close up of a Indian paintbrush (Castilleja) flower, taken at about 7000 feet above sea level near Quiniscoe Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada. This is my favorite alpine flower and exemplifies the Jubilation of June perfectly for me.
June is a month that explodes into a rainbow of berries, colorful amaranth greens and medicinal herbs beginning to produce in our garden. The nourishment we are offered through our actions to cultivate perennial and/or self sowing garden beds has been a massive blessing in our lives this year when busy schedules did not allow for much time tending annuals. However, the purpose of this post is less about garden crops and more about nourishing the spirit through appreciation of poetry provided both in the wilderness and the garden in the fleeting, finite and ephemeral moments that are gifted to us when we give our attention to the art Creator and Mother Earth shares with each of us.
This June my heart was moved most by the alpine flowers of the Cascade mountains in BC, the graceful Tamarack (Larch), Balsam Fir and Pine trees that watch over the lakes up there and the budding delphiniums and unfurling leaves of infinite diversity which make both our garden and the high alpine, sanctuaries that rejuvenate my spirit and remind me why I chose to come and live another life on this beautiful Earth (despite the horrors humans inflict on each other and our fellow non-human beings.)
I will now invite you to join me to view some moments I captured through my lens in the month of June which I found to be particularly nourishing to my heart, mind and spirit.
close up of a Indian paintbrush (Castilleja) flower, taken at about 7400 feet above sea level above Quiniscoe Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
another close up of a Indian paintbrush (Castilleja) flower, taken at about 7000 feet above sea level near Quiniscoe Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
close up of a Indian paintbrush (Castilleja) flower taken form above, taken at about 7000 feet above sea level near Quiniscoe Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
alpine flowers (Yarrow, Indian Paint Brush and others) taken at about 7400 feet above sea level above Quiniscoe Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
I do not know what these purple/blue flowers are called, but I love them dearly. The picture below includes by very favorite shade of blue.
Alpine flowers, taken at about 7800 feet above sea level above Lady slipper Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
the different stages of an unknown alpine flower blooming, taken at about 7800 feet above sea level above Lady slipper Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
close up of Larch (Larix spp.) foliage emerging near a patch of snow at about 7800 feet above sea level above Glaciar Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
Mature Larch (Larix spp.) branches and foliage at about 7200 feet above sea level above near Pyramid Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
Mature Larch (Larix spp.) branch and foliage near Quiniscoe Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
close up of Larch (Larix spp.) cones and foliage, taken in southern Ontario
Larch (Larix spp.) cones and foliage, taken in southern Ontario
super close up of Larch (Larix spp.) cones forming and foliage, taken in southern Ontario
super close up of Larch (Larix spp.) cone and foliage, taken in southern Ontario
close up of Larch (Larix spp.) cones and foliage, taken in southern Ontario
close up of Larch (Larix spp.) cones and foliage, taken in southern Ontario
close up of new Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) growth tips (having been exposed to snow in June and expressing Anthocyanin in the foliage as a self defense mechanism).
extreme close up of new Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) growth tips (having been exposed to snow in June and expressing Anthocyanin in the foliage as a self defense mechanism).
close up of new Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) growth tips with morning dew drops 7200 feet above sea level above near Pyramid Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
close up of Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) foliage with morning dew drops 7200 feet above sea level above near Pyramid Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
a Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea) near Quiniscoe Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
extreme close up of Yarrow blossom buds, taken at about 7400 feet above sea level above Quiniscoe Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
extreme close up of Yarrow foliage, taken at about 7400 feet above sea level above Quiniscoe Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
close up of Yarrow blossoms, taken at about 7400 feet above sea level above Quiniscoe Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada.
While hiking through the gorgeous alpine flower fields, larch filled lake shores and balsam fir covered mountain sides of the Cathedral Lakes in BC I foraged for some mountain medicine (practicing the tenets of The Honorable Harvestand spreading the seeds of each plant I harvested from)and collected this for making tea so that I and the mountain forest could become one.
Larch (Larix spp.) foliage, Balsam fir tips and alpine Yarrow
For more info on the many medicinal benefits of Yarrow, check out this post:
'Flying Saucers' Morning Glory blosom (Ipomoea tricolor) in our garden
'Flying Saucers' Morning Glory blosom (Ipomoea tricolor) in our garden
'Flying Saucers' Morning Glory blosom (Ipomoea tricolor) in our garden
'Flying Saucers' Morning Glory blosom (Ipomoea tricolor) in our garden with morning light
Salpiglossis grandiflora aka "painted tongue" flower (native to the Patagonian mountains of southern Chile
Salpiglossis grandiflora aka "painted tongue" flower (native to the Patagonian mountains of southern Chile
Salpiglossis grandiflora aka "painted tongue" flower (native to the Patagonian mountains of southern Chile
Annabelle hydrangea
close up of Annabelle hydrangea petals
Poppy flower in our garden
dragon fly in our garden
bumblebee on clover blossom in the alpine
small blue butterfly on Yarrow blossom in the alpine
small blue butterfly landing on my hand near Lady Slipper Lake in Cathedral Lakes Provincial Park, BC, Canada
Ginkgo tree silhouette and sunset in our back yard in Ontario.
Thanks for checking out my photos I hope you all have a beautiful remainder of July filled with berries, flowers, homegrown veggies, and moments that serve to nurture your spirit in nature and in the garden.
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Each and everyone of us is capable of choosing (as our ancestors did) to develop an intimate and reciprocal relationship with the wild plants, trees and fungi in our local region. Taking the time to appreciate a flower, a leaf or a tree and giving our attention to that being, is the first step towards using our skills of observation to learn from our elder species.
May each of us find our footing and hope through embarking on the soft and green path described in The Prophecy Of The Seventh Fire.
The wonderous jubilant blossoms, fragrances, textures, sounds and tastes of June make me feel like anything is possible and that if we align our efforts we can overcome any challenges standing in the way of manifesting the more beautiful world our hearts know is possible… in short, the essence of June makes me feel like dancing and so in closing I will share this with you in the hopes you will dance along side me in spirit so that we may align our focus, our joy, our love and our jubilance to align our movements to make what may seem impossible become possible, probable and inevitable:
Somewhere I wanted to yell, stop it! I just can't take anymore beauty! One after the other more glorious than the first. That magenta and blue against the green--I want a silk cape in those colors. And there can be no favorites among perfection but that painted tongue was gasp-worthy.
especially Love the blue delphiniums & blue butterfly! all the photos are magnificent!
Somewhere I wanted to yell, stop it! I just can't take anymore beauty! One after the other more glorious than the first. That magenta and blue against the green--I want a silk cape in those colors. And there can be no favorites among perfection but that painted tongue was gasp-worthy.