Thalictrum thalictroides won the race again… They are my first flowering native in the woodland garden. I am a bit surprised that there was not more of a delay. We just endured the worst winter in eons, but apparently the last few mild days were enough to awaken the plants. Many other species are pushing out stems and young leaves – it is nice to see American globeflower come back this year. In years past they’ve been iffy at best but they are emerging strong this year…
American globeflower was a close runner up this year. I had cleared some overhead branches and the extra sunlight helped to make the plant a contender this time around
While the flowers are small, it is worthwhile to take a closer look at the intricate detail of the flower
While the plant world seems to be right on target, animals are a bit of track. The usual ospreys (or new interlopers – I am not that great a birder that I can recognize individual animals) did not get here until April first. They did not waste any time and went right to building and rebuilding nests. The peepers have been vocal and boisterous this week, and they also started singing around the first of the month… I sense more energy than in past years – they are singing in the midst of sunny days, seemingly having lost the patience to wait for dusk.
the next few weeks will be spent readying the garden, with cleanup, pathway and bordering projects way behind schedule. There is some considerable tree damage due to the relentless winter storms, but firewood is now guaranteed for the next winter onslaught – starting preparations early is not a bad thing. With some help from my friends from Forest Keepers I will end up with more room for light and new saplings. Aside from those potential new areas, I doubt that I will find much room for new plants this year, but you just never know – I may be enticed to shrink the lawn area even more in 2015. Even though this is somewhat late for new year resolutions, I hope to be better at making time to both enjoy and document the woodland garden. Pictures and stories have been sparse at best, but I expect to have more time available this time around. I hope you enjoy it just as much.
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