Turning It Up! (Look for some shade in the meantime)

"Canada Milk Vetch (Astragalus canadensis)" - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

This heat is really pushing things along...hate seeing stuff mature and finish up so quickly. I've actually missed the peak on a few things here like the Lead Plants, Compass Plants, Showy Tick Trefoil...too preoccupied with other stuff.

I did have a nice patch of Canada Milk Vetch just peaking in the south pasture a couple days back. Its near the bottom where the new late 2025 planting was done. This can't be a new plant though - too big! It must have gotten a head start the year before and just missed seeing it.

 

Although not a colorful plant, the Canada Milk Vetch (Astragalus canadensis) can make up for that in its structure, form, and pollinator value. We see plenty of hummingbirds, and butterflies on this plant, and this species is also one of the host plants for the Clouded Sulphur butterfly. 

 

We find it quite happy on our gravel slopes and in the wetter bottom mesic areas. This is a Legume and most legume species contribute beneficial bacteria called rhizobia on their roots. Strains of this bacterium aids in the fixation of atmospheric nitrogen - improving long-term health of native plant communities.

 

You can visit my channel for a short video at the following link -

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTyIrfrVjec

"Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)" - Photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

We've introduced a few species in our pastures over the years; not many though, just things that are documented or found within a 30 mile radius of us - and suited to our soils and conditions. I still occasionally find things nearby that aren't on our ground, so we constantly weigh what should have been here decades ago, yet perhaps aren't now due to stresses like spraying and/or heavy grazing.

 

One thing we introduced a few years back, that seems very happy to be here, is Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum). Our pastures are just 2 miles from Clay County and this native (but uncommon in the area) Hyssop has been recorded there next door to us in the past. In researching the Anise Hyssop, I thought with the potential location and soil characteristics, the possibility of this plant having actually been here 150 years ago, is not entirely out of the realms of possibility. (I chose the bottom ground which is more mesic than our hillside eskers, yet still well drained and a drier soil).

 

Anise Hyssop (Agastache Foeniculum) grows in clumps 2 to 3.5 feet tall, featuring strong stems topped with slender spikes of lavender-purple flowers that persist through midsummer. The leaves are a greenish color above and whitish underneath...crushing one will give off the scent of anise.

 

Some plants just began to peak here a couple mornings ago, so I went out with the dawn and got some nice shots. Each year these plants seem to persist and bloom almost into late August or early September!

 

Anise Hyssop is a magnet for bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds, as well as night flying moths.

 

You can view a short video done late last summer, on my chammel at the following link - 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9_vFD_q2Ts

 

Thank you for visiting the blog; I hope you are keeping cool out there.  And Remember, please be good to one another - we are all in this together!

 

Summer - Hazy, Lazy, Crazy Days

White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida) - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea) - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

Both the White Prairie Clover (Dalea candida) and the Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea), are displaying everywhere in the pastures here - a true summer regalia! 

 

White Prairie Clover is a taller, slightly larger version pf the Purple Prairie Clover. The leaves are similar to it's purple cousin but noticeably larger in size...as is the flowering column of flowers.

 

I have to confess that I love the presentation and vivid Purple Prairie Clover (Dalea purpurea) the most - visually! Our gravel slopes here in SE O'Brien County, IA are an easy location for this plant to be found. The flush of the quite pleasing color tints the tops and edges of our pastures. The blooming occurs at the top of the plant as a dense cylindrical spike of flowers about 1-2" long and maybe a half inch or more across. Each purple flower is about ¼" across, with 5 small petals and 5 golden anthers that protrude outward. These flowers bloom together at the bottom of the spike, and gradually move up the spike at the season progresses. 

 

Both the White and the Purple begin blooming around July 1st and continue into early August here.

