It would be neat for contributors from all over the country to offer their images to an aggregate gallery called Unplanted Gardens: America's Roadside Bloomery, I thought. And here it is!

All images should include in their composition a road of some kind, just to place it, and then the wildflowers that grow there unplanted. Highway department wildflower beds don't count.

Each image should be 72 dpi, max size of 800 pixels on the largest side. Information should minimally include the location, if possible some ID on the flowers, and any other pertinent or interesting information. Please give your image files descriptive names, e.g., BlackEyesSusan.jpg. or Virginia_Backroads.jpg

If you would like to accept this assignment, send your image(s) to me at -- fred1st over at gmail -- with Unplanted Garden in the subject line. I will upload them here at Smugmug as soon as I can after receiving them. I'll collect these through October (there are lots of fall asters, Joe Pye Weed, Iron Weed, etc.) If at least thirty are received, we'll go farther.

We'll vote and there will be a first, second and third prize--some combination of the book (Slow Road Home), the two sets of photo note cards, and screen saver images for your computer.

Please forward this pleasant "assignment" to your photog and blogger friends. The more, the better. The gallery is now ready for your submissions, y'all.