The Wax Golden Weed Flowers have begun to bloom. A conservative guess would be a month early, but honestly, I usually do not see them until very late August.
If you read the particulars of this photo--these flowers had only just begun to bloom and this was September 3rd 2010.
Feel free to gasp for air now.
Why the need for a paper bag?
Because these, along with Golden Rod and Spotted Mint are some of the very last flowers to bloom in the fall.
The Spotted Mint has been blooming for 2 weeks already.
Another flower that is blooming early. This photo is also from September of last year. Locals call it Broom.
The wild sunflowers are already going strong. They are only somewhat early. I just hope that they are spaced out enough that they last til the first frost. That is another late season forage. The Woolly Aster never did return. It's a small creeping white or lavender aster that blooms in spring and late fall, that the bees absolutely love. It has a shallow root system. It also draws a lot of bee-flies and lady bugs.
Last year the drought literally baked it, roots and all.
Bumble Bees have not really recovered this year. Between last year's extreme drought and this wet, cool spring, it just seems like they haven't caught a break. I have seen some Brown Belted Bumble Bees, and some Two Spotted, and Golden Bumble Bees, but most have been small and not so numerous. Carpenter Bees on the other hand, have thrived. I have seen them everywhere, some impressively large even by their standards.
Amazingly, all the Sumac that seemed burnt and dead by the drought last year, has not only come back but also bloomed. I had been tempted to cut it back, but I am glad I resisted the urge. Sumac is an important forage for local bees and butterflies and it is included as a Honey Plant for Honey Bees.
The really good news, is that I see a lot of Swallows at dusk. Mostly sticking near to bridges and other areas near or on bodies of water. Last year you rarely saw them even on the lakes. It has been good to see them flying again. I have only seen that one bat reported in an earlier diary. I know there are more around, but with all the new housing and construction all around just about everywhere, I suspect they are moving further and further back from humans [and for good reason].
But don't worry kids, Central Oklahoma will look like the endless rolling subdivisions of California in no time! Urban Planning? What's that?
I get it, everyone wants to have a home of their own. What I don't get are the labor intensive and chemical intensive, golf lawns and the mass bulldozing of trees. In my fantasies, I see more xeriscaping and less golf lawns and spray trucks.
Many people are holding their breath for late summer and fall. We wonder if the flowers will hold til then, or if we are in for a late season dearth. Only time will tell.