Great Blue Lobelia

Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica Brilliant drops of blue sky with wispy white clouds. All atop a native perennial, sky at my fingertips. The best billboards for pollinator passersby.

Heal from Nature Blindness

Suffering from plant blindness? Cure it with curiosity, plant ID guides, and walks in nature.

Nature and Beauty are Bread for the Soul

“Everybody needs beauty as well as bread, places to play in and pray in, where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul.” – John Muir Photo taken a few days ago in Castlewood State Park in Ballwin, Missouri.  Get out and enjoy Autumn before the wind and cold sweep away all the

Creeping into Autumn

I took this picture a couple weeks ago as the local Virginia Creeper (Parthenocissus quinquefolia) population began changing into its vibrant red garb.  Thank you, Nature!!! Virginia Creeper often gets mistaken for Poison Ivy (Toxicodendron radicans), but is 5-leaved, whereas the Poison Ivy is 3-leaved.  Both are native to this area, but I’d highly recommend

Bring back Wildflowers, Bring back Monarchs!

Orange, Black, White. In flight. Delicate beauty. Glorious sight. Please don’t disappear! Picky young eater. So no Milkweed, no Monarchs! Grow native, save lives. Learn more: The St. Louis Butterfly Project: Milkweeds for Monarchs Initiative. Bring Back the Monarchs via MonarchWatch Grow Native with Native Plants and Natural Landscaping!

Seek Nature, Receive More

“In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.”  ~John Muir Step away from the city-scape, seek the amazing craftsmanship of God.  The natural sights far surpass the city blight.  Took this photo last autumn at an outlook in Pere Marquette State Park in Illinois.

Muir Never Saw a Discontented Tree

“I never saw a discontented tree.  They grip the ground as though they liked it, and though fast rooted they travel about as far as we do.”  ~John Muir Took this photo last fall at Pere Marquette State Park, near Grafton, IL.  What a wonderful evening trek it was.

Hitched to Nature, Hitched to the Universe

“When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” ~John Muir One of my favorite quotes…it not only inspires my continued appreciation for the natural world, but it also clarifies my thoughts on Sustainability. *I took this photo at Shaw Nature Reserve in Gray Summit,

Bluebell Blooms Bring Back Spring

When I see Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), I know that, despite the calendar date, Spring has truly arrived! Delicate new blooms Ephemeral spring beauty Look down. Don’t miss it!

Fire: Prescription for Life

Fires, floods, fallen trees, All appears lost, all looks dead, Yet life rekindles!   I took a 4-mile hike yesterday with some friends along Pickle Creek in Hawn State Park, near Ste. Genevieve, Missouri.  Spring is finally springing, though I’ve yet to see many spring ephemerals popping up yet.  Can’t wait for the bluebells (see