Wednesday Coffee, Photo by Lorraine Anderson

Wednesday, July 11th, 2007 - Report by

Every Wednesday is special but this one seemed especially special. After coffee we visited some of our old friends on #61. The Vipers Bugloss was very much in bloom. Mary would be happy to see them. The Large-flowered Penstemon was a bit past peak but more plants than last year. We turned up a small road in Lutsen to see the Purple Fringed Orchis. We saw several but it was early for them and they seemed a bit small.
We went up the Caribou Trail and over to the road to Brule Lake to see the special Orange Lily. It looked to me like Turk's cap but it turned out to be Michigan Lilies (after pouring over our books in the car). We have never seen either of these in the wild before.
Other new or almost new flowers we saw today were: Fringed Loosestrife, Yellow Loosetrife (Swamp Candles) - much shorter than the ones we saw at Mink Lake and Pink Meadowsweet.
The most common things we saw were Heal-all, White Daisies and Birdsfoot Trefoil. In the water there was a nice display of White Water Lilies and to our surprise, blooming this late - one of the nicest displays of Blue Flag Iris.
Ninebark shrubs were blooming like crazy on certain parts of #61. On the back roads - Yellow & White Sweet Clover and lovely, large White Pines.
We came home via Clara Lake Road and ate at the boat launch at Tait Lake - in the car because of drizzle and bugs.
Most of the day was in and out of drizzle but that didn't dampen our spirits.
Blooming at my home: Large-flowered Penstemon, Spotted Coralroot & Bush Honeysuckle.