The text and paintings on The Trowbridge Chronicles are taken from the illustrated journal of Violet Trowbridge, a shrew that once lived in a village deep in the Olympic Rain Forest. Each new post will represent a portion of Mrs. Trowbridge’s journal.

Monday, April 17, 2006

SPOTTED ON A MOUNTAIN TOP: THE ALBINO PIPERS BELL FLOWER

The Pipers Bell Flower is the rarest of the rare. Endemic to the Olympic Mountains, only a few dozen specimens are known to exist. This flower, undoubtedly, is one of the rarest wild flowers on the planet. Only a few people know where to find it. I am privileged to be counted among them. Mrs. Trowbridge saw it and sketched it on only one occasion, but even she couldn't fully appreciate its rarity.
This is very likely the actual rock where Mrs. T encountered the Albino Pipers Bell Flower so many years ago, for there is only one other known population of this precious wild flower. She wrote that she found it "on a distant mountain in the North Forest". I photographed the flowers pictured above near the summit of Lillian Ridge in the north Olympics. There were less than two dozen Bell Flowers growing on this boulder. The photos that I took of this flower are among my most prized photographs.

34 comments:

Unknown said...

The Pipers Bel Flower is beautiful. Love the lady bug on the petal. I am starting to get out to our woods here in PA to sketch the spring woodland flowers. I love this time of year.

MD said...

lovley sketch and fascinating story behind it. Beautiful work.
MD

Thirrin Vertigo said...

Wow how lucky to encounter a really rare flower in the wild and have a picture of it!!! The sketch is really nice. I really like the ladybird.
Annie

Amy Zaleski said...

Gorgeous!! The ladybug is a nice touch.

Geninne said...

WOW Bron, what a privilege to see that amazing gem of a flower :-) I googled the Olympic Mountains and had a ball looking at the beautiful sights, what a place! You live in a gorgeous State. I hope to take my family to see the sights one of these days.
Mrs. Trowbridge sure is a talented lady, loved her sketch as always, specially the shiny ladybug, it looks like she just took a bath.
Thank you Bron for bringing a smile to my face evry week with these beautifull illos and stories.
God bless U.

valerie walsh said...

Mrs. T is so talented! I love this!!!

Willie Baronet said...

This qualifies as something new I learned today. :-)

Kim de Young said...

Thanks for sharing this fragile beauty with us.


PS. I didn't comment last week, on your speedy painting, looks like fun.

Nicole said...

Your story is such a delight.
Congratulations on your incredible creativity. I hold you in awe.

N.

Ginger*:) said...

You keep amazing us, Mrs. Trowbridge. Your talent for finding the interesting, the rare, the touching in life is rewarding, not only for you but those who are priviledged to peek into your journal from time to time.
This is beautiful illustration, soft and exquisite.

Susan Mitchell said...

When I look at your work, I always feel like I have picked up an old book filled with such delicate and detailed illustrations. I love how there is always a story attached to them.

Roz Foster said...

Nice. The scale of your work made me wonder if the stamen was a statue that the ladybug had come to pay his respects to. Ha! Beautiful, Bron.

Roz Foster said...

Nice. The scale of your work made me wonder if the stamen was a statue that the ladybug had come to pay his respects to. Ha! Beautiful, Bron.

Regina said...

Thank you for sharing this rare and beautiful wildflower! Very precious indeed!

Jorge Flores-Oliver, aka Blumpi said...

Hey!
thanks for commenting!
I hadn´t thought of my characters of reminiscent of Captain Underpants, but that´s a very nice comparison.
Your Trowbridge Chronicles are amazing! I wish they were published, they´d sure make a very cool book!

AndyDoodler said...

Very cool as usual! Yea- it does kind of look like the ladybug is visiting an icon.

HARDWAX said...

Mrs.Trowwbridge never ceases to a amaze me, beautiful illustration of the Albino Piper Bell, love her efforts in painting this very rare flower, they compliment one another.

Tricky Trev said...

Beautiful illo. I feel that every time I visit I get one step closer to a degree in botanical studies. The Albino Pipers Bell Flower is very interesting. I once saw an albino squirrel in my backyard! Sigh, it doesn't compare.

;)

TheTart said...

Mrs. T has a kinda Tarty flower going this week. It is very lovely ... yet a lush sensual tone to it. Nice to see Mrs. T has a tad bit of Tart, natch! This makes her all the more real & endearing. ; )

Do you have a photo version of your flowers that is bigger? I clicked on it to see them better, but it was the same size. Just thought I would ask. They are lovely!

Smooch,
The Tart
; )

carla said...

How beautiful this flower is! Mrs. T did a fine job capturing its magic, and how lucky she was that a ladybug stopped to pose! There are always such lovely things to see and learn here...Mrs. T leads a charmed life indeed:>

carla said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
wildharmonic said...

I have been in the Seattle area now for over a year and I still have not made it to the Olympics. I must I must I must!

As always, your work here is as beautiful as it is entertaining.

String said...

Beautiful, lucky you - I grew up in Seattle...such beauty to treasure!

Pickledog said...

Fantastic illo! I love your concept for Mrs. T's journal.

tiffini elektra x said...

So wonderful. I love your flower and the ladybug just in awe of it. Oh it is hard to wait a week for Mrs. T's next entry!!

Janet said...

Beautiful..as are all of your illos!

Angela Matteson said...

Beautiful painting of a rare gem!
I love getting a glimpse of things I may never overwise see in my lifetime.

Luisa said...

Hi Bron! you make an excellent work, you are a great artist. Thanks for your comments in my blog, it´s really an honor for my.

I hope you come soon to Spain. :)

Anonymous said...

Absolutely perfect!

Anonymous said...

as an inveterate beachcomber i know nothing of Albino pipers wild flower :(
yet you really are an excellent artist plus makes me curious about mountains
:)

Anonymous said...

This is beautifully done.

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