 

Some older books on livestock forage from the early part of the 20th century, hint that both of these Daleas were eagerly used by livestock in pasture settings, but they do not hold up well under heavy grazing. That could suggest why it is mostly absent in pastures today. Perhaps steeper gravel or loess soil slopes are well suited to this plant remaining as a common remnant in some parts of the state?

 

If Bumble Bees and Butterflies are your thing - these are beautiful flowers to behold!

 

You can spend a quick minute watching videos of both the White Prairie Clovers and the Purple Prairie Clovers at the following links on my channel - 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5U2cHm-rqUI

 

and

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9G4WlH0YTZo

 

Prairie Coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata) - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison 

Prairie Coreopsis (Coreopsis palmata) is a great early summer forb on the pastures here in SE O'Brien County, in NW Iowa. It forms fairly nice isolated groups where the surrounding plants may not be as thick or as tall, as to compete too heavily. It is also referred to as Stiff Coreopsis, and it does present stiff/straight stalks with nice fine palm shaped leaves. 

Our's seem to do best on the gravels slopes where it can find plenty of sun and shorter neighbors...and those here seem to be having a better year than usual - loads of them in bloom!

 

You can view a short video on my channel, which has a series of "A Prairie Moment" videos at the following link - 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khjkDjLFpjI

 

Thank you for stopping by and visiting my blog!  Be sure and stay cool out there and remember to be good to one another - we're all in this together!

 

Summer - the Fourth Approaches

 "Wild Rose (Rosa blanda) with two Metallic Green Sweat Bee species" - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison 

Each morning here the wild roses along our hillside driveway are really showy from the house...I decided this morning to take the camera and tripod down to see if there were any photos presenting possibilities.

I'm fairly confident these are "Rosa blanda" as they are really very smooth and un-barbed on the flowering stems...further down on the base stem they are very barbed. 

 

The roses were being visited by Bumble Bees and Metallic Green Sweat Bees. Which one these two are, I am less sure of. But they are most likely female Texas Striped Sweat Bees - Agapostemon texanus or Bicolored Striped Sweat Bees - Agapostemon virescens, as the females present totally metallic green - both thorax and abdomen. However, they could also be Metallic Green Sweat Bees (Augochloropsis metallica)...another common native bee where both males and females are primarily shiny, metallic green overall.

 

But I'm at least confident of the Wild Rose in the photo! If I could live another 3/4 of a century, I think I could manage to be a fair amateur entomologist too!

Butterfly Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa) - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

Who doesn't love Butterfly Milkweed?!! This is one engaging native wildflower in the pastures here in SE O'Brien County, IA. One of the most recognized milkweed family (Asclepias) member. 

 

Often adopted for the domestic garden, this milkweed will grow in nearly any soil type. Those found here are generally on the gravel slopes and return year after year. 

 

From what I have observed over time is they tend to thrive when they aren't overly crowded by a higher canopy. 

 

We have found this is a good "ambassador" plant for the prairie "uninitiated". When we first came to our little spot many years back, a particular neighbor didn't seem approving of us letting the pastures return to their native state...once a few of the Butterfly Milkweed started to return, some interest was peaked and casual interested conversations became more frequent.

 

You can observe the Asclepias tuberosa in the pastures here in a short "A Prairie Moment" video at the following link - 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG2lJ223zIY

Thank you for visiting my Blog - Happy Fourth of July to everyone out there...please remember to be good to one another - we are all in this together!

Last Day of Spring!

The last day of spring - can you believe it!!!?  I've got a few thing to cover before the summer solstice tomorrow, but I can't get to them all...here's a couple to tide things over a bit! 

Prairie Liliy (or Wood Lily) - Lilium philadelphicum - photo ©Bruce A. Morrison

Our Prairie Lilies have begun blooming here on our north pasture. Last year we were robbed of blooms due to rabbits…snipped the bud right off as it swelled to almost bloom. Unfortunately I had to cage them to prevent a repeat of that this year. Frustrating!!! (The year before, voles dug up two bulbs...a small pasture has a lot of negative pressure!)

