Janet Brien's photos with the keyword: Brown

I've been too busy to post my "Flowers of Spring & Summer" images because I like to write about each entry and I just haven't had time. Finally I have a spare moment to share this super cool flower with you! :D I love how unusual this plant looks. As a child, I was told this is "wild tobacco" but it's nothing like that plant, so I'm not sure where that came from. I do remember stripping the seeds off and throwing them at my brothers though! :D Curly dock is a naturalized, invasive weed native to Europe and western Asia, which seems to grow everywhere, and can be found in most areas of the world. Young leaves can eaten in salads or boiled as a spinach-like vegetable, though it's considered to be overly bitter as the leaves age. Though a great source of vitamin A and protein, there is a risk of kidney stones and urinary tract infections if too much is eaten. If you would like to know more about this unusual flower, Wiki has a great page here: Wiki: Curly Dock (Rumex crispus)

WHAT?! Ok, ok, I'm cheating and I don't care! I think male pine cones look as pretty as flowers and since they release pollen, I'm including this as one of the Flowers of Spring & Summer! :) So there! :D The first thing to know is that pine cones don't have flowers! Instead, these trees have male cones that release pollen and female cones that receive the pollen and produce seeds. Male cones look very different and grow on the lower branches, whereas female cones grow on the upper branches. They are the cones we all recognize. They receive the pollen released by the male cones and produce seeds. Isn't that fascinating?! I always wondered what these things were! If you would like to know more about pine cones, Wiki has a very nice page here: Wiki: Conifer Cone