• Wednesday-What'sUP July 23 - 07:25 am

It's flower time here UP North, with some flowers just beginning to show themselves and others coming to their cycles end. Tom Cook recently captured this trio of flower shots and he sent me a note about the Lady Slippers in particular. He found them along the Seney stretch of road in a spot that was loaded with these pretty flowers. Tom figures they're in their final stages about now, with the ones in the open pretty much done and the ones along the treelines close. He asked me to remind everyone that Lady Slippers take 15 years to bloom and that if handled or transplanted, they will die.

We're lucky here in the U.P. to have a wide array of wild flowers growing all around us, coloring our fields and lakes like the water lily and wood lily featured here today, too. Enjoy the virtual bouquet!

Very nice photos, Tom. I'm especially a fan of the water lily -- such a beautiful flower! Right now, the Garden City Pond is filled with them, and it's spectacular!

Love the last photo!! So UPish! Looks like ferns and pine needles surrounding it. Gorgeous! So are the other two!

Blue sky, blue lake, white lilies upon a pad of green leaves.
There is not much that describes summer in the UP better.

Beautiful pictures today! I especially love the water lily. I have never seen a Lady's Slipper in person before, but I read a lovely picture book called "Legend of the Lady Slipper" every year to my students.

I like that one too, Cindy.

The lady slipper is actually in the orchid family.
There are other orchids in the UP, too. Some are very tiny and fragile. There is a new protected area in Menominee County. There are a lot of those orchids there. It recently was dedicated by the DNR in a ceremony honoring the people who worked to get the area the protected status.

Beautiful flowers! Thanks 4 sharing.

Great shots Tom! I especially like the water lilly. A common sight that you captured in a very unique way.

I loved to smell the aroma of the water lilly. it was so wonderful. But who could forget the Indian paintbrush with its powder it left on your face and its nice odor and color.
But my favorite is Lady's Slipper which every year would bloom along our waterfront.
Last Sunday,Fr. Glenn asked each of us how do we get those quiet times and do we renew our faith in Jesus Christ and God. I told Glenn that must be why I love the Upper Peninsula so much!