This week’s photos may not zoom in on the beautiful spring wildflowers as much as I might like, but they were good enough to start me really wishing I knew where they were taken — I’d love to go there myself and seek out the purple and white Spotted downingia. I was also dearly hoping the location hasn’t changed in the intervening years since 2010 (I confess to feeling stunned at the realization this was nearly 12 years ago).

Spotted downingia, with some California goldfields mixed in

Given the flat, wetland-type landscape and the fact that Mt. Diablo is visible in a couple of photos, I assumed the location was somewhere in Solano County, maybe near Suisun Bay, perhaps Grizzly Island. Doing a bit of research into places the downingia likes to grow, I discovered Jepson Prairie Preserve, a beautiful natural area located halfway between Dixon and Vacaville. It’s part of the Solano Land Trust, and while this may or may not be the actual location where the photographer shot these images, I think I’m ready to make the sacrifice and go check out the place for myself. I do wish I could thank the photographer for leaving behind these lovely pictures and allowing me to learn something new about the region where I live!

Per Google, this white flower is called Soft Blow Wives (Achyrachaena mollis)