Celebrating the ordinary
I like Pussytoes (Antennaria spp.) for a ground cover. They are drought tolerant and I have patches of them growing in various degrees of sun and shade.
However, I recently became concerned when I saw leaves that looked damaged. I was pleasantly surprised when my friend, Connie May of Chrysalis Natural Landscapes, told me the damage was due to caterpillars of the American lady butterfly (Vanessa virginiensis). And I was relieved when she told me the caterpillars will not destroy the plants.
We are currently enjoying our annual visit by cedar waxwings (Bombycilla cedrorum). They only appear as the berries begin to ripen on our neighbor’s downy serviceberry tree (Amelanchier arborea).
I am amazed at the variety of shapes and colors of flowers, and I find the shape of Bleeding Hearts especially intriguing. This non-native one (Dicentra spectabilis) brings back many fond memories of my grandmother and her delightful flower garden. The plants get 2-3 feet tall, and the dangling blossoms on arching stems remind me of a charm bracelet. The flowers appear in April and May, and the attractive foliage dies back in mid-summer.
Colorful blossoms are my proof that spring has finally arrived in our backyard. During the last few warm sunny days, it’s been great fun to watch the changes. I love the buds as well as the blossoms of these Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica), which seem to be ringing in the new season.
I’m delighted to say that spring has arrived in Kentucky woods. On recent hikes at Natural Bridge State Park, I spotted several small (½ inch) Scarlet Cup mushrooms (Sarcoscypha dudleyi). These spring mushrooms always add a bright note to any hike.
