A week of great weather and good walks along the Illinois Prairie Path.
My mother is the queen of pots. Her flower pots are amazing. This heliotrope is in on the east side of the house basking in the morning sunshine.
What is amazing for the butterflies is not amazing for people. I learned all sorts of things about this plant this week. It is cardiotoxic to humans, but Monarch Butterflies love it. You can plant it in your garden, but just be careful because the latex in it causes a blockage of calcium and potassium in your blood. Wear gloves.
This plant which grows along the prairie path is known as “cowboy toilet paper.” It has soft large leaves which I suspect is why it has that nickname. The flowers grow on a stalk and bloom in mid-late summer.
Bergamot is used in essential oils and fragrances. I am not sure if this is that plant, but multiple websites said it was either this or Knautia. Either way, it is beautiful growing in among the cattail reeds that line the prairie path.
These are starting to bloom along the Prairie Path. They are about 3 inches across and if they are a sunflower, they are a small one. Why are daisy-like flowers so happy? They always make me smile.
These are almost finished blooming here. I finally did get a picture of one on Friday. The bright yellow flowers sit in clumps along the path.
This is a different euphorbia than others I’ve seen, but it is a great accent flower in pots. My mom has these sitting on her back patio.
The Red House on the Corner 
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