24 Nebraskaland • July 2026
Wildflowers Bloom
From 1971 to 1989, "Notes on Nebraska Flora" appeared
in the magazine, alternating with the long-running "Fauna"
series. These two-page articles, written by Commission staff,
covered plants ranging from trees to wildflowers. Longtime
illustrator Bud Pritchard's detailed, lifelike paintings set
a new standard for Nebraskaland artwork and filled a full
page of each article. After Pritchard's retirement in 1974,
renowned Nebraska artist Michele Angle Farrar's supple,
colorful paintings, based on field observation, highlighted
the series.
Her future husband, Jon Farrar, joined the magazine staff
in 1970 and wrote for the Flora series. Trained as a wildlife
biologist but with a strong passion for wildflowers, he
devoured research papers and sometimes spent weeks in
the field gathering photographs to accompany his precise,
poetic prose.
His groundbreaking effort was the 1990, 98-page special
issue "Nebraskaland Magazine — A Wildflower Year," which
he wrote and photographed. The issue took readers on a
tour of Nebraska's wildflower diversity, exploring species'
natural history and illustrating it with vibrant, naturally lit
photographs. As he encouraged readers, "So pull on a pair
of comfortable old walking shoes and stroll Nebraska's four
seasons: through the brown grass Before the Spring, into the
Flower Fields of May, on to The Rush of Summer and The
Race Against Frost — A Wildflower Year."
In the same year, the Commission published Farrar's "Field
Guide to Wildflowers of Nebraska and the Great Plains." His
From 1971 to 1989, "Notes on Nebraska Flora" appeared
in Nebraskaland, alternating with the long-running "Fauna"
series. BUD PRITCHARD
Bud Pritchard's detailed, lifelike paintings accompanied each
"Flora" article until his retirement in 1974. BUD PRITCHARD
After Pritchard's retirement, Michele Angle Farrar's colorful
paintings became a hallmark of the series. MICHELE ANGLE FARRAR
Jon Farrar's lyrical text formed the basis of the "Flora" series,
including the above article on blue-eyed grass. MICHELE ANGLE FARRAR
