Yep - we're more than just a bit late for Wildflower Wednesday. We do have a few wild things blooming though. Just check out these colorful blooms above! Ed and Zelda have been hanging out here a lot lately.
Last summer we took down a spruce that died suddenly in September, 2011. We hadn't noticed anything wrong with the tree, and it was a green as ever. I was out on the patio one windy afternoon, and suddenly out of nowhere it was raining spruce needles. Everywhere. It didn't stop until the old spruce was completely bare about an hour later. Ed seems to be enjoying the stump. He rested here all afternoon, after swimming in the swale all morning. Zelda's there too - beautiful in her own right, just a little more shy than Ed. They make a cute couple, don't you think?
They're so much fun to watch. April's record rainfall, and a full swale have brought them back frequently. They seem to have settled in and made themselves at home.
Spring beauties (Claytonia virginica,) have been blooming for a couple of weeks. I just love these tiny striped blooms. The clump has gotten larger this year, and there are new clumps forming in other spots in the garden. Ants may have planted the seeds for us.
Sanguinaria canadensis, also known as bloodroot, came from Mom's woods a few years ago. This clump has grown quite a bit too - from one small leaf and one bloom, to this nice little clump and a succession of blooms, each lasting only a few days before the petals fall. They're fleeting, but lovely, and the large, leathery leaves are pretty cool too.
Celandine poppies (Stylophorum diphyllum) are just getting started. These are the first blooms. They'll continue blooming all spring and into the summer. Celandine poppies are the longest-blooming natives in our garden. I love the lacy foliage on these plants.
Tiny bunnies, eyes not even open yet are 'blooming' in our garden this month too. I have fantasies of rabbit stew, but they're too cute and precious to harm. I think that now, but those fantasies will be back when they start mowing down the garden. We don't call this place Bunnies' Salad Bar & Grill for nothin'!
Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) are just getting started too. They're among my favorite flowers in spring.
After a long winter and a slow spring, it's warming up here just in time for May. After a slow start, the garden has come alive in the last couple of weeks, and everything is appreciating the extra rain after last year's drought and heat.
I hope you're enjoying beautiful spring blooms, and plenty of rain (but not too much!) in your little corner of the world.
To see more Wildflower Wednesday posts, please visit Gail at Clay and Limestone. Thank you for hosting, Gail!
