Wild Flower Studies

As spring has progressed I have thoroughly enjoyed watching the wild flowers come out slowly bit by bit.  Each one adding their voice to the chorus of spring and the summer to come.  Wild Flower Studies by Bessie D. Inglis was first borrowed from the library at time when there were little in the way of wild flowers gracing the hiking paths.  I poured over the beautiful watercolor illustrations trying to understand how to identify these lovely creatures.  Hoping that I could gain a, "familiarity with these [to make] it easy to recognise the plants themselves on a first meeting."  The section on 'The Structure of Plants' was quite informative, simply illustrated, and a wonderful way to get my feet wet in the field of botany.

Over the weekend my small family took a short walk on the open paths surrounding our home.  As we went I bent down to collect a sampling the wild flowers that have been capturing my heart.  Daisy wasn't sure what to make of me and my treasures in hand.  She would jump up on my leg and rustle about impatiently every time I stopped to pick another wild flower.  Normally we walk at a pretty brisk pace and I'm the one reminding her to stop sniffing about the bushes and get on with the act of walking.  It was if we had reversed roles. 

Once at home the hand picked bouquet was placed in one of my favorite little pitchers.  Unfortunately we had some dinner plans so time did not allow for me to sit and study as I had wanted until this morning.  Amongst my collection I gathered hop clover, red clover, ox-eye daisies, bulbous buttercups, dog rose, and a couple others that I wasn't able to identify. 

Tomorrow I will be forced to return Bessie's lovely book as my library's policy of three renewals has run out.  Bessie and her illustrations have brought me a lot of comfort this spring season.  Hopefully I can continue the study of the wild flowers.