We have many mayapple plants now, but this is the only one we’ve seen with a flower so far. It’s on the path by our back fence, close to where I remember seeing a flower and subsequently a fruit photographed last year. Reference: Wikipedia
Our fringe tree is in bloom
This is Chionanthus virginicus, our only one, wild, in the woods, and at the back of Sandy’s woodland garden. I last commented on it back in 2008, and wasn’t able then to do any better showing the whole tree.
See the Wikipedia reference, where I’m delighted to see it’s also known as Old Man’s Beard. Ours blooms every spring, but we’ve never noticed the autumn fruit shown on Wikipedia.
From the top of the X
From the top of the X in the oats field after supper Friday night, 6:40pm, 13 April 2012. We could no longer identify the spire of Hills Church due to tree growth. But we did hear its bells ringing on Sunday. Hills Church is 0.9 miles almost due west of that spot, but we’d probably have to scramble up a tree to see it now.
Youghiogheny Reservoir
My favorite place to stop to eat a cheese sandwich on the way home from Dad’s: the old “National Road” through the Laurel Highlands of Pennsylvania. About 70 degrees at 12:30 today, but Spring is only just getting started.
What we did last summer
Last August 20th, Mark Galvin and I painted the cover to the drain in the pond at Harwill Acres. (The county required our homeowners association to do this, indirectly as part of protecting the Chesapeake Bay.) Mark did the side using a borrowed canoe, and I did the top from the bridge. I documented the adventure with Mark’s iPhone:
Mayapple
The Mayapple plants suddenly popped up about a week ago, in patches, here and there in the woods. This is the patch near the woodpile. Will keep an eye open for any flowers.
Bluets?
Didn’t Wena call them bluets? We’ll have blankets of these soon, mostly in shady places on the lawn, but this is the first patch so far. Sometimes in the past I’ve been moved to mow around them. These are under the swing, where there’s not much grass left to mow anyway. Who knows what their real name is?
Eastern Redbud
Beyond the forsythia, in the woods, see a patch or two of purple?
There’s redbud in bloom throughout the woods near us now, and along many roadsides. It’s a favorite sign of spring, but it doesn’t last long, and I’ve been finding it camera-shy.
Wikipedia reference: Cercis canadensis
Magnolias finished
We still have one or two left . . .
. . . but after their glorious peak, it’s only a few days until most of the petals look like this:
Still, we shouldn’t shed a tear. With a little luck, there’ll be even more next year.
Camellias in bloom
Saturday afternoon, in the triangle garden.
Wikipedia Reference: Camellia