Butterflies And Moths We Sighted In Tuscany

Stone cottage at Il Colombaio di Cencio, Tuscany

The morning following our arrival in Tuscany at first looked like it would be dreary and wet.  A light sprinkle of rain dampened the patio stones as we ate breakfast, but by the time we finished our fruit and cereal, warm September sunshine cast shadows of the tall trees surrounding our farmhouse, so we set off to explore the vineyard.  Butterflies and moths were everywhere in our dooryard, on the wildflowers and clinging to bushes and vines. Read more

Flamboyant Cacti at Mesa Verde National Park

photograph of Cactaceae cactus at Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, U.S.A.

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From the Visitor Centre at the entrance to Mesa Verde National Park in Colorado, Bob and I ascended a sinuous and steep roadway to the Museum that is located near Spruce Tree House, one group of cliff dwellings open to the public.  When we pulled into the parking lot, my attention was immediately captured by the most outstanding examples of wildflowers, Musk Thistle (Carduus nutans), that were bobbing atop tall stalks next to one of the adobe outbuildings. Read more

Wildflowers on Ireland’s Inishmore Island

An image of pink colored Thrift growing on Inishmore Island in Ireland. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

An image of Bloody Cranesbill Geranium growing on Inishmore Island in Ireland. Photography by Frame To Frame - Bob and Jean.

Our first morning on Inishmore Island, Bob and I set off on foot to explore the hills and wildflowers surrounding Kilmurvey House, our bed and breakfast accommodations, and made first for the historic fort, Dun Aonghasa.  What a pleasant surprise to find a good variety of wildflowers growing amongst the karst limestone, many of them in bloom such as this Bloody Cranesbill Geranium (Geranium sanguineum). Read more

Sunchokes growing wild at Lower Reesor Pond in Toronto

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sunchokes, lower reesor pond, rouge national urban park, toronto

How beautiful is a sprawling drift of Sunchokes fading into the distance!  That is just what we found when Bob and I visited Lower Reesor Pond in northeast Toronto.  This native species of sunflower goes by many different names including Sunchokes, Sunroot or Earth Apple. Read more

Wild Coneflowers growing at Lower Reesor Pond



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Wild Coneflowers growing at Lower Reesor Pond

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Bob and I paid a visit one spring to the Lower Reesor Pond in north Toronto, Ontario, and had purposely allotted a large chunk of time in order that we might pay some well deserved attention to that special habitat.  Through reports provided by other visitors, we learned that some less common wildflowers and plants have gained foothold in the area surrounding the pond, and sure enough, we uncovered several groupings of Wild Coneflowers. Read more

Skunk Cabbage at Dickson Wilderness Area

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skunk cabbage, dickson Conservation area, cambridge, ontario

It is so much fun to go hiking and birdwatching in the springtime.  With all the migrating birds arriving daily in Ontario, we never know what surprises are in store for us at places like Dickson Wilderness Area, near Cambridge, Ontario.  The same can be said for all the tender new growth that is pushing its way up out of the cold soil.  With each passing day, new treasures are to be found amidst the bleached leaf litter on the forest floor.  Eastern Skunk Cabbage (Symplocarpus foetidus) is always one of the very first plants to emerge from the frozen earth because this plant is capable of generating its own heat and can even thaw its way through a thin veneer of ice. Read more

The Daylily Garden at Montreal Botanical Gardens

Daylily garden - Montreal Botanical Garden - Frame To Frame Bob & Jean

ruby red daylily, Montreal Botanical Garden

In the Summer of 2013, Bob and I drove to Montreal to take in the Mosaiculture 2013 competition underway at Montreal Botanical Gardens.  The Garden had so much more to offer, including 31 specialized gardens.  When we hit upon the Daylily Garden, I could not believe the number and varieties of daylilies covering endless flowerbeds…daylilies such as this ruby red beauty. Read more

Spring Wildflowers at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area

Jean takes pictures of plants at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area,   Grimsby

Bloodroot Flower, Closeup, Beamer Memorial Conservation Area, Grimsby

A sure harbinger of spring is when the forest floor erupts into a brilliant carpet of Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis).  We came upon these fragile spring wildflowers which belong to the poppy family at the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area, near Grimsby, Ontario. Read more

Early spring wildflowers at Cootes Paradise in Burlington

Early spring wildflowers at Cootes Paradise in Burlington

round-lobed Hepatica, Cootes Paradise, Burlington

April showers bring May flowers, and true to that adage, the forests in Cootes Paradise in Hamilton, Ontario, were already liberally sprinkled with clumps of Round-lobed Hepatica (Anemone Americana).  We had been enjoying very warm temperatures in Southern Ontario, and in combination with the odd April shower, it has given rise to these early spring wildflowers. Read more

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