A Hike through Harewood Plains

 Hullo! Today we are headed off to the Harewood Plains to see the spring flowers... I love this area!

See! What's not to love about this colour palette... purple camas, pink sea blush, yellow spring gold and monkey flowers... gorgeous!

They've put some signs up... wonder how they knew I would be coming?

These are helpful signs, for people who might not know the flowers in the area...

We spotted a white camas flower!!

The sad thing here... is the Scotch Broom is starting to invade these meadows... you can see it enroaching with it's yellow flowers.

Broombusters was in doing one area, and we really noticed the difference there...

Did I mention I love this trail?

We found a late patch of violets!

This was the big meadow with no scotch broom... well-done Broombusters!

We saw this little flower everywhere... 

We looked it up and it's Western Starflower... beary cute!

Some strawberry plants are blooming too...

And the wild roses!

Don't even talk to me about the broom along the power lines. Ugh!! Who do we have to thanks for this invasive scourge... Captain Walter Colquhoun Grant... that's who... First non-Hudson's Bay Company "settler" of Vancouver Island, who planted some seeds to remind him of his native Scotland. Stupid eedjit...

Anyhow... we are here to check on the rarest of the rare... the Lotus pinnatus flowers... also known as bog bird's-foot trefoil...

This little area is the one we know where it regularly grows and... there's some!!

They are just starting to open up... little cuties...

Although even here, the broom is threatening...

We might need a category for Environmental Criminals... mister Captain Walter Coloquon Grant would be top of the list. Hmph!!

Let's continue with the hike!

I do have to say... this is a beary pretty area...

With a nice view... I hope it never gets developed for housing.

You know humans and their desire for "views"...

We had hoped to spot some chocolate lilies but... they are done now. 

That's OK... we'll have to come a titch earlier next year!

This split rail fence is designed to reminder ATV'ers not to drive all over these meadows...

A little bear would never do that...

Hope you enjoyed the trek!

Checking on my new favourite flower

Hullo... we are out and about on another hike this morning. I know... I am a seriously lucky bear! Mind you... this hike was in early June soooo...

I found these little cuties which belong to the pea family.... they look like the trefoil flower...

but have no white on them...

Ooh... these are new. They weren't out the last time we were here...

They are called Twin Flowers... cause there are two flowers on each stalk... cute...

And the salal is blooming... have yet to figure out what to do with salal. Apparently it makes quite a yummy jelly but... picking them is beary difficult as there aren't a lot of berries on each bush.

Oooh... my cute little stonecrop friends...

That flower looks beary pretty...

The grass has grown up quite a bit since I was last here...

These are new - they kind of look like a daisy but... goodness know what they are...

And... whoa... there is a lot of trefoil around!

They are all blooming quite nicely along the road under the powerlines...

It's been a beary wet spring and they like soggy seeps.

Who knew that there would be so many here under the powerlines...

Everywhere I look, I see clumps of them... Have to say, they are much easier to spot when they are blooming!

So cute...

Even here... on an island in the middle of the ATV tracks... a little patch is thriving...

Grow little flowers, grow!

Right then... enough of the trefoil...

Here we have some Nootka Rose... I think they should have been the Official Flower of BC... the Pacific Dogwood only grows down south whereas the Nootka Rose grows throughout the province. Hmph... just saying...

And here we have... hmmm... a new one on me... after some research...

It is Tomcat Clover! (Who names these things?) Beary pretty...

Nice little view of the ocean from here.

This little flower is quite shy and dainty... it is called Small-Flowered Alumroot...

See... small flowers!

Not sure what the roots are like but the leaves are pretty distinctive.

Apparently they are related to Coral Bells which some people have in their gardens...

And finally... quite a find...

Some Tiger Lilies!!!!

Cool!!! We haven't ever seen these down here before, so this is a nice discovery.

Sandy Bear, avid botanist, signing off... P.S. this adventure took place in ***cough*** early June... been having soooo many adventures...