Morrison's Studio

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Morrison's Studio

Morrison's Studio & Gallery is home to the work of Bruce Morrison - painter, photographer, and printmaker of the tallgrass prairie.

Visit us for paintings, drawings, photographs and serigarphs of the natural world.

06/16/2026

Evening entertainment here tonight…we knew Mama would eventually bring the kids around for a visit - all five of them.

Hard getting shots out the kitchen window with the phone, but still fun!

Let the summer games begin - we’ve been here before…😳😂

06/15/2026

Its that time in the native pasture here in SE O'Brien County where so much is happening, and often things are starting to get buried in the under-story, going unnoticed. But I always look for this one - even if I have to dig through the taller plants for it.

Sometimes referred to as Prairie Garlic, Wild Garlic or Meadow Garlic, this native prairie plant is the first Allium to show up on our pasture in the summer. By early June it can be seen down among the grasses and new plant growth, reaching for an opening of sunlight. You'll see their top-set bulbs form before the flowers...and the white and pink blossoms reach out beyond the knobby bulblets - creating almost a starburst effect.

Since the Mrs grows lots of garlic in her garden, we don't need to sample this beautiful little native Allium - just enjoy it's showy progression in the late spring through early summer!

If you'd like to view "A Prairie Moment" short video of Wild Garlic, you can do so on my channel at the following link -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGB1KEW1iYE

Prairie Garlic (Allium canadense) - Photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

06/13/2026

I've been watching my November seeding in the south pasture and have been observing quite a good flush of seedlings showing already. The composite iPhone photo doesn't give the best view, but in these I can see False Gromwell, lots of Partridge Pea and Gray-headed Coneflowers, False Sunflower, Whorled and Common Milkweed and some others.

The north pasture and the top of the south pasture were my seed sources collected from last fall and planted in late November.

We have only managed nearly 1/10th of an inch of rain "Here" in June so far - ya - SE O'Brien County; the dry zone of Iowa as usual it seems. I'm in hope of some moisture so the seedling don't just burn up...it has happened in past seeding attempts I'm afraid. It rains too much elsewhere and nothing in other areas. I'm a firm believer in climate change - I have eyes and keep records each year.

Hoping for some rain!

06/10/2026

A very common native "virtually everywhere", is Daisy Fleabane.

Daisy Fleabane is described as an annual or biennial plant of 1 - 3 feet tall, with Individual flowerheads of about ½" across - having a daisy-like appearance.

This native flower of roadsides, yards, pastures and prairies is probably so taken for granted by many because of it's familiarity. It seems to show up and thrive in just about any niche it finds. Although it seemingly prefers mesic to drier soils and full sun, it will also thrive in more fertile locations without heavy competition. Those here on our small native prairie pastures in SE O'Bruien County do best along the gravel hillside slopes.

Its a pleasant multiple flowered plant, cheering up any space it occupies.

If you'd like to view "A Prairie Moment" short video of Daisy Fleabane, you can do so at the following link -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEt7RNhaDuU

Daisy Fleabane (Erigeron strigosus)" - photograph - ©Bruce A. Morrison

06/08/2026

Another Penstemon sp. here in the north pasture (SE O'Brien County) is the Foxglove Penstemon or Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis). About 3' tall, it shows up with its multiple small (1") white flowers and blooms for about 3-4 weeks. Another great plant for Bees, flies and Hummingbirds. I only find it in the pasture bottom, not up on the gravel slopes, not that it couldn't show up there, I just think its in its happy spot and so it stays.

This plant shows up on the BONAP maps as not being in our county, but does show up in Dickinson County...which touches the NE corner of O'Brien. How'd it get here? Well possibly from the IRVM seedings in the area (County seed source) or it might have been here or nearby at some point in time...I can't say...I'm just happy its here!

Also, if you'd like to view "A Prairie Moment" video of Penstemon digitalis, you can do so at the following link -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkMLCd98WUs

Foxglove Penstemon or Foxglove Beardtongue (Penstemon digitalis) - photographs - ©Bruce A. Morrison

06/07/2026

I'm playing the lazy card today - my apologies. There is just so much going on in our two small SE O'Brien County pastures, and a lot of it is self induced...pulling weeds, cutting out elms, mulberries, locusts and ash volunteers. Checking for Leafy Spurge I may have missed...checking the new south pasture planting from last winter. A lot for this old prairie coot.

