The third time was the charm for the cardinal flowers. They’re fading now; this shot is from August 20, when the black-eyed Susans had just blossomed. Cardinal flowers I had bought from other native plant vendors never took off, but these six I acquired from Nature Niche at one of their 2023 native plant sales did so well that I bought them six friends at the August 2024 sale.

My family camped for many years at the Rifle River Recreation Area in Lupton, Michigan, and a kayaking trip always was on the agenda. Occasionally we would see a single cardinal flower along the river and they popped so brightly they stuck with us. My lungs are so broken that I probably never will kayak again, so I love having these flowers out my front window as a reminder of those times.