Travel Theme – Flowers

I was searching for flowers during a summer of record breaking temperatures and drought.  This week Where’s My Backpack has post a photography challenge of Travel theme: Flowers.  For this photo challenge, I felt like Susan Orleans in her novel The Orchid Thief on a search for rare blooms.   Spring and summer is when flowers are blooming, crops are growing and grass gets mowed.  I live in the Midwest where the record high temperatures this summer and lack of rain has caused a drought.  Towns have imposed water restrictions on what days and when people can water their yards, gardens and plants.  The few thunderstorms we had have been short bursts with only enough rain to dampen the ground.

In The Orchid Thief, Orleans tramps through the mucky swamps of Florida in search of the rare ghost orchid.  Ok, I wasn’t prepared to go that far to find a flower.  The weather made it feel like I was in Florida.   The oppressive summer heat drew me to lakes to beat the heat and maybe find some flowers.  I travelled to go to a dragon boat race and to other lakes to a walk around the water on a trail.  It’s refreshing being by the water and in the water.

While I was there, I found flowers!  No rare ghost orchid, but I live in the Midwest.  There were wild flowers in the tall grass and reeds, and near the rocks on shore and blooms in a botanical garden all by lakes.   I also found flowers growing around an old fashion water pump.

You can view more flower images at: Where’s My Backpack Travel theme: Flowers  Here is an assorted bouquet of photos of flowers.

Botanical Garden

Country Garden

Wildflowers and Reeds

Nature’s Garden

Country Garden

bright pink flowers

Botanical Garden

Wildflower and Reeds

Nature’s Garden