We walked along the trails in a nearby bush this week and scuffed through the dry fallen leaves. The trees remain leafless although their buds are enlarging, awaiting a warm day or two to burst out and turn the forest to a soft green. In mid-summer, this area is overgrown with a ground cover of leafy plants along with plenty of mosquitoes. The canopy is full and filters out most of the sunlight. I was looking for spring wildflowers and had to look closely to find them amongst the dead leaves.
Blue Cohosh, Bloodroot, Red Trillium, Trout Lily
Along the south edge of the woods we found a few plants that were already flowering. In a couple of weeks the ground will be completely covered with Trilliums, Trout Lilies and Jack in the Pulpit blooms.
The north section of the bush is growing at a noticeably slower pace, but green shoots are beginning to grow up around old stumps and trees. Fungi and mosses are plentiful and most interesting to look at although I have not learned to identify them yet. This is one of my favourite spring spots even though birds other than woodpeckers are quite scarce here. These flowers wait fifty weeks for a half month of beautiful floral display. I don't want to miss it.
"Come, gentle Spring! Ethereal Mildness! Come."
James Thomson
James Thomson
Nice to get in there before it gets buggy..I should try to do that here and get a wild flower guide too...
ReplyDeleteSuch a beautiful place for a spring walk. Love the flowers and fungi. I do hope you'll see Jack in the Pulpits and post pics. I haven't seen them since childhood. Isn't it wonderful to watch the Earth awaken to spring?
ReplyDeleteI like this time of year also for walking in the bush. The crumpling of leaves, trees are just budding allowing me to spot birds easier, the new plants and flowers are just getting starting. It's fresh, inviting and at the sometime alive!
ReplyDeleteWhere is this bush? I walked through Cressman's a few weeks ago and found it very lonely. It was just me, the dog and the snake she spotted on the trail. Could have just been too early yet for the springtime visitors.
Enjoy the weekend..hope you see lots and lots of birds ;-)
The wilflowers you found are beautiful as is the walkingtrail. What a treasure that must be to enjoy. I hope to find some TrailingArbutus this coming weekend.I love wildflowers.
ReplyDeleteRW- yes, I do as much bush walking before the end of May as possible and then stay out until October
ReplyDeleteGaelyn- I will make sure I get you some Jack in the Pulpits!
Cheryl D- This is Steckle Woods. It is very near to you and the wildflowers here are spectacular. It was very quiet though this week. I am excited about this weekend!
Ann- Thanks for commenting! So glad to have you back :-) Enjoy your spring, although I heard it rumoured that NB is still cold.
place looks like a good place for a walk any time.The flowers and new growth only enhance it.
ReplyDeleteBlessings,Ruth
While we had a couple of wonderful warm days earlier in the week, yesterday and today are back to brrrr. Down to -5 last night. Still not too much growing up here.
ReplyDeleteOooh, I just love Jack in the Pulpits! I am glad to be back in New England and able to walk through the woods and find some of my own treasures!
ReplyDeleteI was lovely to join you on this lovely walk throguh spring. It is sad the wildflowers last for such a short time.
ReplyDeleteThe trees still do look bare. We had a wonderful warm day today and it seemed strange that the leaves weren't fully out on the trees. Since it felt like summer, it seemed like the trees should look like summer!
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love this time of year? Finding treasures like your wildflowers in amongst the dry leaves and peeping through the dirt and last year's debris?
Happy Spring!
I don't like the period when the white snow is gone, but the leaves haven't appear. Just what your photo protrayed.
ReplyDeleteGlad you found some flowers.
I also eagerly await the short blooming life of the spring wildflowers. Nice photographs.
ReplyDeleteA few days of warmth and we're just starting to see some wildflowers starting to bloom too (like the Dutchman's breeches I planted under the deck many years ago)
ReplyDeleteYou found some beautiful flowers and fungi. I love hunting for wildflowers in the woods. They're such a treasure.
ReplyDeleteEven seeming barrenness is filled with life.
ReplyDeleteI love Robert Frost's opening poem line: Nature's first green is gold.
And it's true-that lovely pale pale green as trees just come into their spring growth.