Celebrating the ordinary
I’m convinced spring has arrived. Spring peepers are peeping, and red maple trees (Acer rubrum) are blooming.
I’ve enjoyed the subtle color of maple flowers for years, and I’ve recently discovered how intricate and beautiful they are. I often see the small blossoms high overhead or from a distance, and they’re easy to overlook. These are male flowers as seen from the ground.
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 like bumble bees. Their fuzzy bodies remind me of miniature teddy bear, and they move slowly enough that I can easily watch them. I was thrilled recently to see this large bumble bee visiting one of our daffodil blossoms. I suspected it was a queen, since I’ve learned that only fertilized queen bumble bees hibernate and survive the winter. They are the first to appear in spring as they prepare to establish a new colony.
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.
