More from Bear Trap

More Images from Bear Trap Meadow-Casper, Wyoming-Early July

And there's mum. I told her to stand and wait for the butterfly's to land to photograph.

Wildflower Wednesday August of 12

Gail at the Clay and Limestone blog provides a wildflower forum every third Wednesday. Go there and share your natives with her and others from the gardening world. I'm sharing a few bloomers that are popping up right now.

Liatris ligustylis 

Asclepias incarnata

Asclepias tuberosa, Achillea millefolium

Echinacea purpuera

Spike it!

Volleyball anyone! No, spiky love of course. I have zone envy when it comes to spiky plants like Agave, Aloe, Cacti, succulents etc. Especially the blue foliage varieties. But I also struggle where to place them in my never ending always changing design themes. Am I Cottage, Prairie, Xeric, Mediterranean, contemporary, Japanese, country, industrial, masculine, feminine, texan, californian, blue, white, silver, green, native, exotic, tropical or just plan plain cornfused? Or is it ok to be ADHD? Or is it Garden Attenion Disorder, GAD? I don't know but I love to spike it.

Yucca rigida at left with Nasella tenuissima. The blue yucca was planted last October having purchased it in west Texas during my sons wedding and has fulfilled my spiky lust.....some of it anyway.

The Agave(Manfreda) Collection-the two on the left (orange pots)came from a Dallas Nursery from my son for a fathers day present(Manfreda 'macho mocha ' and Agave-unknown. Plant three (center) is Agave parryi 'truncata', found last weekend on a clearance shelf in Wichita, Kansas(can I have an amen!) cold tolerant(zone 6) and I've been lusting after this one forever. Last agave I have no idea on ID? Anyone, I'll enlarge below.

Agave parryi 'truncata', look at the pups.

Agave ? My guess is straight species parryi? I know, the picture is lousy.

 This last Agave, no label on plant? Same as the one above?

Now the Yucca's: Yucca gloriosa 'variegata' and Yucca filamentosa 'Color Guard'(small plant) below in temporary positions.

And finally an image from this spring of Hesperaloe funifera, another plant purchased in West Texas during my son's wedding.

 Well how's that for spiky love? Two days ago I planted three of the agaves in the ground in the corner hell strip.

Blooming Bear Trap Meadow

Although these images were not taken in August I'm going to show them anyway as I didn't show them last bloom day. Bear Trap meadow is an open meadow on top of Casper Mountain. Casper mountain is a long mountain on the north part of the Laramie mountains overlooking Casper, Wyoming along the North Platte River. Elevation is 8130 and there is a 3000 foot climb to the top.
 It holds a special place in my heart as I have fond memories picnicing there while young with my parents, taking my boys there when they were young, and of course enjoying it even more in my "later" years. This is part of the Natrona County Park System and when I was in junior high I had a summer job picking up trash and downed lumber. I didn't appreciate the splendor then but I do now.
The meadow is used extensively for winter sports such as snowmobile races, cross country and of course sledding. In the summer large parties use the pavilions, camping and picnic areas. Wildflowers are abundant as you will see. In early August there is the Beartrap Music Festival which brings in quite a few bluegrass bands.

 A Juncus variety I think Allium canadense-wild onion-(thanks Susan for the ID)

I have spent hours trying to identify some of these plants, as above.

Geum triflorium-Prairie smoke, Antennaria arcuata-meadow pussytoes with Juncus-above

 

Balsamorhiza-Balsamroot

More photos to come.

As always the 15h of the month means Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, join Carol at May Dreams Garden to view blooms from around the world.

Near Muddy Mountain

During our recent vacation to Wyoming in late June, my mother took us on a tour of an old cemetery near Muddy Mountain. As we were traveling over BLM land we would see old wagon wheel ruts left from the Oregon trail as the area is near Independence Rock. We were traveling in a four door sedan, and with it's low clearance, it caused a few moments of questioning our travel on this particular non maintained rural road. However we did arrive without knocking a muffler or rear end off the auto.

I had been curious about why my mother wanted me to visit a cemetery of all places. However, it turned out to be an interesting first stop in our Casper Mountain journey. Freeland cemetery is not your normal cemetery. I wonder how they get the funeral procession here?

The photo above shows how smoky it was at the time as there were many fires around the state. The old single loop galvanized fence with the post finials really gives a rustic look. Not exactly your typical manicured cemetery.

Many of the tombstones were made of natives stones derived from nearby areas. This particular one is made of petrified wood.

I speculate that this fenced in area may have been built for the original family to be buried here.

Another petrified tombstone.

Now here is an unusual tomb. Must have been a rock collector.

The gravesite about is more my style. Native!

In conclusion, this last tombstone is really cool.

Wouldn't you like to hear the story behind this pilot's grave-site?