Travelers in the Boundary Waters find much to draw the eye, not least of which is a profusion of wildflowers at every turn. For the unstudied hiker, what better way to meet these plants than with a friend to guide your vision and your understanding.

Betty Vos Hemstad, a summer resident off the Gunflint Trail, is just the woman for the job. Her unique collection of stunning, full-color photographs, taken over a twenty-year span, offers views of 120 regional flowers shown throughout their life cycles, from bud to flower to seedpod. Some views take you into the heart of the plant, revealing beauty in patterns and textures not seen with the naked eye. Hemstad's practical and personable descriptions spotlight each plant's features and offer tidbits about common names, and favorite locations.

This beautiful guide is organized by season and then by color, making it the perfect companion for a walk in the woods, whether on the trail or far from it. And when you've learned all Hemstad has to teach, she offers a Wildflower Challenge--twenty "neighbors' photographed in one season or another for you to identify and capture with your own camera.

Come for a walk in the woods. You'll be surprised at what treasures you find.

Longtime nature photographer and BWCA community organizer, Betty Vos Hemstad spends her summers on the Gunflint Trail in northern Minnesota.