Monday, July 13, 2009

Pink Flowers

Here's another wildflower that is abundant in the vineyard during the summer months. And it's yet another wildflower whose name is unknown to me. The flowers close up overnight and re-open each morning.

Pink flowers opening in the morning light.

Our weather has taken a turn toward fall-like. It felt chilly the last few days and it's been very dry up until Sunday. We've been getting a flow from the northwest -- the North Atlantic -- that has chilled things down from the weeks-long heat of mid June.

High pressure is building up slowly from the south, but it's not yet strong enough to push the North Atlantic flow back up toward the British Isles and Scandinavia where it belongs. So here we sit, under the clouds. At least the temperatures are climbing back up. We're wearing shorts and t-shirts again.

This kind of weather is not unusual; it happens every year. The difference lies in how long it lasts.

5 comments:

  1. It's Common Centaury / Centaurium erythraea / La petite centaurée. A sign that there is chalk deep in the soil.

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  2. Only a few days of summer left.

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  3. How sad such a beautiful flower has to have the label of being "common." I shall never think of it as the Common Centaury. I'll always call it Extraordinary Centaury!

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  4. susan, ah, thanks! I always wondered what these are.

    starman, I sure hope not! In fact, we're back to summer weather this morning!

    mark, I agree with you!

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  5. Actually, you should rejoice that it is Common. In botanical taxonomy speak it means it is widespread and abundant. However, if you like it better, it can also be the European Centaury.

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