Master gardener Paul James loves taking up-close looks at flora and fauna in his landscape because it gives him a unique perspective on everything that grows. Beginning with the emerging seedheads of one of his favorite plants, he shows some of his favorite plants in detail:
The flat, braided seedheads give northern sea oats (Chasmanthium latifolium ) its name (figure A).
Red fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum) (figure B) forms panicles of pinkish flowers up to a foot long. A ladybug strolls through the fine hairs.
'Burro's-tail' (Sedum morganianum) has small succulent leaves that are attached to a light green trailing stem (figure C).
Barrel cactus is made more interesting by its beautiful red bloom (figure D ).
Shrimp plants have unusual and beautiful flowers (figure E), which ants and tiny grasshoppers find interesting.
And although he stays clear of them, James admires the architectural skills of paper wasps, whose nests cling in several places beneath the eaves of his house.
"Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, 'Many eyes go through the meadow, but few see the flowers in it.' I couldn't agree more," says James. "So do yourself a favor and take time to examine all the living things in your landscape from every possible angle, because you never know what you'll find unless you take the time to look."
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