 

I have noticed the Range map "Floristic Synthesis of North America (BONAP)", lists this plant - Lilium philadelphicum , as not present in O'Brien County...well they are wrong. I first observed and photographed Lilium philadelphicum in O'Brien County, on the Waterman Prairie Complex in Waterman Township, in SE O'Brien. And that was the year before the complex was turned over to the state. I was alerted to the pending acquisition early by a DNR official who gave me permission to walk it and look for native plants to photograph. I remember he was surprised when I showed him a slide (ya, remember slide film?) of a plant in bloom.

 

Prairie Liliy (or Wood Lily) - Lilium philadelphicum - photo ©Bruce A. Morrison

 

I previously knew Lilium philadelphicum as "Wood Liliy", and used to see and photograph them along the shoreline of the north shore of Lake Superior. It was pretty cool to learn they were a prairie forb as well! I have since found them at Steele Prairie, just below the O'Brien County border in Cherokee County. When on the Prairie I refer to them as Prairie Lilies...up north I think of them as Wood Lilies...I guess its the most common native Lily in North America - that's fun to know!

 

We have two more plants coming up...one is in early bud stage now...the other may not put one on this year...not showing any sign of budding soon.

 

These are electric to the eye against the green for sure!

 

Prairie Garlic (Allium canadense) - Photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

 

And its that time in the native pasture here in SE O'Brien County where so much is happening, and often things are starting to get buried in the under-story, going unnoticed. But I always look for this one - even if I have to dig through the taller plants for it.

 

Sometimes referred to as Prairie Garlic, Wild Garlic or Meadow Garlic, this native prairie plant is the first Allium to show up on our pasture in the summer. By early June it can be seen down among the grasses and new plant growth, reaching for an opening of sunlight. You'll see their top-set bulbs form before the flowers...and the white and pink blossoms reach out beyond the knobby bulblets - creating almost a starburst effect.

 

Since the Mrs grows lots of garlic in her garden, we don't need to sample this beautiful little native Allium - just enjoy it's showy progression in the late spring through early summer!

If you'd like to view "A Prairie Moment" short video of Wild Garlic, you can do so on my channel at the following link - 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGB1KEW1iYE

 

Get out and enjoy the outdoors if you can - its amazing when you do!

 

Thank you for visiting my blog - enjoy the summer ahead - and be good to one another...we're all in this together!

 

More Whites of Spring!

Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus) - photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

 

A very common native "virtually everywhere", is Daisy Fleabane.

Daisy Fleabane is described as an annual or biennial plant of 1 - 3 feet tall, with Individual flowerheads of about ½" across - having a daisy-like appearance.

This native flower of roadsides, yards, pastures and prairies is probably so taken for granted by many because of it's familiarity. It seems to show up and thrive in just about any niche it finds. Although it seemingly prefers mesic to drier soils and full sun, it will also thrive in more fertile locations without heavy competition. Those here on our small native prairie pastures in SE O'Bruien County do best along the gravel hillside slopes.

Its a pleasant multiple flowered plant, cheering up any space it occupies.

If you'd like to view "A Prairie Moment" short video of Daisy Fleabane, you can do so at the following link -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEt7RNhaDuU

Foxglove Penstemon or Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) - photographs - ©Bruce A. Morrison

Another Penstemon sp. here in the north pasture (SE O'Brien County) is the Foxglove Penstemon or Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis). About 3' tall, it shows up with its multiple small (1") white flowers and blooms for about 3-4 weeks. Another great plant for Bees, flies and Hummingbirds. I only find it in the pasture bottom, not up on the gravel slopes, not that it couldn't show up there, I just think its in its happy spot and so it stays.

 

This plant shows up on the BONAP maps as not being in our county, but does show up in Dickinson County...which touches the NE corner of O'Brien. How'd it get here? Well possibly from the IRVM seedings in the area (County seed source) or it might have been here or nearby at some point in time...I can't say...I'm just happy its here!

