Danielle Dreams in Wildflowers

We often go birding and looking for plants and animals in and around the small town of Fertile, MN. Home of the only sand dunes in Minnesota, the Fertile Sand Hills, the area features many habitats, including the Sand Hill River. Early last fall, we saw a young male Elk near a tree strip while driving toward Fertile on Highway 102 in Polk County. The banks of the Sand Hill River are thick with flowers and plants. Back in the woods, hundreds of ferns capture my attention. I don’t know much about ferns yet.

Young male elk, Polk County, MN near Fertile. Photo by Danielle, July 2024.

I don’t always dream in wildflowers. Lately, I’ve had a recurring dream about jogging through a neighborhood at night. I think I’m in my hometown, but the neighborhood seems unfamiliar. It’s hot and I glisten with sweat. Lamps light up a few windows. In the dream, I run with ease, gliding through the dark streets. I feel a sense of peace and achievement. I’m proud of myself for exercising. These are pleasant dreams, but in real life, I’ve never enjoyed running. I wish I could enjoy it. Long-distance runners seem to exemplify physical excellence. In my dreams, I’m one of them.

Freud talked about dreams as wish-fulfillment. The manifest content, the jogging at night, expresses some kind of deep desire or wish. A few nights ago I dreamed of Blue Vervain (Verbena hastata). A disembodied voice in the dream said, “Blue Vervain is rare.” But it’s not rare. I saw it last summer in Fertile, on the banks of the Sand Hill River.

Blue Vervain, Verbena hastata, Fertile, MN. Photo by Danielle, July 2024.

This time, I see a red bloom on a rocky hillside. The color stands out—red is a less common color for wildflowers. It might be an escaped garden plant. Reading my flower books, I imagine the habitats as exotic, unreachable. The flowers are so incredible in their colors and cosmic designs—they must be rare and difficult to find. I think about one of my favorite movies, Adaptation, and Susan Orlean’s book The Orchid Thief. The John Laroche character, played in the movie by Chris Cooper but based on a real person, is obsessed with orchids. He endures any environment, adventuring through the Florida swamps to capture the prized Ghost Orchid.

When I see a new flower, I’m John Laroche in my own mind. But getting close to the new red bloom, I’ve barely left the trail. Mostly, I opened my eyes. The rocky hillside lit up, like a window of curiosities. The red bloom is a Wild Columbine. I see only two or three of the plants. I head down the hill and try to get a good picture.

Wild Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, Fertile, MN. Photo by Danielle, May 2025.

Wild Columbine, Aquilegia canadensis, Fertile, MN. Photo by Danielle, May 2025.

The Columbine looks like a lampshade with a fringed, yellow pull. The colors? Pink lemonade.

My husband sees a bird along the Sand Hill River. I see it too, like a red tomato, something different. It’s jumping and flying low, near the river bank. “It’s a Scarlet Tanager,” I whisper. We’ve been birding for years and this is our first Tanager. We watch it, like a secret movie. Through the camera, I see the soft, fine feathers up close. I wish for a word to capture the remarkable color. The word already exists: scarlet.

Scarlet Tanager, Fertile, MN. Photo by Danielle, May 2025.

Later, on my jog, I will wear a scarlet ring on my finger. I’ll count the beats of my pulse and breathe deeply, flying at night.