Red Clover

"Just" a Red Clover flower, but I always think they are such an attractive flower when seen close up. This one was growing at the side of one of the backroads south west of the city a few days ago. Red Clover is an introduced plant from Europe, brought over as a forage plant.

"The flowers of red clover have long been known to have many positive health effects including anti cancer properties. Most commonly a pleasant tasting tea is made from the dried flowers. Red clover also adds nitrogen to the soil through the symbiotic relationship between select soil bacteria and plant roots. Red clover handles traffic well and needs little water to survive." From www.theurbanfarmer.ca/plant_profiles.html

Fell asleep in front of the TV for about an hour just now. I was SO tired after hiking for 5-6 hours in the heat at Brown-Lowery Provincial Park today. My endurance level is really low these days, which is a real nuisance. So beautiful in the forest there, and I love to go with friends for a change, as it's easy to get lost in there, especially for someone like me who doesn't have a sense of direction!