Daylily Alert

Just a quick note to let you know that the daylilies at the North Reserve St. Post Office are in full bloom, so if you have a chance do drive by and take a look. This is the best daylily display I've seen in Missoula, and the picture shows only one of the several large banks.

Wildflowers Part 2

Wildflowers continue to be a part of the gardening and native landscapes. The spring rains have stopped but the effect is still showing up on barren gravel slopes, grassy meadows and under trees in forested areas around Missoula and the rest of western Montana. Everywhere I look bright jewels peek out from hiding places or shout from mountain sides.

The first picture is a mostly native landscape in front of a local environmental consulting firm designed to abstractly display some of the things they do. Currently the Yucca , Erigeron and Gaillardia are in full bloom. The Echinacea and Liatris and Asters will soon follow.

This Sticky Aster, also known as Oregon Sunshine, was high on Mount Jumbo, and something this bright and delicate appearing doesn’t seem quite at home in the hot gravelly area I found it in but those are the areas it favors. On the other side of the valley Penstemon were making their presence known with bright blue flowers.
The Mariposa Lilies and Mountain Violets on the other hand are far up Grant Creek hiding in the grass under the Spruce, Fir and Ponderosa Pines. The brilliant and obvious Meadow Lupine distracts the viewer from the smaller flowers hiding in the grass.

Tiny white clusters of wild strawberry flowers, the bright yellows of Oregon Grape and Mountain Arnica preceeded the lilies and violets.

The tiny white and spidery flower is an unknown plant (to me) but unusual and cute with the extensions on the petals.

Yucca has become a popular native plant for gardens in western Montana because of its unusual foliage and shape – a big spiny powder puff that belies the sharp points protecting the unusual and showy flowers from deer and other would be diners. Around Missoula they are only found in gardens; in eastern Montana they occur from the base of the Eastern Front to far out on the open prairies.

As the summer continues so will the flowers. Check back occasionally for the newest edition.