Celebrating the ordinary
It was great to go out in the yard today and find several colorful blooms, including these familiar wildflowers – click any image to see it larger.
I hope you’re enjoying some warmer weather and longer days, and also finding signs of spring.
I had no idea there was a native white milkweed (Asclepias variegata) until my friend, Patty Hornback, invited me to see the one blooming in her yard. She first saw these plants while camping at Land Between the Lakes in western Kentucky.
I’m having great fun checking the backyard for spring flowers. The blooms and buds are small and there aren’t many of them. However it’s quite obvious that spring is springing! Here’s a sampling of what I’ve found so far.
The buds are beautiful on their own, and I enjoy watching them open into blooms. I’m delighted to watch the ‘plant parade’ once again, and I hope you’re enjoying some signs of spring also.
P.S. I’ve recently created photo galleries of pollinators and moths on my website, and added new images to other galleries. I’d be glad for you to check them out.
Indian pink (Spigelia marilandica) is currently the highlight of our front and back yards. It was the subject of a blog in 2010, after I first planted it in the backyard. At that time, I declared it to be one of my favorite native plants, and that’s still true.
It has attractive blooms and nice foliage, and it’s quite hardy and drought resistant. It’s about 12-16″ high, and grows well in shade or part-shade. According to what I read, it also attracts hummingbirds. I’ve enjoyed it so much that I decided I wanted it more visible to others, and planted these by our front door.
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.
