Some spring flowers

This spring is shaping up to be the best one we've had in a long time. Already we've seen and id'd lots of beautiful wildflowers, butterflies and birds.

Here's some flowers we found Friday and yesterday evening. I've identified most of them. If I've mislabeled them or I've left some blank and you know what it is, please let me know in the comments!

Dutchman's breeches

Bloodroot

Hepatica

Twinleaf

Cut-leaf toothwort

Spring beauty

Trillium

Rue anemone

Large-flowered bellwort

Yellow Corydalis

Ground ivy or a violet

James F. Hoffman Memorial Prairie Gardens, Olney, Illinois

On our visit to Olney, Illinois, we visited the James F. Hoffman Memorial Prairie Gardens, which is located at the Olney Central College.

It's a garden full of native prairie grasses and plants. On the day we visited there were tons of butterflies, dragonflies and other insects flying around. Here's some photos for you:

DeHart Botanical Gardens, Meadows of Dan, Va.

DeHart Botanical Gardens, Meadows of Dan, Va., is one of the recent trails we've explored. (There are several more that I'll write about in later posts.)

Located off of U.S. 58 in Patrick County, this garden is a beautiful piece of land to explore. But, warning, if you have asthma or other respiratory problems, please take an emergency inhaler and listen to your body. I had trouble from the beginning with tightness in my chest. Luckily, there were no problems but it concerned me. It was a very hot spring day, so pollen in the air and heat was an issue.

This is a private garden, but the owners allow visitors on the property. They just ask that you sign the guest register located in the mailbox by the gate so they'll know that you were there. If you don't sign in, you're trespassing.

You have to park on the road side and walk up a very steep driveway to the trail head. There, you can begin a 2.8 mile loop down and up the side of  the mountain.

Along the trail you can spot all kinds of wildflowers -- from showy orchis to wild columbine. (Please leave wild flowers where you find them!) The path also passes by a waterfall and a fallen down old homestead.

It's very beautiful through the park, but very strenuous. On the accent back up the mountain we had to walk up the path holding onto trees and resting every few feet.

So, again, if you've got asthma or other problems, use caution and take an inhaler. Also, a bottle or two of water is very useful.

You can see a map and get directions to the garden here.

Weekend photos -- May 22-23

Though I had to work Sunday and most of Saturday was spent doing chores, Chris and I did find time to take two 2.6 mile walks on the New River Trail State Park.

Here are some beauties and what I think that they are. Now, my identification skills aren't that great and Newcomb's just isn't my friend, but this is what I came up with. If you have any suggestions or can correctly identify them, let me know in the comments below.

I think the flower below is possibly a campion of some kind. I'm not too sure. Any ideas?

I couldn't find the fuzzy bloom below or anything that closely resembled it in Newcomb's or our other wildflower book. I'm leaning toward an orchid. Anyone?

I'm certain the purple beauty below is a Virginia Waterleaf:

And, of course, this is a Virginia Spiderwort, one of Chris' favorites:

And the very familiar fire pink:

While I was at work Sunday, Chris ventured out and took some more pictures in Carroll County and our yard. Check 'em out:

Mountain Laurel

Bug on a leaf

Tulip poplar bloom

Peony

Titmouse

And, if you were wondering, we did go to see the Embers play at Hillsville's summer concert series, checked out the cars in the cruise in and talked with some artists at the Carter Home's Art Festival. Chris took some pictures for The Gazette.

Orchids

I'm proud to announce that I've seen my first wild orchids!

Here's a showy orchis that Chris snapped:

All photos by E.A. Seagraves or Christopher Brooke/Do not use without permission.

Gorgeous, huh?

For over a week we kept an eye on the beauty, waiting for it to bloom. I've always wanted to see a lady slipper but I was frightened that a mid-April frost claimed it and ruined my chances for seeing one. Luckily it survived.

Chris and I tried several shots before we could finally snap this lady slipper. I'm proud to say this is my very own wildflower shot. Chris was jealous, but not for long. I reminded him that he gets to take all kinds of beautiful flower photos and should be happy that I actually caught one on camera.

Here's some of the beauties Chris has taken recently. The first three are trilliums and the last is a wild dwarf iris: