Oh, lordy, I was in heaven today, June 1, 2010. Several of my absolute favorite wildflowers were in bloom today – mostly, these are summer wildflowers, or that’s when I normally see several of them. But the delicate beauty is easy to miss among the tall brown grasses. Not today – and not for me. Once I saw the first one, heading down my driveway, I was on a mission.

Okay, this first one, the Calochortus albus, or Fairy Lantern, I featured a few days ago, but they are really going off, and I got more shots, and better shots, and … well … they are Fairy Lanterns, for pete’s sake. Can you really see too many of these beauties? Nah …

Isn’t this sweet? Don’t you feel blessed when you see one of these? Like, maybe a fairy is going to run out from under a near-by bush?

And this! A whole field of them! Some fairies are going to have a party here!

Oh, I just couldn’t resist – one more. Can you tell I’m a nut for these beauties?

Then, there were the sweet delicate clarkias, a wine cup, and what looked like a miniature farewell-to-spring. These are on my property, so I’ll be going out to visit again tomorrow, with grubby clothes, so I can get down and dirty!

But this is the flower that started it all. It is a delphinium, or larkspur. That baby is so tall, it comes to my waist! Electric blue catches the eye!

This is the way I saw it, from the Jeep. I backed the Jeep up, and took this shot. Yes, I have closer photos, and I’ll post them in a moment. But first, a story to tell.

Okay, this is the only “stand” of larkspur I know about anywhere near me, and it never has more than 5-6 stalks of larkspur. One year, I collected seeds and planted them. I had little success. Of course, it doesn’t help that I used a weedwacker who thinks a stand of hummingbird sage is a weed. I set out rocks around them, and told him, “If you cut them down again, I will cut off your arm.” Well, not really, but I felt like it. Anyway, one year, I just collected the seeds and scattered them, outside my garden, thinking they would not get wacked.

This is the result. Isn’t that just gorgeous?

It is times like this that I wish I had a macro! That’s my next “toy.” This baby is on my “down-and-dirty” list for tomorrow, too!

And right across the road, one of my all time favorites – the Calochortus venustus – some call it the Mariposa Lily. Both Calochortus are in the Lily family.

But right next to this one, one was completely opened. Oh, Joy!

Isn’t she a beaut? My favorite native wildflower up here! I am blessed that she loves this land and graces me with her presence!

And so, tonight’s sunset on the Wildflower Mania, but I’ll be back soon with some down-and-dirty photos!