 

Also, if you'd like to view "A Prairie Moment" video of Penstemon digitalis, you can do so at the following link -

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkMLCd98WUs

 

Although we'll be seeing more whites as the season moves along - the colors will get more mixed and we'll see these as the days move into summer!

 

If we ever get a reprieve from the heat we've been experiencing - get out and enjoy a prairie preserve near you!

 

Thank You for visiting my blog - please remember to be good to another...we're all in this together!

 

Gett'n Close!

 

"McCormack Sunrise" - oil painting - © Bruce A. Morrison

 

 

It's finally March and we had our first Robin of the year this morning!  Things are looking up...well, sort of.  Next week we're to have another 2-3 days of snow...maybe not much but still...ugh.

Really I'm not feeling as grumpy as I make it sound.  We are finally in a zone of precipitation, something that just hasn't been the norm here the past 3 years.  Although the ground remains frozen, we still have hope that some of this winter's snow and rain will make it into the soil.  Maybe some of the seeding we did again in the north pasture will actually take this time???  One can certainly hope!

My easel has been hopeful this winter as well, I figure if you can't have warm weather - just paint it!

The image above is of a nice little conservation area maybe 7 or 8 miles south of us "as the crow flies".  The McCormack area was donated to O'Brien County about 30 years back by Francis McCormack.  Francis was a native to the area having grown up in the vicinity of this location.  He left the area to serve in the US Navy...spent many years in Philadelphia after his service - then returned home in 1986 and purchased this ground from his brother - ground they were all so familiar with.  Family say Francis would spend time there "for peace and quiet".

It is a very nice quiet spot, one my wife and I and even grand kids have visited...over the years it has been on my regular visit list.  Thanks to people like Francis McCormack for giving back to the people of this area - there are so few places in our county still left that aren't plowed under or built up with houses or confinements.  The McCormack Area is a treasure of our natural heritage.

In the meantime I'm keeping at it in the studio - watching the landscape gradually change in the valley out front.  Spring is gett'n close!!!

 

Autumn in SE O'Brien County

 

I was asked to write and illustrate another piece for Bleeding Heartland this past week. This one is titled "Autumn in SE O'Brien County". There are some image repeats from the last blog entry, but some new and with a story to illustrate.  Give it a read if you have a moment - I hope you enjoy it! 

https://www.bleedingheartland.com/2022/11/16/iowa-wildflower-wednesday-autumn-in-southeast-obrien-county/?fbclid=IwAR220_27D5BOwiy2nXMbme9HSmbYKUa32F19yEF45-vw0Zky7lp4RBhG754

Autumn Is Good!

 "Autumn on Yellow Avenue in SE O'Brien County, IA"

(photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison)

The days are shortening and the color is good...the air is crisp, yet the sun is warm; this is a neat time of year and as with the harvest, there is much to be thankful for.  

 "High Water Color on the Des Moines in northern Webster County, IA"

(photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison)

We don't live in New England or where colors are breathtaking with reds, yellows and oranges shared among hardwoods like hard maples, but we can occasionally get lucky with autumn when all the cards fall just right, and this was such a year!

 "Electric Blues on the North Raccoon in southern Sac County, IA"

(photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison)

 Georgie and I drove the back roads here and in this corner of the state. taking in the transient scenery - a chance to get away from the daily tasks and reflect.

 "Below the Rapids on the North Raccoon in northern Sac County, IA"

(photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison)

We miss the river roads and streams of past journeys - they were dressed in colorful attire, preparing for a good rest from the past year.

 "Quiet Color near the Washta Access in southern Cherokee County, IA"

(photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison)

Some places were bright and noisily passing the day away, while others more somber and reflective.  It's been another year of new experiences, of life's sorrows and joy; it's now a time to rest and regain one's bearings, and to be grateful for those blessings that have come our way

Have a great Autumn season and be good to one another!

