Roses

They will be blooming soon.   The buds are almost as pretty as the open flowers.  It is early for roses.

Roses

I had to take a picture of these blooming in the park because roses don’t bloom in April in this part of Minnesota yet here they are.  beautiful but freaky.  We had some snow on Monday which is more normal for this time of year than a rose bush in full bloom.

Wild Rose

I have been taking pictures of native plants and wildflowers for years.  One fourth of July weekend just for the heck of it I started a wildflower blog.  I set it up so people can search by color so they can find photos of wildflowers and use them to help identify plants.  I can’t post on it in the winter because there is nothing to shoot.  This year I am going to Southern Minnesota just to photograph wild flowers that are not found anywhere else in the state.  My goal is to photograph all of the indigenous wildflower species in the state.  I figure it will take at least five years.  I am looking forward to the hunt.  Those hours outside walking through fields and exploring the woods.

Last month several of my photos were used by a group in Ohio for a wildflower seed exchange and a master gardener from the twin cities plans to use some of the photos in a presentation to promote the idea of growing native species in gardens.  I like having the photos used that way and it makes my wild hobby that much more rewarding.