winter’s long season. Copyright 2017 Pamela Breitberg
The Grey Squirrel is a personal favorite on my walks though parks. Copyright 2017 Pamela Breitberg
Friends in the pond community. Copyright 2017 Pamela Breitberg
More grooming, this time by a duck. Copyright 2017 Pamela Breitberg
Spring is not the only time of birth for the turtles of South Pond in Lincoln Park. Copyright 2017 Pamela Breitberg
Bougainvillea vine seems to ceaselessly bloom and is therefore a popular choice to establish on garden arbors. Copyright 2017 Pamela Breitberg
Awe-some entrance to Butterfly World. Copyright 2017 Pamela Breitberg
Prairie restoration around a migratory bird sanctuary in Lincoln Park. Copyright 2016, Pamela Breitberg
Seed heads feed birds and insects and make dramatic winter compositions. Copyright 2016, Pamela Breitberg
Prairie grass in seed, assuring sustainability of native species. Copyright 2016, Pamela Breitberg