in Thoreau’s Journal

At Veronia meadow I notice the beds of horse-mint now in flower—bluish whorls of flowers now in its prime. Now is the time to gather thoroughwort. Cardinals are in their prime.

July 28, 2016: Cardinal Flower

The Hibiscus is barely budded but already the mead hay mowers have sheared close to it. Most fields are so completely shorn now that the walls & fence sides where plants are protected appear unusually rich. I know not what aspect the flowers would present if our fields & meadows were untouched for a year….How large a proportion of flowers for instance are repressed to & found by hedges walls & fences.