Monday, August 18, 2008

My wacky 100 Species attempt

My youngest is ill today and taking a long nap. So Holden and I went on a long walk with the dog. I took the camera and had a blast just relaxing with Holden and the dog. We went to a nearby park. Camden is still asleep so here we go:

I have been getting a kick out of other bloggers attempts to list 100 species. Anyone who wants to make a real attempt should see these other blogs: this one or that one. "That one" blog person made a separate blog just to try to name 100 Species. She is on #24. Quite impressive. My list will not be anything detailed or fancy, as I have young ones. (And one of them wants this computer to play Age of Empires.)

I think because I love to photograph everything alive and dead that I have named at least 100 species over the past few years. My problem with the "100 Species Challenge" is that I have a terrible time remembering everything I try to remember. For instance, Cliff and I went to the local plant/tree nursery in May or June, and the owner kindly named and described each of his trees for us. We want to plant another tree in our yard and wanted to get an idea of what type of tree we want for the space we have (or yard is not huge). Now every time I see a certain tree (or trees) that plant nursery owner explained to us, I can't remember the tree name. And it bugs me! So I have been meaning to buy an Arbor Day tree guide I saw advertised last month.

Here's my wacky spin on this post: I will show a few photos of a few "species" in this post that I have no idea what they are. And dear friend, I hope you can tell me what the species is. LOL. And I will do my best to remember what the species is! I promise.

And just for fun I will list some species I do know at the bottom of this post. As an "unidentified" species is "identified" I will list its name above the photo in this post. I hope you like my wacky attempt at some Iowa species. I think I am better at naming southern U.S. plant species than Iowa ones, because that is where I grew up (S.E. Texas). I may add some species from the south if I get time over the months ahead. Sorry for my lack of following rules for the challenge. Well, I am not too sorry really. It was fun for me anyway. Little one is still asleep. I better get off this computer.

~Heather


Species #1 unidentified

























Species #2 unidentified

























Species #3 Milkweed (thanks friend!)


























Species #4: Queen Anne's Lace
























Species #5 unidentified



















Species #6 Purple Coneflower A.K.A. Echinacea Purpurea


















These coneflowers are showing summer's wilt. We actually have tried Echinacea tea before. It is not bad. We bought the prepackaged tea bags. Anyone ever harvest their own tea from this?

Species #7 Cypress tree. See the whole tree below. Our baby stroller is next to it on the right.











































Species #8 apple tree--no idea what kind of apple tree
(photo taken today! Some apples were on the ground already)


















Species #9 Sunflower


















Species #10 Sycamore Tree (thanks friend)






















5 comments:

Jack said...

Urrg...I wish I had the time to take up this challenge...The pics are pretty cool.

J

http://adventuresinvoluntarysimplicity.blogspot.com/

zamozo said...

I think #10 is a Sycamore Tree. And one of those looks like Milkweed - what Monarch caterpillars eat -- the one with pods. I can't see the post while I'm typing this and I forgot the number.

Heather's Moving Castle said...

I knew that had to be a milkweed, but when I Googled it the photos I saw had different flowers, not pods. But I just went and found a photo of milkweed with pods. Thanks!!

Thanks for helping me to remember the sycamore tree name!! Now I will try not to forget that again. Cliff's grandmother had one in her yard (she's in a retirement home now) and she told me that (tree name) years ago. Now I have a place to look back and not forget.

~Katherine said...

#2 is a Cypress I think. #4 looks like a variety of Queen Anne's Lace. #5 may be Hybiscus. I can't see the flowers very well: they have dry looking petals with something like 10 to 15 crenelations lengthwise on each petal.

~Katherine

Heather's Moving Castle said...

Thanks for the help with this! I only have a few more to figure out. ;)

I don't think #5 is a hibiscus. But I could be wrong. Any other ideas? i need to ask my sister.

~Heather ;)