stream bed through the woods

Record rainfall in June so far!  During one downpour, the swale and the dry stream bed down through the wild wild woods was running full.  Good moisture for the wildflowers growing in the woods.

The neighborhood uphill from the woods feeds runoff water into a swale where cattails, blue vervain, bulrush, blue lobelia, and winged loosestrife grow.

Winged Loosestrife (Lythrum alatum)

Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica)

penstemon (maybe?)

My gardens are surrounded by neighbors' flowery landscaped yards, one of which probably threw seeds to the wind for this result.

Many of our favorite plants have struggled in this cool dry summer to develop their best blooms. But this beauty seems to have taken advantage of the situation to surprise us. Along the neighbors' fence, a few days ago I noticed some stalks of intense magenta blossoms among the cattails. Research has led me to think these are penstemons, although I am not sure of the exact species.

These plants seem to have self-seeded in an area that is wet enough to nurture their germination. Another welcome addition to the wild woods.

toad - good citizen in the wild woods

This 3" American toad Bufo Americanus was hopping around today while I was working in the garden.
There are plenty of frogs and toads like this in the yard, especially in the wet swale and the grassy quiet dark places. They are important in the food chain -- they help control many insect populations and they are food for other creatures. The DNR web site has good information about amphibian species in this area. http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/reptiles_amphibians/frogs_toads/toads/american.html