Always Interesting

"First Light-Late Summer Beans"

oil painting - © Bruce A. Morrison

(click on image for a larger view) 

 

One thing about being cold and white out here this winter - it gives a person more time for studio easel work!  At least between the times "moving snow" this weather brings any way!

 

I like this type of landscape; not that bean fields are the kind of thing I look for - never done one before.  No, its the light and atmosphere, the linear qualities, composition and color...warm colors of summer.

 

This is an actual scene I came across here in the "neighborhood" just last summer.  It was a nice scene that I thought about just photographing but the more time I gave myself there that morning, the more I liked the idea of painting it instead.  Saving the idea this had given me for colder times helps warm the spirit!

 

Its always interesting when I pass by a location hundreds of times, but its just this one instance that gave me pause...an ordinary scene with a song of its own.  I'm very grateful I heard it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Waterman BCA Public Meeting!

The Waterman Prairie area of SE O'Brien County

is know for its diverse birds throughout the seasons,

like this Merlin (prairie form), a falcon that 

visits there during winter months.

There is always one area near us that Georgie and I go when looking for unusual, or not-so-common birds, and that is the Waterman Prairie complex south of the studio.

This is one place we can count on in the winter for Bald and (yes) Golden Eagles. And when we get stir crazy for our spring and summer bird friends in the dead of winter - Eastern Bluebirds, Cedar Waxwings and American Robins are found there... but these are just the tip of the iceberg.  This area is well know for its grassland "obligates" - birds that are grassland dependent for nesting and foraging, as well as birds frequenting a savanna habitat.

It has been long known that this is a special area for birds and a recognition process for important areas like this has been in the works for some time now - concerning the Waterman Prairie complex area, there will be a Bird Conservation Area public meeting this coming Thursday evening at the Prairie Heritage Center.

Major benefits of a BCA would be opening doors to grants and/or cost-share programs that are only available to designated Bird Conservation Areas.  The BCA program is a worldwide program, so could bring additional habitat restoration or preservation dollars.  A positive side benefit by having a designated conservation area is it may increase the likelihood of local landowners getting into Farm Bill wildlife programs.

Whether you're interested in birds or "birding", or also appreciate the natural heritage of this small prairie gem we have way out here in SE O'Brien County - you might be interested in attending this public meeting and learning more how it may potentially benefit the area's resources.

The November 13 (Thursday) meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at the O'Brien County Prairie Heritage Center located about 4.5 miles southeast of Sutherland - from Hwy 10 go 1 mile north on Yellow Avenue.

If approved, this area will be the first Bird Conservation Area within O'Brien, Clay, Buena Vista, and Cherokee counties.

Be a part of something that supports your natural heritage!

Get'n Ready!

"Red Admiral on Swamp Milkweed"

colored pencil drawing - © Bruce A. Morrison

(click on image for a larger view) 

The days are slipping by fast here and the Artisans Road Trip is quickly approaching!  If you haven't heard of A.R.T. before, it is an open studio tour of artist's studios and galleries in NW Iowa each fall.  This year marks the 10th Anniversary for the Artisans Road Trip and there's a lot of artists scattered about the countryside here in NW Iowa to enjoy - why not stop by the studio here and get a great view of the valley and the studio as well!

 

I have been busy framing up new pieces for visitors to see and even just finished a small color pencil drawing that I started back in July!  A nice little piece of a Red Admiral butterfly on a Swamp Milkweed (Aclepias incarnata) in the lower pasture here!

 

I have also been busy creating new gift cards and note card sets!  Did you know the largest gift card and note card collection portraying NW Iowa is found right here in our studio?! No where else will you be able to find as many, beautiful, and diverse Note Card Sets, single panel, two panel and triple panel Art Cards and Photo Cards of NW Iowa, our landscape and flora and fauna!

