Jim Fowler's photos

I went out to the front yard bog garden this afternoon, and I found dozens of bumblebees and honeybees frantically sipping nectar from the Spiranthes odorata or Fragrant Ladies'-tresses orchids . In the process, burying their entire heads in the flowers, the bees were pollinating each one they visited. I viewed one particular bumblebee annoyed with the pollinarium attached to its proboscis, rapidly swiping at the pollinarium until it fell to the ground.

I went out to the front yard bog garden this afternoon, and I found dozens of bumblebees and honeybees frantically sipping nectar from the Spiranthes odorata or Fragrant Ladies'-tresses orchids . In the process, burying their entire heads in the flowers, the bees were pollinating each one they visited. I viewed one particular bumblebee annoyed with the pollinarium attached to its proboscis, rapidly swiping at the pollinarium until it fell to the ground.

I went out to the front yard bog garden this afternoon, and I found dozens of bumblebees and honeybees frantically sipping nectar from the Spiranthes odorata or Fragrant Ladies'-tresses orchids . In the process, burying their entire heads in the flowers, the bees were pollinating each one they visited. I viewed one particular bumblebee annoyed with the pollinarium attached to its proboscis, rapidly swiping at the pollinarium until it fell to the ground.

Peak bloom of the Spiranthes odorata 'Chadds Ford' clone in my front yard bog garden. This species' common name is Fragrant Ladies'-tresses orchid . Just when the other plants in the bog garden are looking rather ragged and forlorn, these beauties spring forth and provide some easy viewing. The original plants came from a boggy area in Delaware in the 1960s. They were found by Dick Ryan, an eccentric character with a passion for native orchids and were named for an area just across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. This was the township where Dr. Brubacker, a plantsman with a keen interest in tropical orchids lived and raised this species and won the coveted Certificate of Cultural Merit from the American Orchid Society. As happens too frequently, the boggy area of the original find is now overrun with tract homes... These native orchids are quite easy to grow in a bog garden setting, and they will eventually take over if not carefully watched. What a lovely "weed" to have, and they smell delightfully rich and earthy -- a fragrance with a mix of vanilla and jasmine.

Peak bloom of the Spiranthes odorata 'Chadds Ford' clone in my front yard bog garden. This species' common name is Fragrant Ladies'-tresses orchid . Just when the other plants in the bog garden are looking rather ragged and forlorn, these beauties spring forth and provide some easy viewing. The original plants came from a boggy area in Delaware in the 1960s. They were found by Dick Ryan, an eccentric character with a passion for native orchids and were named for an area just across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. This was the township where Dr. Brubacker, a plantsman with a keen interest in tropical orchids lived and raised this species and won the coveted Certificate of Cultural Merit from the American Orchid Society. As happens too frequently, the boggy area of the original find is now overrun with tract homes... These native orchids are quite easy to grow in a bog garden setting, and they will eventually take over if not carefully watched. What a lovely "weed" to have, and they smell delightfully rich and earthy -- a fragrance with a mix of vanilla and jasmine.

Peak bloom of the Spiranthes odorata 'Chadds Ford' clone in my front yard bog garden. This species' common name is Fragrant Ladies'-tresses orchid . Just when the other plants in the bog garden are looking rather ragged and forlorn, these beauties spring forth and provide some easy viewing. The original plants came from a boggy area in Delaware in the 1960s. They were found by Dick Ryan, an eccentric character with a passion for native orchids and were named for an area just across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. This was the township where Dr. Brubacker, a plantsman with a keen interest in tropical orchids lived and raised this species and won the coveted Certificate of Cultural Merit from the American Orchid Society. As happens too frequently, the boggy area of the original find is now overrun with tract homes... These native orchids are quite easy to grow in a bog garden setting, and they will eventually take over if not carefully watched. What a lovely "weed" to have, and they smell delightfully rich and earthy -- a fragrance with a mix of vanilla and jasmine.

Peak bloom of the Spiranthes odorata 'Chadds Ford' clone in my front yard bog garden. This species' common name is Fragrant Ladies'-tresses orchid . Just when the other plants in the bog garden are looking rather ragged and forlorn, these beauties spring forth and provide some easy viewing. The original plants came from a boggy area in Delaware in the 1960s. They were found by Dick Ryan, an eccentric character with a passion for native orchids and were named for an area just across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. This was the township where Dr. Brubacker, a plantsman with a keen interest in tropical orchids lived and raised this species and won the coveted Certificate of Cultural Merit from the American Orchid Society. As happens too frequently, the boggy area of the original find is now overrun with tract homes... These native orchids are quite easy to grow in a bog garden setting, and they will eventually take over if not carefully watched. What a lovely "weed" to have, and they smell delightfully rich and earthy -- a fragrance with a mix of vanilla and jasmine.

