Sunday, June 15, 2008

Nevada in June

Because we had such a wet spring, we are still having wild-
flowers in June. This is Prickly Poppy. I tried to use it as a dye plant one year but it's so prickly that you have to use leather gloves and knippers. In the end the color was an insipid yellow - not worth the work. At least I don't have to wonder.

The lupine hasn't been blooming long. I also tried this as a dye plant and also got an insipid yellow though not has bad or as painful as Prickly Poppy. It's another wildflower that I'd just as soon admire.


I think this is Sulfer Flower, a member of the buckwheat family, but I wouldn't swear to it. I haven't seen it in many places, but it does like the north face of the canyon notch leaving the top of our valley.
You have to look closely to see the yellow in the bank, but it's there and it sticks out to me when I'm driving though there. Yes, I am standing in the middle of the road.
There's as much color in the lichen but it's a nice subtle palette. I couldn't resist these pictures on my way to work yesterday.
Nor could I resist taking pictures of the horses on my way to church this morning. I want to dispel the notion that Las Vegas is synonymous with Nevada.


And I conclude with a gratuitous cat picture. Charlie lives in a house in Nevada. He doesn't get to experience Nevada - it would not be kind to him.

4 comments:

Wool Enough said...

I think I read in one of my books about natural dyeing that most plants -- whatever the color of their flowers -- generate a yellow dye. Sounds like your experiments support this idea.

Robin said...

Do you plant sedum?? They make wonderful gardens. I bought some (more) today to plant in a few pots and maybe to fill in bare spots in the garden.

~~Sittin.n.Spinnin said...

You already know how I feel about our high desert, but you take such nice pictures! Thanks for sharing :)

Purple Fuzzy Mittens said...

We are indeed lucky to live in country this beautiful!! (Charlie looks a bit oblivious here, but he is also lucky - he gets to live inside away from ravenous coyotes. ;-))