Field of Gold

Nearly the same photo.  The flash clicked on the second one.  I like the way the coreopsis in the first photo seems to be opening itself to the sky.  Reaching up for...more rays?

Everyone knows that the flowers are appearing early this year.  This field of gold magically emerged in the past week.

It's spectacular at dawn and dusk, when the low sun rays catch the petals without brightening the sky.  Normally the coreopsis last weeks; this season your guess is as good as mine!

The long view, from the flowers, across the chain link fence to the "back yard" and beyond into the crop field, ending at the heron's creek.

And guess what?  These flowers are atop my septic mound!  When I discovered I'd have to have a raised bed, I did some research and saw that many county extensions recommend planting prairie plants on septic mounds in order to reduce erosion and to use up the moisture there.  So I contacted J.F. New and ordered a sack of low grasses and forbs (the flowers).  Now it's a delight!  I even enjoy some of the weeds that have offered themselves up, though I try to eliminate most of them.

This purple flower is cow vetch, a pea relative.  I absolutely love it, although it is a weed.  I always keep it!

Don't you agree that my field of gold is better than a plain, green septic field?