 

 "Scenic O'Brien County Card Collection"

photography - © Bruce A. Morrison 

The most recent addition to our notecard sets is the "Scenic O'Brien County Card Collection"! This beautiful little set is of the most recent set of beautiful landscapes to be added to our notecard collection. Our note cards come in sets of 4 designs, 2 of each - in a set of 8 cards and envelopes. These are great cards to send to friends and family - the old fashioned way of communicating is still the best - most personal and heartfelt, and genuine way of communicating with those you love!

Stop by anytime or take advantage of the 2013 Artisans Road Trip and make the trip more special!  For more in formation on the 2013 Artisans Road Trip - check out the web site at http://www.artisansroadtrip.com/ - a fun way to spend a fall weekend!

Drawn to the Water

"July Morning, Waterman Creek"

photograph - © Bruce A. Morrison

(click on image for a larger view) 

Gathering more material and first hand experiences is very important for any artist...particularly the "first hand experience" part! And lately I really seem drawn to "water"!  

It really doesn't matter what a person chooses to walk, wade, paint, photograph or even immerse themselves into; it is what it should be if it is emotionally or intrinsically satisfying or important to that person's life and/or work!  Don't you think?!!

The past 2-3 weeks have found me "in the drink" so-to-speak..in Waterman Creek here in the valley, to be more specific.  And loving it!  Why, with the rotten high temps and humidity again in the forecast, I can't think of a better place to be with leaky boots and my tripod and camera...and maybe paint brushes too.  In fact, I think the creek has got me for the easel and drawing board for a good part of my summer yet.

Drawn to water in more ways than one.

Stay cool and happy out there!

Cache

"Barry Creek Cache"

color pencil drawing - 6X11" - © Bruce A. Morrison

(click on image for a larger view)

The word "cache" is defined as a place of storage, or concealment...to hide away.  When I think of "cache" I think of a trapper's cache in Canada or Alaska...you know, those neat log cabins built up on stilts so the bears can't get into their provisions!  I painted one of those about 40 odd years ago and it really wasn't a terribly bad attempt :) That was in my "Northwoods Wilderness" days and all I could think of or do related to a life of the voyageur!  Oh, things do change...I guess I 'm as fickle at times as the next person, but the prairie is my final destination by choice and preference...its truly home to me!

Some synonyms for cache are store, deposit, hoard, reserve...the "store" and "deposit" likely best describe what is going on in my latest color pencil study above.  There are places that can be found on many farmsteads of the past and even the present, where you'll see things heaped away from the homes or buildings.  Things like old rolls of barbed wire, cans, tin, scraped cars or trucks, and so on.  These "caches" as I like to call them, are usually long forgotten and no longer used depositories of worn out and no longer useful things.  Most people would simply call them "dumps", albeit small.

These caches are places usually long out-of-use, and grown up with mulberry, ashes, elms and cottonwood trees...hidden from view during the spring, summer and early fall...come winter - its a look back in time when all is again revealed; although more obscured than in plain view.  And most caches are no longer used (added to) as nowadays trash removal and recycling/salvage are common place...a hundred to 75 years ago that wasn't the case.

They may be "dumps" to some but I see them as a storage of past lives and ambitions...broken or failed dreams, or even the excess of success, if-you-will. These are the archeological sites of centuries far into the future...sites for that short burst of civilization just tipping the balance after the industrial revolution moved to the new world.

"Barry Creek Cache" is from the "neighborhood here in SE O'Brien County...a short tick down the road from the studio.  Its a lovely late summer afternoon with lengthening shadows; the cattle have begun grazing again after a hot mid day respite.  The creek is in no hurry now, there hasn't been rain in weeks...the grasses are no longer flourishing but green still stubbornly persists.  

"Barry Creek Cache" is a story; each piece I draw, paint or photograph is a story...I can sit and tell you stories here on this blog, or you can see and hear them here in the studio, "until the cows come home"!  Please don't be in a hurry though, I'd love to hear your stories too!