"Flowers grow out of the darkest moments." - Corita KentÂ
The winter of 2022-23 was a tough one on the Northern Plains. We were hit with three notable blizzards, temperatures in the minus 20s, and wind that made the world shudder. It came after four years of withering drought that gave me nightmares of The Grapes of Wrath. It seemed quite possible that another dust bowl was just around the corner.
We suffered some dark days. But the winter brought moisture and on Memorial Day we went for a walk to find that the resilient grassland ecosystem was fighting back. We found flowers and photographed them for you.
Biscuitroot Buds

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Biscuitroot

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Veiny Dock

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Spring Parsley

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Milkvetch

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Tufted Evening Primrose

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Thistle Buds

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Sunflowers Waiting to Bloom

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Wallflowers

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Scarlet Bee Blossom

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Yellow Salsify

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Missouri Foxtail Cactus Flower

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Scarlet Globemallow

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Prairie Spiderwort

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Prairie Onion

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Fleabane

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Prickly Pear Buds

 "Deep in their roots, all flowers keep the light." - Theodore Roethke
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Wildflowers of the Great Plains are nature’s fireworks.