September

Early September in Georgia can feel much like August but as the weeks role by cooler breezes blow. A hike on Stone Mountain can produce lots of sweat but will reward with sights of Stone Mountain's most famed flower, the Yellow Daisy. Within the shallow soils it grows in massive colonies creating swaying seas of yellow. Along side the Yellow Daisy blooms Blazing Star, a perrenial with striking purple clustered flowers on a 2-3ft high stalk. Both flowers provide considerable nectar at a time of year when many flowers are dormant. For cooler excursions, a paddle along the edges of the lake can reveal glimpses of Cardinal Flowers, named for its 5 petaled red flowers which are said to resemble the graments worn by cardinals in the Catholic Church. Golden Rod continues its blooming season while the leaves of many trees begin to fall around it. Head out into the long shadows of the late summer sun and enjoy the last flowers to show their colors before the onset of Fall.