Spring Wildflowers

Spring is a time of hope and joy as we watch the changing landscape come alive. The spring flowers and ephemerals are the first food source for native bees as they wake up from their winter nap. It is especially magical to experience the interaction of plants and wildlife from your own garden. Spring arrived early in my yard this year. The Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica) which usually emerges in late April or early May, started blooming on April 13 and these beauties have provided a long show this year thanks to some cooler temperatures this past week. The Mayapples (Podophyllum pefltatum) also showed up in mid April followed by Prairie Trillium (Trillium recurvatum). The Wild Geranium (Geranium maculatum) just opened its blooms on May 1. Jacobs Ladder (Polemonium reptans) and Celandine Poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum) have been blooming for a couple of weeks and are still going strong. The bluebells and trillium are ephemerals and will soon disappear until next spring. The other spring bloomers will hang around for the rest of the growing season along with the other native plants that arrive as we transition through summer and then into fall. Each plant has a purpose and a time to shine. It matters what we grow in the landscapes we steward as these plants provide sustenance for so many living beings. Feed nature by growing biodiversity!