Small-flowered Alumroot (Heuchera micrantha)

Here's a member of the Saxifrage family that is exhibiting these delicate sprays of blossoms from the rocky cliffs that line the road leading to the summit of Mount Douglas Park. Lewis J. Clark calls it the Small-flowered Alumroot (Heuchera micrantha) while Wikipedia calls it Crevice Alumroot.

Mushrooms

A bit of summer crept through the bleak and stormy weather we've been having so I took the opportunity for a walk in Mount Douglas Park to see what the rains and cool weather have brought out of the ground. Everything was very lush and I saw some nice flowers but I'll start with a couple of shots of some mushrooms I encountered. I don't know what genus or species these mushrooms are so if there are any mycophiles amongst my readers I hope you will take a shot at identifying them.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

The rich profusion of blossoms above belong to a plant most of us pass by without a thought these days although it has an incredibly rich history in Europe and Asia as well as America. It's a common roadside weed called Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). It's been used as a tool for divination and has many medicinal uses in cultures around the world. Whenever I see it I always recognize it and remember its pungent and unique smell and taste. The tea is good for you but if you drink it once I guarantee you will never forget its flavor.

Bachelor's Button (Centaurea cyanus)

I have been very interested this year to begin to become aware of the progression of wildflowers in this area. The early Fawn Lilies, Shooting Stars and Camas are all pretty much gone now and have been replaced by tall grass dotted with the brilliant blue flowers above and to the right. These bright blue flowers were one of the first I ever learned to recognize although I never knew the reason for the nomenclature until today (thanks to Wikipedia). It has a number of common names but the name I was taught was Bachelor's Button (Centaurea cyanus). The reason for the name was that in folklore it was a flower that would be worn in a buttonhole by a bachelor in love. If the flower faded quickly, it meant his love would not last. I don't know about love but the picture to the right illustrates something which is definitely fading, the honeybee population. That insect digging around in the Bachelor's Button is not a honeybee. It's some kind of bumblebee.

I've not seen a honeybee this year though I've been out photographing flowers almost every sunny day since spring began. Honeybees are disappearing over large parts of North America and Europe and nobody quite knows why. There are some stories on the phenomenon HERE and HERE.

Bear Hill View

The Bear Hill Regional Park I visited a few weeks ago offers some lovely views of the rural countryside of the Saanich Peninsula. If you haven't noticed before, I'm very fond of views framed by trees and flowers in the foreground....