Alberta is florally blessed and ecologically rich , profound in its wealth of beautiful wildflowers .
Photo by Dené Miles
Some are deliciously fragrant . Bouquets of gorgeous wildflowers colour the land . They dance in the shadows of serpentine waterways , climb mountains , and command attention wherever they grow . Wildflowers ascend to great heights and carpet alpine meadows .
The coming of spring and summer is heralded as wildflowers emerge from the winter snow to play across meadows , paint forest glades , and toss multi-petaled rainbows into the landscape ’ s more sombre understory . Stalking wildflowers as they transform the land can become an obsession . It can also be pursued as a captivating sideline to a quiet walk or a meandering stroll . And it needn ’ t be defined as a quest . It can simply be enjoyed as a serendipitous gift that happens to fall into your lap — or , more likely , materialize magically from the surrounding greenery .
But I must warn you , even a fleeting glance at a multihued wildflower can launch a lifelong addiction .
SUMMER 2024 | 19