Peak bloom of the Spiranthes odorata 'Chadds Ford' clone in my front yard bog garden. This species' common name is Fragrant Ladies'-tresses orchid . Just when the other plants in the bog garden are looking rather ragged and forlorn, these beauties spring forth and provide some easy viewing. The original plants came from a boggy area in Delaware in the 1960s. They were found by Dick Ryan, an eccentric character with a passion for native orchids and were named for an area just across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. This was the township where Dr. Brubacker, a plantsman with a keen interest in tropical orchids lived and raised this species and won the coveted Certificate of Cultural Merit from the American Orchid Society. As happens too frequently, the boggy area of the original find is now overrun with tract homes... These native orchids are quite easy to grow in a bog garden setting, and they will eventually take over if not carefully watched. What a lovely "weed" to have, and they smell delightfully rich and earthy -- a fragrance with a mix of vanilla and jasmine.

Peak bloom of the Spiranthes odorata 'Chadds Ford' clone in my front yard bog garden. This species' common name is Fragrant Ladies'-tresses orchid . Just when the other plants in the bog garden are looking rather ragged and forlorn, these beauties spring forth and provide some easy viewing. The original plants came from a boggy area in Delaware in the 1960s. They were found by Dick Ryan, an eccentric character with a passion for native orchids and were named for an area just across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. This was the township where Dr. Brubacker, a plantsman with a keen interest in tropical orchids lived and raised this species and won the coveted Certificate of Cultural Merit from the American Orchid Society. As happens too frequently, the boggy area of the original find is now overrun with tract homes... These native orchids are quite easy to grow in a bog garden setting, and they will eventually take over if not carefully watched. What a lovely "weed" to have, and they smell delightfully rich and earthy -- a fragrance with a mix of vanilla and jasmine.

Peak bloom of the Spiranthes odorata 'Chadds Ford' clone in my front yard bog garden. This species' common name is Fragrant Ladies'-tresses orchid . Just when the other plants in the bog garden are looking rather ragged and forlorn, these beauties spring forth and provide some easy viewing. The original plants came from a boggy area in Delaware in the 1960s. They were found by Dick Ryan, an eccentric character with a passion for native orchids and were named for an area just across the Delaware River in Pennsylvania. This was the township where Dr. Brubacker, a plantsman with a keen interest in tropical orchids lived and raised this species and won the coveted Certificate of Cultural Merit from the American Orchid Society. As happens too frequently, the boggy area of the original find is now overrun with tract homes... These native orchids are quite easy to grow in a bog garden setting, and they will eventually take over if not carefully watched. What a lovely "weed" to have, and they smell delightfully rich and earthy -- a fragrance with a mix of vanilla and jasmine.

Late September brings a brief flush of fall wildflowers to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. These wildflower images are split between two separate trips a week apart being taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina. Blue and White is the theme here, comprised mostly of Gentians and Ladies'-tresses orchids , as well as a few other species thrown in for good measure. To check out the full trip report, please go to Jim's Blog .

Late September brings a brief flush of fall wildflowers to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. These wildflower images are split between two separate trips a week apart being taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina. Blue and White is the theme here, comprised mostly of Gentians and Ladies'-tresses orchids , as well as a few other species thrown in for good measure. To check out the full trip report, please go to Jim's Blog .

Late September brings a brief flush of fall wildflowers to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. These wildflower images are split between two separate trips a week apart being taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina. Blue and White is the theme here, comprised mostly of Gentians and Ladies'-tresses orchids , as well as a few other species thrown in for good measure. To check out the full trip report, please go to Jim's Blog .

Late September brings a brief flush of fall wildflowers to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. These wildflower images are split between two separate trips a week apart being taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina. Blue and White is the theme here, comprised mostly of Gentians and Ladies'-tresses orchids , as well as a few other species thrown in for good measure. To check out the full trip report, please go to Jim's Blog .

Late September brings a brief flush of fall wildflowers to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. These wildflower images are split between two separate trips a week apart being taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina. Blue and White is the theme here, comprised mostly of Gentians and Ladies'-tresses orchids , as well as a few other species thrown in for good measure. To check out the full trip report, please go to Jim's Blog .

Late September brings a brief flush of fall wildflowers to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. These wildflower images are split between two separate trips a week apart being taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina. Blue and White is the theme here, comprised mostly of Gentians and Ladies'-tresses orchids , as well as a few other species thrown in for good measure. To check out the full trip report, please go to Jim's Blog .

Late September brings a brief flush of fall wildflowers to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. These wildflower images are split between two separate trips a week apart being taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina. Blue and White is the theme here, comprised mostly of Gentians and Ladies'-tresses orchids , as well as a few other species thrown in for good measure. To check out the full trip report, please go to Jim's Blog .

Late September brings a brief flush of fall wildflowers to the Southern Appalachian Mountains. These wildflower images are split between two separate trips a week apart being taken along the Blue Ridge Parkway in western North Carolina. Blue and White is the theme here, comprised mostly of Gentians and Ladies'-tresses orchids , as well as a few other species thrown in for good measure. To check out the full trip report, please go to Jim's Blog .