Winter is the one season of the year when all of the wildflowers take their nap. The woods are first blanketed in fallen leaves as a result of Jack Frost’s arrival, then the warm blankets of snow. If we were to walk out in the country we might see a few colorful seed pods left there for the birds, but that is all in the wildflower life.

 

Wildflower enthusiasts must stop to think, wild flowers must have similar habitats to live. You may be fortunate, as I am to live in the country on the edge of the woods where plants native to the woodlands feel at home.

 

Do you realize how much prettier and less monotonous the thruways would be if wildflowers could be grown along the sides of the roads and in the islands dividing the lanes? Tourists never tire of the beauty of wildflowers.

 

Few people realize the food values in some of our wildflowers such as dandelion greens (Anthony’s mom cooked them for his dad daily, they were his favorite), cow slip greens, nectar which is collected by the bees and from which our honey is made and the various herbs which we can use in cooking. Many provide material for shelter. And did you know that the Indians used wildflowers and herbs for medicines and dyes?

 

So you can see that wildflowers are not only pretty but are useful in many ways.

 

To me, wildflowers are one of the most precious gifts God has given us, and I’m sure in later years, one of my most cherished memories will be of the delightful hikes in the woods, in search of the first possible sight of those tiny plants, pushing their way up out of their winter beds, to drink in the warm sunshine of spring and play their part in adding beauty and serenity to dear old “Mother Earth.”

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For Debbie Simpkins
I admire your spirit and your love of prairies and wildflowers.
Remember you’re never alone.
A dear friend and fellow garden club member,
Sheila J Metcalf