Texas spring and something special......(image heavy)

[Ross]

Spring is almost over here and I haven't been out with the camera until today.  Many things are done, but we still have some things in bloom.  These are blanket flowers behind the nuc yard.



Lemon mint is one of my summer honey makers.  It makes a citrus tasting honey.



Mexican hat is from the blackeyed susan family.



Indian paintbrush is my favorite wildflower of all.  It's a bi-annual forb.

These are singletary peas, a legume.

Hairy vetch is a big honey producer for us.  It makes a very white honey.



These are the very last Texas bluebonnets of the season, the state flower.  I was surprised to find them.

This has been the year of the evening primrose (buttercup).  Acres of it everywhere.

Another common wildflower is tickseed coreopsis.

Yarrow is reported to be a honey plant, but I never see my bees on it.



Queen Anne's Lace is the queen of the blackland prairie wildflowers.



This rose has naturalized in my fence row.

The globe thistles aren't blooming yet but already host good critters.

The blackberry patch had a good year, but they aren't ripe yet.

Here are the white and pink pickerel weeds in the pond.  The purple is predominate.

I promised you something special.  This is the only one of these in the world I'm quite sure.  This is a mutation of a common Blackeyed Susan wildflower.





It's about 4 inches wide and 1/4 inch thick. 

[2-Wheeler]

Great pictures!  Those are some great wild flowers, I bet you've got some happy bees.  Now for that last one, was it located near Comanche Peak nuclear power plant? Or is it closer to Roswell, NM?  That thing definately looks alien!

[Moonshae]

I could only dream of such pasture for my bees. I need to locate my beeyards farther away, I think. Convenience isn't really worth it. Some dozen miles away, there is much better forage available. I'm going to have to do some inquiring.

[jimmyo]

Love those photos!!!
  What happened to that blackeyed Susan?
Jim

[MrILoveTheAnts]

Genetic disorders in Rudbeckia (black eyed susan) are common. Look up "deformed rudbeckia."

[JP]

Very cool pics, especially the last one.


...JP