A Michigan Meadow attracts attention from everyone, including Pete, the dog.

Member Charles Kunz planted our Midwestern Regional Mixture, and was amazed at the wonderful bloom. He was kind enough to send us some great photos, and this is our favorite. As he tells us, “That’s Pete, my dog.” Obviously Pete loves the flowers too.

Midsummer rewarded Mr. Kunz and Pete with a great blaze of color from first year bloom of wild annuals. Of course, the blue ones are Cornflowers (also called Bachelor’s Buttons), and this photo clearly illustrates why “cornflower blue” is such a popular color. There are also Plains Coreopsis (small yellow flower with dark red centers), great blooms of orangey California Poppies, and the pure red of Red Poppies. In the foreground, the deep red flower on a tall plant is one of the meadow’s first Cosmos to bloom, and heralds the color for fall that is still to come. There are also some early pink cosmos blooms in the upper left. Much of the handsome ferny foliage you see throughout the bloom is the leaves of cosmos plants, not yet old enough to bloom. In another month or so, all these plants will be in full bloom with their 4-inch flowers in several colors. The cosmos always carry an annual wildflower planting right into fall, and after most of he other flowers are finished, keep blooming right up until frost.

We really appreciate Mr. Kunz for sharing his photo of Pete and the wildflowers.