There’s a lot of repetition here and I apologize if it’s annoying. There are probably more photos of iris than you care to look at, but it was a spectacular iris year here and I had trouble whittling it down!

I never knew poppies could grow so well in Iowa – particularly the wispy orange California poppies. I thought they were only suited for drier climates; I was obviously misinformed. And that’s fine by me. I rather like them. I think they are one of my favorite flowers to photograph. Not as flamboyant as sunflowers and not as long standing either. I suppose their short bloom time makes them less ideal garden flowers (if you want lots of long blooms), but this also makes me more appreciative. After the bloom is done the seed pod forms for post-bloom interest. I’ll be sure to add more to this slide show as the seasons continue.

Want to add some poppies to your garden? Not sure if it’s necessary, but we usually sprinkle the seeds toward the end of winter. All the better if it’s snowing a little. The silvery, jagged-leaved seedlings emerge early in the spring.

It’s no wonder that Jack’s magic seeds were beans. The way the vines twist and grow and climb lend themselves to fantasy and imagination. And they produce beaucoup amounts of beans too. Something I am not sure Jack was ever too aware of. Or perhaps his grew so fast and then he had to chop down the stalk so soon after planting that he was never able to harvest anything.

I like to think the beans of the Jack’s plant would also be magical. Maybe a few seeds have survived and have been past down through the generations. And maybe one day I will trade those seeds for a cow. I’ll need a cow first.