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Not all wildflowers bloom in spring. A walk along our little creek in mid August will reveal a host of beautiful late summer blooms.
Down at the bottom of what used to be an old orchard, there is a little pasture pond that overflows into a small creek. The creek wends its way through a valley once part of an ancient ocean shore and eventually joins the Brownell Branch of Brokenstraw Creek. Where the creek runs through our property, we maintain a buffer zone along the edges and in amongst the birch and willows there is a growing collection of wildflowers. Late summer brings a flush of blooms down in the marshy edges.
In mid-August, the Joe Pye Weed, a lovely native Eupatorium (E. maculatum) that has colonized along the edges of creek bank, puts on a show of bloom. Used as a medicinal plant by Native Americans and settlers, it is a beautiful and stately plant.
A near relative to Joe Pye is boneset (E. perfoliatum). Also a medicinal, its opposite leaves joined at the stem seemed to say that it would be good at healing broken bones, hence the common name. The leaves were also used in poultices to heal wounds. Like the Joe Pye, it grows along the bank and is attractive to bees and butterflies, often full of little orange meadow frittilaries (Bolonia bellonia).
Down in the marshy spots, there are turtleheads (Chelone glabra), a native member of the snapdragon family with its creamy white fading to pink blooms that look like turtle heads peaking out of their shell. They grow in wet sunny spots as well as under the willows.
The touch-me-nots, or jewelweed (Impatiens capensis), are blooming in shaded areas under the willows, an orange jewel in the greenery,
a contrast to the purple candles of the vervain (Verbena hastata), whose flowers bloom from the bottom up. .
Back a little further, there is meadowsweet (Spirea latifolia) growing in the sunny edges of the birch plantations,
and virgin's bower (Clematis virginiana) climbs through the willow thickets, its white flowers sparking in the green overgrowth.
Monkey flower (Mimulus alatus) with its grinning face, hides its flowers in the shade under the birch trees.
If you’re lucky, you may see some of the creatures that call this area home, a tiny toad (Bufo americanus americanus) hiding in some fallen branches
or a dragonfly, the Eastern Pondhawk (Erythemis simpliciollis) tangled in the grass and grateful for a lift out on a willing finger.
It is an easy jaunt down and back, a pleasant way to spend a breezy August afternoon. There are reminders there, though, of the season to come in the early goldenrods and New York asters, but we'll save them for another time.
All photos property of Kathleen M. Tenpas
About Kathleen M. Tenpas
We have a grazing dairy of 55 cows in the rolling hills of western New York State where we raised two daughters who have now blessed us with four grandchildren. I have messy, jungly beds of old roses, (some real antiques left by former owners), perennials, wildflowers and lots and lots of not so ornamental grasses! I have a Masters degree in Creative Writing: Poetry from Antioch University. I am a photographer and fabric artist and I bake a mean loaf of bread.
Posted by littledogsmama (from North Bend, OR) on August 26, 2008 at 10:42 PM:
I just wanted to tell you that the flowers you showed are so wonderful, I haven't seen any like that in Oregon. I buy wildflower seeds and plant them in huge pots and they last all summer.
I would love to have some of those flowers you show in my yard.
littledog
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Posted by Kathleen (from Panama, NY) on August 27, 2008 at 6:40 AM:
They are neat plants. I've moved some into the big perennial border, they need lots of room as they are all good colonizers. I think almost all of those I show love moist conditions but will grow in dryer areas as well.
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Subject: New Member
Posted by littledogsmama (from North Bend, OR) on August 26, 2008 at 10:26 PM:
Hello,
It's nice to be here and read all the comments from other gardeners. I live in Oregon on the central coast in the forrest and I am having problems with lots of insects in the ground, who love to eat my flowers, not to mention snails and slugs,
If I plant something in the ground which is sand then it usually doesn't make it. I just pulled out a beautiful salmon colored azalea today because it didn't make it even after two years. I need to know what to use on these bugs that won't harm the birds and small animals in our yard.
Thank for the help.
littledog
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Posted by Kathleen (from Panama, NY) on August 27, 2008 at 6:43 AM:
Check out the Organic Gardening Forum - there are lots of folks there that can help you out. Sand, eh? We have heavy clay - too bad we can't split the difference somehow!
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Subject: Nice!
Posted by darius (from Marion, VA) on August 21, 2008 at 9:55 AM:
Thanks, Kathleen... I am slowly learning to identify wildflowers thanks to articles like these. I love the turtleheads. :)
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Posted by Kathleen (from Panama, NY) on August 21, 2008 at 1:40 PM:
You are most welcome. : )
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Posted by nanny_56 (from Putnam County, IN) on August 21, 2008 at 3:31 PM:
Maybe now I can put a name to some of the things that grow wild around where I live. Thank you so much for this article!
I spotted these yesterday but have no idea what they are!
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Posted by Kathleen (from Panama, NY) on August 21, 2008 at 5:21 PM:
Those are Jewelweed - Impatiens capensis, the same as in the article
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Posted by nanny_56 (from Putnam County, IN) on August 21, 2008 at 6:50 PM:
That was what I was wondering after I saw your pic! Thanks!
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Posted by Horseshoe (from Efland, NC) on August 21, 2008 at 7:40 PM:
What a nice walk, right there with ya, Kathleen! I'm on a first name basis with some of those flowers, others I just know "by face"~! :>)
Great pics, too!
Looking forward to another jaunt around ya'lls farm!
Shoe
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Posted by Kathleen (from Panama, NY) on August 21, 2008 at 8:58 PM:
Thanks, Shoe. Sometime, you need to come on up and see it in person!
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Posted by Horseshoe (from Efland, NC) on August 22, 2008 at 10:45 AM:
Next time I'm out woods-walkin' I'll be sure to keep ambling ya'lls way!
Looking forward to your next article!
Shoe
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Posted by EllenM3 (from Alden, NY) on August 27, 2008 at 6:22 AM:
Hi from a fellow WNYer.
I've just spent the summer making weekend trips to the lake dropping off or picking up from summer camp at Bemus Point.
I have great childhood memories of our visits to the Panama rocks ~ sliding until my rear couldn't take it anymore.
Can you still do that or have the "lawyers" stopped that adventure?
Love the wildflowers and the crisp air we've been having these past few days.
EllenM
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Posted by Kathleen (from Panama, NY) on August 27, 2008 at 6:38 AM:
I don't know about the sliding, but the Rocks are still there. I think they are under new ownership again. Haven't been for years, and we live about 4 miles away!
I love this weather, too. Fall in WNY is the best.
growing in the sunny edges of the birch plantations, 
climbs through the willow thickets, its white flowers sparking in the green overgrowth. 
