Happy Summertime Flower Friday!

All of our flowers seem to burst into bloom at almost the same time. Along one trail with a view of the Divide, a meadow is dotted with Blue Flax flowers. Do you see the snowy Divide on the horizon?

From a distance, Blue Flax look almost like weeds. When you look closely, they are exquisitely beautiful, with yellow highlights and radial purple streaks.

Very often, the blooms are in pairs at the top of their long and wavy stalks.

Despite how many gorgeous flowers are blooming, one has a special place in my heart - the Colorado Columbine.

When I first saw Columbines, they looked too delicate ever to survive the violent storms at our elevation. But they do, and they keep shining in all their glory.

When we moved here a long time ago, I noticed that Columbines were almost completely missing from the little trail system near our house. I'd ride my bike to other parts of the forest to see them.

Then, I got an idea - I wanted to grow my own Columbine garden that lined the paths on our land. I started close to the house more than a decade ago. Today, somewhere between 60 and 100 Columbines are in full bloom in the garden next to the house. They make me smile, and they make me so silly that I talk to them! (don't tell anyone!)

Now, I've turned my attention to the rest of the little trail that takes us from our land to the National Forest. I'm trying to line that with Columbines.

The pollinators are helping me. My Columbines have reached the point where they are multiplying without me adding more seeds in the fall. Yippee!!!

Despite having so many nearby Columbines, I still can't resist the urge to hop off my bike to photograph any new one that I spot. And I sniff their sweet aroma.

Other blooms are interspersed in the Columbines, like this Paintbrush with the dappling of purple flowers behind it - it's one of the Runner's favorites.

In the meantime, I continue to visit the Golden Meadow with at least one Lab each day. I think that the flowers are approaching the end of their bloom so I'm savoring every last day that we can gaze at the flowers while listening to the Western Meadowlark sing!

Happy Summertime and Happy Flower Friday!