and just like that

and just like that

spring was delayed and delayed and delayed and delayed and then it got shot out of a cannon. so now, we have crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils, trilliums, pussy-willow, forsythia, catkins, spring ephemerals, maple blossoms, ferns, apple blossoms, and soon lilacs all exploding into life at the same time. boom. boom. boom. i thought it might be a fast spring, but this is giving me whiplash. zero to sixty in two weeks. maybe when we hit lilac season, things will settle down a bit. wait. we already hit lilac season. ok, maybe when the jack-in-the-pulpits appear . . . wait. OK maybe when the buttercups bloom.

crabapple blossoms

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brought into reach

brought into reach

often, these tender baby leaves are out of reach for me. most of the trees in my woods are mature, and their lowest branches often start about 3-4 meters off the ground. but this spring, steve and are cutting down a few volunteer trees, so we can open up some sunshine, and replace them with native and edible tree varieties. [steve has gotten very into northern permaculture and edible forests. more on that later.]   so, somewhat sadly, these leaves were brought into reach for me today when we felled a young bur oak that had sprouted up in an inconvenient location. i think it might be the first living tree we have felled on our property. it feels weird. we plan to replace it with a serviceberry tree next week. but still. it didn’t feel quite right. but it did give me access to these new-growth-green (with a hint of red) baby oaks leaves.

baby bur oak leaves

 

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new growth green

new growth green

new growth green is one of my favorites: lime. chartreuse. pear. yellow-green. acid. limeade. spring bud. i’ve searched a hundred color charts looking for the best name for this color. and while i have never seen the term used elsewhere, i have found no better description than my own: new-growth-green. my fav.

baby poplar leaves

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nature makes no mistakes

nature makes no mistakes

wild ginger grows in dense colonies in the understory of our woods. it blooms in april and may. and we have a lot of it.  it spreads easily. one of the unique, and perhaps unfortunate, things about it, is that these gorgeous velvety flowers are completely hidden under two large kidney-shaped leaves. one never sees them unless you pull back the leaves. one thing i have learned from all the years of doing STILL is that nature makes no mistakes. so their stealthiness must be serving some purpose. i have no idea why it was taken me 10 years to find a way to capture the beauty of these flowers. nevertheless, i am glad the inspiration finally arrived. better late than never.

canada wild giner (Asarum canadense)

  • Carol Sommers says:

    Tender green is what I call it

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  • Susan L. says:

    Lovely. They remind me of Columbine. I wonder if they’re related?

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no mow may

no mow may

i’m playing catch up here, posting today’s image in late afternoon, because i hosted an all-day  workshop for 13 people in my house yesterday. it was so much fun! the guests were wonderful company, and totally into a whole day of gathering, composing, and editing photos together. i was surprised by how much enthusiasm they had, and how long they were able to keep focussed on their respective image making efforts. we wrapped up the day with my husband making us all dinner, while we sipped wine on the deck as the frogs trilled and the birds sang. it was a perfect spring day. as always, i learned from them, as much as they learned from me. one thing i learned about was the No Mow May movement. the goal of No Mow May is to pause mowing during the month of may, allowing flowers to bloom in your lawn to help early season pollinators (it started in the united kingdom in 2019). brilliant! i’m all in. but, honestly, it isn’t any kind of sacrifice for me, as i rarely get around to mowing in may when there is so much planting to do anyway. but i love the idea. and to whomever came up with the catchy slogan–kudos!

young poplar leaves in spring

  • Gwen Walters says:

    I’ve really been enjoying all of the info regarding dandelions. I had no idea they were so useful and important for bees and other animals. Your photos are always lovely and your words educational. Thank you.

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