“Walking with Wildflowers: A Door County Earth Day Reflection”

The wildflowers I’m sharing were photographed during past season spent wandering through the state and local parks of Door County, Wisconsin. Each one carries a story. Each bloom is a moment of stillness, of awe, of connection.

On Washington Island and Rock Island, I found scattered clusters of bluebells—tucked in quietly among the trees, delicate and rare. Bluebells are often seen as messengers of humility and gratitude, inviting us to bow gently to the beauty of the Earth.

In Newport State Park in north Door County, I marveled at the rare and graceful lady slippers, and stood still among the scent of blooming wild lilacs. Lady slippers symbolize the sacred feminine and the importance of inner stillness; wild lilacs offer a sweet reminder of memory and renewal.

At Potawatomi State Park, bright red columbine danced against the rocks, and bellflowers nodded in the shade of the trees. Columbine represents courage in the face of adversity, while bellflowers whisper messages of constancy and deep listening.

At Crossroads at Big Creek, I wandered through lush green ferns, found cardinal flowers glowing like embers near the creek, and spotted delicate wood anemone among the moss. Cardinal flowers call in passion and vitality; wood anemone is a flower of awakening and emotional clarity.

At The Ridges Sanctuary in Baileys Harbor, I was blessed to encounter the fiery Indian paintbrush and the endangered Dwarf Lake Iris—each blooming as if to say, “This moment matters.”

Indian paintbrush speaks of bold creativity and sacred expression—it’s a bloom of visionaries and dreamers.

The Dwarf Lake Iris, small and rare, feels like a whisper from the soul of the Great Lakes themselves. It’s a flower of sacred presence, quiet strength, and delicate resilience.

These wild places are sacred to me. They’ve offered healing, inspiration, and quiet guidance over and over again.

And they’ve taught me one of the most important lessons of Earth Day: to admire without taking.

Many wildflowers—like lady slippers and the Dwarf Lake Iris—are vulnerable. Their presence in the forest is already rare, and picking even one can keep it from blooming again.

If we are to be Earthkeepers, let it begin with reverence. With attention. With protection.

Let it begin by honoring the wildflowers and trees that give us life—and asking how we can give back.

In honor of these native blooms, I’ll be releasing a special Door County Wildflower Pressed Pottery Collection this July, created with real native Door County wildflowers from my garden. Each piece is a tribute to the healing beauty of the land—pressed by hand, made with reverence.

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