Iris

 

May Flowers

 

Dandelion

 

Mellow Yellow

We call this stuff mustard grass. It is actually a weed. It is not native to North America but it is everywhere now. The pasture fields are full of it.

Mustard species vary. Wild mustards (and cultivated ones) can harbor pests and diseases that damage closely related crops. Roots, leaves, and especially seeds of Brassica and related species have sulfur-containing compounds. When consumed in large quantities over time, these compounds can irritate the digestive tracts and cause thyroid problems in livestock. Mustards may become a fire hazard when they dry up at the end of their growing season.

We have had people stop and let their children run through the pasture, delighting in the field of "yellow flowers." What the parents don't realize is many people are also allergic to mustard weed.

They were also trespassing.

A Sure Sign of Better Things

 

In the Spring, There Comes a Rose

Spring Flowers

 

The Day of the Daffys

One Single Rose

My roses failed this year. I think this is the only bloom that came through with any gusto.

Most of the bushes are going on 30 years old and I'm wondering if I need to pull them up and start anew. According to the Great Google, the average lifespan of a rose is 35 years, so mine are pushing it.

Some of these were started by my husband's grandmother, who passed them on to me. I am not keen to lose those, but I also don't know how to start a new bush myself. I don't think I have the patience for it, either, from what I read about how to do it.

Next year I will try to care for them better, and see how they do. If they do not improve, then I will have to figure out what to do about them.

Daisies

Beautiful Weeds

These little lovelies are growing in the ditch near my mailbox. I have no idea what they are. They almost look like a phlox.

Yard Flowers

No clue what this is. I consider it a weed. After it's bloomed, it sends out spikes when you touch it.

Who doesn't love a daffodil?

Not sure what this is, either. Maybe a bluet.

Summer Flowers