Given how late in the year it is and how dry it's been, I really wasn't expecting to find any flowers blooming at Garland Ranch. Quelle surprise! I spotted two short vinegar weed plants in their lovely purple glory on a small sunny slope, a location which usually sprouts shootingstars and Johnny jump ups in the early spring. These were softly fuzzy (i.e., non-irritating) and left a heavy scent on my fingers for hours. I associate the smell to a mixture of turpentine and pitcher sage. I kinda liked it. It didn't remind me of vinegar at all. The structure of the flowers fascinates me with its curve way back and then up and around. I'd love to see how the mechanism works on pollinators.