I see the False Gromwell popped big time everywhere in the heat a couple days back and the Prairie Phlox along with it here! Since they often end up sharing close quarters, I'll post a color pencil done of both many years back...a favorite I've kept in the family.

Also, if you'd like to view "A Prairie Moment" videos of both plants, you can do so at my channel. Here's a link for both videos -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFMd1LfV6V8

and

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGm2AZ-q3-E

Hope you enjoy!

"Prairie Phlox (Phlox pilosa) and False Gromwell (Onosmodium molle occidentale)" - color pencil drawing - ©Bruce A. Morrison

06/06/2026

Today in 1944, the 6th of June...my Dad was on a landing craft heading into Omaha Beach, with so many, many others...D Day had to have been a rough one that I can only imagine. I'm grateful for you Dad. And for all who took that step or plunge off into the sea there along Normandy, France. A bloody wet mess...so many lost and so far to go yet...it took years to tell the stories. So grateful for you Dad, for all who you accompanied and fought along side. Love and Miss You!

06/05/2026

Penstemons are such cool plants - top of the list here in SE O'Brien County has got to be the Large-flowered Beardtongue (Penstemon grandiflorus). I have noticed over the years out here that although they're a perennial, they seem to have ebbs and flows in longevity. Our gravel hillsides will experience a big flush of blooms one year and a year or two later we'll find lots of newly started plants from seed but the older plants seem on their last legs. Grateful they reseed so readily.

I will admit cheating a little with these guys...I sprinkle seed around the crib and along the entry to the studio...no preparing beds or anything like that...just drop the seed (or allow established pants drop theirs), and instant Large-flowered Beardtongue next spring. They prefer gravelly/dry locations anyway.

I'll collect seed from these "nursery" plants each fall for supplementing in the pastures, but leave enough to drop and grow new for next year.

The Sphinx Moths, Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Bumblebees are very fond of these flowers - and the thick leaves have a very interesting visual and textural feel to them...nothing not to like!
I have "A Prairie Moment" video on my channel for the Large-flowered Beardtongue; if you'd like to watch, it can be found at this link -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BCVb7kipies

Otherwise here's a some photographs from the pasture and around the building here on our acreage to enjoy!

Large-flowered Beardtongue (Penstemon grandiflorus)
photographs ©Bruce A. Morrison

06/03/2026

One of the earliest prairie wild flowers I think I can remember as a kid, before I even knew what it was, is likely the Canada Anemone (Meadow Anemone to some). It seems to persist in many roadside ditches; gravel roads particularly. Maybe the Wild Rose species would qualify as a close tie, but regardless - we all start somewhere don't we?

I remember when we first moved to our tiny mecca, finding Canada Anemone spread throughout the ditch next to the north pasture...I was very excited to see this familiar white wildflower! Almost as soon as the excitement was realized - a neighbor drove by with his tractor and sprayer and killed back our entire ditch! Auugh!!! Thank goodness the neighbor didn't have free reign of our pastures!!! But all was well after I had a conversation and expressed concern that this would not happen again! It wasn't too many years when the neighbor expressed interest and questions about what he was seeing here.

Canada Anemone (Anemone canadensis) did make a comeback in the ditches here, once the periodic spraying stopped, and that tenacity may be it's trait of spreading with thick rhizomes forming those familiar colonies of plants we often see among the bland brome ditches. Its sure welcome here!

I have a "Prairie Moment" video for Canada Anemone; if you want to spend a minute with this beautiful native prairie flower, you can do so at the following link -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3dkLCLBXAFU

In the meantime here's one of the photos I took a couple days back here in SE O'Brien County!

(photograph ©Bruce A. Morrison

Address

4045 White Avenue
Hartley, IA
51346

Telephone

+17127282199

Website

https://morrisons-studio.com/

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