September is one of my favorite months, the land is still lush and vibrant, but the days are getting shorter and there is just a touch of a chill in the air which bring with it the promise of both Fall and Winter. It also tends to be a rather quite period out on the trails, the summer crowds are gone after the Labor Day weekend and the leaves are not yet changing color which brings on a brief autumn rush of people back to the parks. So it is a good time for contemplation.
It is also when some of the most intense blues will be found in the park at the Gentian plants begin to bloom. The Miller Woods trail is a particularly good place to see them, and this is where I went this weekend.
Interestingly, when viewed from the top the leaves of these plants arrange themselves to form an almost perfect square opening. The symmetry of the little white tufts and the deep blue veins radiating outward are simply striking.
Bottled Gentian flowers never open. Pollenating insects need to be able to push their way inside in order to gain access. The array of colors on this particular specimen makes me think of a bowl of pastel sticks.
Gentian flowers certainly do not hold a monopoly on the color blue, late September seems to lean heavily into this portion of natures color palette.
Blue Lobelia is out in abundance.
Though not quite as intense as some others, Aster’s are prevalent as well.
One of the beautiful and fascinating aspects of early Autumn is the juxtaposition of fresh, vibrant blossoms against the rusts and browns of decay which is becoming increasingly apparent.
There are of course plenty of other colors in the forests and wetlands of the Indiana Dunes.
The berries of this Plumed Solomon’s Seal are at their peak of color, a brilliant red.
These Tall White Lettuce flowers present with more subdued colors than many of their neighbors.
There are a lot of fuzzy white puffballs as well, their seeds being spread by the winds.
The tall grasses are beginning to thin out as well.
Over the coming weeks the overall appearance of the land will change dramatically.
Here I stand on a foot bridge which marks the transition from forested dunes to the more sparsely vegetated fore dunes along the shore of the lake.
Even though it is a beautiful day, the beach is deserted. For myself, this is the beginning of the time when I enjoy sitting on the beach and gazing out over the waters of Lake Michigan. From now through about May will be prime beach season so far as I am concerned.
The view of the trail head from the Douglas Center.