Danielle Dreams in Wildflowers

I’m spending less time shopping and more time in the woods. I love shopping. Many of the reflections I’ve shared on this website mention jewelry, shoes, or material treasures–fashion, or otherwise. I enjoy collecting beautiful things. Objects like clothes and decorations excite me as a creative person. I hoard rubber stamps. A new set of colorful pens can inspire me to draw or to write something new. Used books are hard to resist. But I’m also aware of the emptiness and excess that come with acquiring more “stuff.” Minimalism feels good, yet I seem to have a thing for acquiring items. The spark of excitement that feels like love makes me want to bring the thing home.

Something about looking for flowers reminds me of shopping. It’s a comparison that seems blasphemous; descending a path toward a waterfall, surrounded by ephemeral blooms, my spirit is in a good place. Nothing like what I might feel trying to survive a busy big box store. After the pandemic, my desire to spend time in stores diminished. Browsing the aisles at Target just isn’t the same. I get overwhelmed by the dynamics of shopping: weaving through aisles, trying to avoid crashing the cart into others, constantly worrying about being in someone’s way. Still, I need to look for and marvel at things. A pair of pink moon boots, on sale, and the only pair is my size. A roll of marbled, handmade paper perfect for my latest craft project.

Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis, Lake Maria State Park, MN. Photo by Danielle, May 2026.

At the start of May, we took our first nature trip of the year. Driving south toward Cannon Falls, MN, we stop at Lake Maria State Park near Monticello. We visited the park last year and I saw a beautiful Showy Orchis, Galearis spectabilis, not far off the trail. I remember the flower: the first wild orchid in my shoebox of flowering memories. This year, I find it again. The flowers aren’t blooming yet. The U.S. Forest Service describes Showy Orchis as “somewhat succulent,” and the plump green leaves remind me of Aloe vera. I wonder how long the plant has lived there, on the floor of the big woods.

We reach Cannon Falls, enjoying a pizza at Dudley’s Pizza and Sandwich Shop. The next morning, we’re up early, en route to a park I’ve been dreaming about all winter. Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park near Faribault is part of a three-county area where the Dwarf Trout Lily, Erythronium propullans, blooms. A federally endangered plant, the Dwarf Trout Lily grows among the larger White Trout Lily, Erythronium albidum. While the two species resemble each other in many ways, the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources explains that the White Trout Lily has six petal-like tepals. The Dwarf Trout Lily is much smaller and usually features 3-5 tepals. The Dwarf is a special thing for Minnesota: a rare, tiny plant that grows only here, in the North Star state.

White Trout Lily, Erythronium albidum, Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park, MN. Photo by Danielle, May 2026.

Wild Blue Phlox, Phlox divericata, Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park, MN. Photo by Danielle, May 2026.

From Cannon Falls, MN, we drive to the park and arrive just after the office opens. We pick up a state park patch for our hound; he also likes to collect things. Right away, I see big patches of trout lilies, knowing they must be the larger species. The flowers cover the slopes and the shady zones under the trees. Our hound sprints toward the trail. He and my husband walk ahead a ways, always watching for snakes. We head into the woods, toward Hidden Falls. A few years ago, my ideal weekend would have involved something more urban. A restaurant and some retail therapy. Foraging for fashion at T.J. Maxx. An art museum or even a movie. Out in the woods, I’m in a museum. It’s hard to believe the spring flowers are real. My eyes open wide at Dutchman’s Breeches, Cicentra cucullaria. Its unusually shaped flowers resemble tiny pairs of pants. It’s my first time seeing this plant. I imagine the old me, tossing the little white breeches into a shopping cart, hoping they might fit.

Others are out in the woods, looking for flowers. I pass someone who tells me about a plant he saw near the waterfall. I point out a Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum. It’s another first plant for me, so green and unusual. I want to describe it as “planty.” The guy tells me has one growing in his backyard. A park ranger leads a guided wildflower tour. I stop to eavesdrop, photographing a group of Large-flowered bellwort, Uvularia grandiflora. The colors remind me of lemons and limes. Down the trail, another ranger visits with a man carrying a camera. They’re bent over on the boardwalk, fingering through the White Trout Lilies, looking for Dwarves.

Jack-in-the-Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum, Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park, MN. Photo by Danielle, May 2026.

Dutchman’s Breeches, Dicentra cucullaria, Nerstrand-Big Woods State Park, MN. Photo by Danielle, May 2026.

We reach the waterfall. Our hound poses for photographs. Opposite Hidden Falls, I admire a natural staircase of rock and soil, radiating with Marsh Marigolds, Caltha palustris. A couple of years ago, I started listening to the Secular Buddhism podcast hosted by Noah Rasheta. The podcast has taught me a lot about the value of living in the present moment and embracing whatever feelings we have in that moment. In times of stress, we should “sit with” that stress, notice it, and try to pinpoint where it manifests in our bodies. In the woods, I “sit with” a sense of serenity. The fresh air feels good. I just want to be with the flowers.

The next day, we drive north toward Two Harbors. Our route takes us past Afton State Park, where we check out a trail with views of the St. Croix River. A tributary of the Mississippi, the St. Croix River follows the border between Minnesota and Wisconsin. We’ve seen thousands of anemones on this trip. I try for a perfect photograph of Rue anemone, Thalictrum thalictroides, a new favorite flower in shades of soft pink. Some of the blossoms are large, with as many as ten sepals (petals). Farther north on the St. Croix Scenic Byway, we explore William O’Brien State Park. Our hound eats lunch in the parking lot. Our final big stop of the day is Wild River State Park, where we take another long walk through the shady trees. Various types of violets are everywhere, especially Common Blue Violet, Viola sororia. A wild patch of violets grows in our backyard.

Rue anemone, Thalictrum thalictroides, Wild River State Park, MN. Photo by Danielle, May 2026.

North American Porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum, near Schoolcraft State Park, MN. Photo by Danielle, May 2026.

We spend the night in Two Harbors. I read about the history of the St. Croix River and upload the day’s photos to my computer. The St. Croix River has supported human life for thousands of years. We didn’t see the Dwarf Trout Lily, but I felt no disappointment. I knew the flowers were there, tiny and rare, thriving in secret. I’m starting to feel like Mary Lennox in Frances Hodgson Burnett’s The Secret Garden (1911). Motivated by curiosity, Mary’s relationship with a secret garden transforms her into a happier person. Each park visit feels like a walk through a secret garden. Nature’s shelves are always well-stocked with enchanting objects that aren’t for sale. I’m becoming more aware of time. The time I spend doing things shapes who I am as a person. Spending time around beautiful life, like flowers, inspires a sense of contentment I never experienced while searching for the perfect material object.

Driving home toward Polk County, we see a North American Porcupine, Erethizon dorsatum, in a ditch near Schoolcraft State Park. Neither my husband nor I has seen a porcupine in the wild before. The porcupine is alone, foraging in the grass. It’s incredible. A few years ago, one of my students told me this area was a good place to see a porcupine. I’m lucky to get some clear photographs before the quilled rodent disappears into some tall vegetation. Wow. I take a deep breath in the passenger seat. So many wonderous creatures live among us. We rarely see these creatures alive, just being themselves. I sit with the sense of awe, not needing to speak or to analyze. We cruise down the highway. Ideas drift in and out. I’m not worried about solving problems or proving myself to others. I’m joyful over a porcupine. The feeling itself is the only thing I need.