John shared a shot of the sunflowers that are currently painting Send Brother’s farm in Acme Township a brilliant yellow. He reminds you to be respectful of the fields (and trespassing laws) if you do stop here or anywhere for a photo! See the latest from John at TCPhoto on Facebook.
It wouldn’t take much to convince me to move to Buttercup World...
Michigan has almost 20 species of buttercup, but I’m pretty sure this is Swamp Buttercup (Ranunculus hispidus). Michigan Flora from the University of Michigan Herbarium says that one place it’s found is in Houdek Dunes on the Leelanau Peninsula and that it grows in moist to usually dry upland places (oak forests, sandy knolls, etc.). The other two, more widespread varieties have practically the same habitats and may indeed grow together; they are characteristic of wet areas in forests and thickets along streams, ponds, and lakes, as well as ravines and in deciduous or cedar swamps.
Wikipedia adds the fun fact that “Ranunculus” means “little frog” in Latin & refers to its preference for wet environments. They also add the un-fun fact that all parts of the plant are mildly toxic if eaten and could cause minor skin irritation if touched. The foliage is poisonous for mammals such as cows, which avoid eating it, but small rodents and birds like turkey & grouse love the seeds!
Mark took this a while back in late June. You can see his latest on Facebook and view & purchase his work at Leelanau Landscapes.
June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month, and I really encourage you to do what you can to support research into this horrible disease that is responsible for two out of every three cases of dementia (or more).
I took these photos over the years. The top one shows the purple flowers that would spread across my mom’s yard every spring, and I hope they help you remember the folks who can no longer remember 💜
Flower Day is an over 60 year tradition that started in 1967. The annual event is free and open to the public, featuring an astonishing range of plants featuring the Metro Detroit Flower Growers Association & vendors from all over the Midwest (over 150!). The day also includes live music & food against the backdrop of historic Eastern Market. It’s a perfect event for all ages – click for all the details at easternmarket.org.
I created the Absolute Michigan photo group on Flickr way back in April of 2012. Since then, the group has grown to nearly 4,000 photographers and earlier this week, one of them added the three hundred thousandth photo was added to the group which I think is pretty darned cool!!
Speaking of the Absolute Michigan group, it’s a great place to check out photos of literally anything in Michigan with just a search. Here’s the most interesting pics shared of May in Michigan!
Holland’s Tulip Time Festival takes place May 1-10, 2026. This iconic Michigan festival is nearly 100 years old, and I can’t tell you how delighted I am to learn that it was started by a biology teacher who was in love with the area’s natural beauty:
The idea of Tulip Time was introduced in 1927 at a Woman’s Literary Club meeting. Miss Lida Rogers, a biology teacher at Holland High School, suggested that Holland adopt the tulip as its flower because of its close ties to the Netherlands, and set aside a day for a festival. She titled her talk that day “Civic Beauty” and spoke at length about the area’s unique sand dunes, its fine trees, safe water supply, pure milk, and ample playgrounds. She advocated planting more trees, and because the Chamber of Commerce was seeking something appropriate, suggested planting tulips in every yard. She concluded with reading a poem, “Come Down to Holland in Tulip Time.”
In 1928, City Council, under Mayor Ernest C. Brooks, appropriated funds to purchase 100,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands. These bulbs were to be planted in city parks and other areas. Initial plans called for a “Tulip Day.” Bulbs were available to Holland residents at one cent a piece.
Thus, it was in 1929 that thousands of tulips bloomed, and Holland invited visitors to come during a week in May. Because of interest shown, it was decided to make Tulip Time an annual event with Mrs. Ethel Telling as the first chairman. Under Mrs. Telling’s leadership, the Festival was organized emphasizing Dutch costumes and wooden shoes. The revival of old Netherlands customs and traditions naturally followed, and visitors and townsfolk found the Festival both unique and picturesque.
Sean shared a hype video of his Tulip Time pics to our Michigan in Pictures group on Facebook & writes: “Tulip Time 2025 broke records with nearly a million(976,000) flower-chasers flooding Holland—up 30% from last year. 4.5 million tulips. $50 million in impact. One word: blooming! ”
Indeed!! Follow along with Sean at Tulip Time ’26 on his Facebook or Instagram.
More tulips & Tulip Time & on Michigan in Pictures and I have to say that this photo by Sean looks like it’s straight out of Oz!!
“In the Spring, I have counted 136 different kinds of weather inside of 24 hours.” -Mark Twain
Tomorrow morning our seasonal window moves from winter to spring regardless of what the weather decides to do.
I am a firm vote for “Spring stuff” aka flowers, baby animals, duckies, etc, but to prepare you for whatever lies ahead, here are some flowers just minding their own business from Bill. See more in his massive Flowers gallery on Flickr & follow Bill’s Pictures on Facebook for his latest!
Longtime Michpics followers will recognize Joel’s name and may remember his enduring photo series of a Flower a Day for February. It’s now the 20th year of one of my favorite Michigan photographers dedicating an entire month to helping folks feel better about a hard time of year. Happy Valentine’s Day to all of you!
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