Written By: Rachel Gnagy @ Inscribed Design & Photography
A few days ago while driving out to my family’s farm near Bladen, I was struck by the many different kinds of wildflowers in the ditches on the gravel roads. It’s been a couple of years since I lived in the country and I think I’ve forgotten how beauty springs up naturally in the country.
Sunflowers are pretty common, but they are one of my favorite wildflowers because they are so cheerful. I love their bright yellow color and their smooth petals. I’m sure many farmers consider sunflowers a weed, but I think they add a lot of beauty to our prairies.
This wildflower is called smartweed – I’d love to know how it came by its name, wouldn’t you? =)
The blooms are so delicate and pretty. When I lived at the farm, I would pick bouquets of wildflowers and this was one of my favorites to use.
Smartweed grows all over the place in the country – yet another dash of grace to our Nebraska countryside!
Goldenrod was named the state flower of Nebraska back in 1895. I found a neat quote while looking up some facts about wildflowers:
“[Goldenrod]… has a long season, and nothing could better represent the hardy endurance of Nebraska’s pioneers.” (quote from here)
I love that! We have such a rich history of perseverance and hard work. Even simple things like goldenrod can represent the history of our great state.
I found a handy online guide for identifying our native wildflowers and other plants. If you’re interested, check it out here.
What’s your favorite wildflower?