By Mary Beth Pottratz

Visiting the Arboretum: All members and visitors need to make a reservation in advance of their visit to the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. We hope to see you soon!

White asters

It's a perfect day at the Arb! The sun burned away the haze caused by fires in the Arrowhead region. The high is in the 70's, with a slight breeze. White asters bloom in clouds throughout the prairie, in the gardens, and along woodland edges. People are strolling on walking paths, and bikes spin along Three-Mile Drive.

Cheery yellow sunflowers

A mélange of prairie flowers includes white aster, several species of goldenrod, brown-eyed Susans, pale lavender asters, cheery yellow sunflowers, gold compass plants - some stretching feet above my head – and more. Grasses and sedges are still green, but most have sent up seed stalks in shades of pale yellow, pipestone, and beige.

Brown-eyed Susans

Golden petals surround a globe of brown disk flowers on brown-eyed Susans. Its flower width is about one or two inches across, smaller than the familiar black-eyed Susan. Its notched petals give it a "cute" style. A few cicadas drone in the distance. Gone are bird songs of spring and early summer - fall starts on September 22!

Goldenrods

Goldenrods are abuzz with bees, flies and wasps. They pay no attention to me as they travel from floret to floret to store the sweet nectar. A large, pale orange butterfly with dark brown markings around its center flits quickly through the prairie. A silverspot, it seems.

Small blue lobelia flowers

The Mini Bog Garden seems to have recovered from the last few months' drought. Pitchers are full of rainwater and I peer inside to see insects swimming in them. Small blue lobelia flowers are leaning against pitcher plants. Only a few inches tall, the blue glows against the green backdrop.

Large blue lobelia

Compare that to the large blue lobelia planted in the woods along the trail around Green Heron Pond. Several feet tall and heavy with flowers on the straight stalks.

Pin oak

Most trees show little impact from the drought so far. Leaves are lush and green from the recent rains, like this pin oak and other trees native to our area such as maples, basswood, birch, and tamarack. Many plants and tree leaves have some dried edges. Several crabapples have severe leaf damage but are still heavy with fruit!

This is a wonderful time of year. Few insects to annoy, comfort of cooler weather, the joy of new colors now and more coming soon. Seize the day!

Mary Beth Pottratz is a Minnesota Master Naturalist Volunteer. More information about the program is available at www.minnesotamasternaturalist.org .