I’ve been very busy lately, trying to get ready for my upcoming art show in Columbia, Missouri. I was very happy to have juried into this excellent art show, as I understand it is very difficult to be invited to attend! There are only 120 booths and I’ve read that the 2016 show has artists from 20 states. With this esteemed show coming right up, I’ve been busy replenishing inventories, making new print labels and displays, and general show activities. Additionally, I have been fighting Mother Nature, trying to keep the “lawn” (I mow approximately 4 acres!) cut, working around the almost daily rains. Couple this with the mower deck going down (broken pulley and tension spring, leading to a broken belt), I had to run into town and pick up new parts and get them repaired. What a week!
Even with all this craziness, I needed a little “me” time to keep my sanity. So this morning, I headed out to the newest prairie in the area, Snowball Hill, and checked out the wildflowers. Spending only an hour on the prairie, I was amazed to find the various species now blooming, and those preparing to set buds! One of the blooming wildflowers I found was Moth Mullein (Verbascum blattaria):
Interestingly, I only found a single plant growing! A few years ago, I found a small patch of these beauties at another location, all of them were yellow. But I hadn’t seen one since then. And the one found yesterday is my first white one I’ve found! The Moth Mullein flowers with only a few opening at any one time. What really catches my eye is the beautifully colored center of the flowers, the stamens surrounded by spiderweb-like violet hairs. Their name comes from a couple of possible scenarios. First, the flower resembles a moth to some people. Second, these flowers tend to attract moths to them. So, take your pick! In any case, a wonderful find.
Coming up, I’ll share more wildflowers I found on Snowball Hill Prairie.
Photographic Equipment Used:
- Canon 5D Mark 3 body
- Canon EF 180mm, f/3.5 macro lens
- Bogen 3221 tripod, with ballhead
- ISO 250 and ISO 400
- Aperture f/3.5 to f/16
- Shutter 1/80 sec. to 1/2500 sec.