Grape hyacinth
The Grape Hyacinth is one of those first signs of real spring in so many yards and gardens across America. Though native to the Old World the perennial plant has become naturalized throughout the New World. Here is an extra close close-up of some flowers from Friday that always come up around the same lamp post every year after being planted decades ago. Yes, this was taken a whole two days ago, back in spring – you know, before that arctic cold front packing powerful winds and snow brought some winter back to us…oh, climate…
Read MoreCrocus Flowers
It is only mid-March but the crocus have come to join us! We are about to hit spring and the first signs continue to spring up everywhere we look. These lovely crocus flowers were opening up this morning to feel some sun on another beautiful and unseasonably warm day. The first bees are in the air, too!
Read MoreDaffodil Buds
I snapped this photo of daffodils emerging in the leaf litter in Connecticut on February 25 as I have seen them coming up in several areas at multiple locations. I recalled that I took a similar photo last year and wondered when, knowing this season’s warmth and last February’s historic cold likely meant it was a couple weeks later. Surprisingly it was a full month later on March 25! If the date wasn’t enough of a shock there was also still snow surrounding them then which is very late indeed for Connecticut. We had a taste of winter recently along with a couple of strong...
Read MoreGarlic Mustard
You can usually spot invasive plants in the spring by seeing what is greening up and flowering first, especially in warmer than usual seasons. The continuing high temperatures have a lot of non-native and/or invasive plant life springing up despite the fact it is winter, and Garlic Mustard (Alliaria petiolata) has been one that I noticed plenty of right now. It has been downright creepy to see so much green all over the ground, from the grass to species like this one conquering the leaf litter that has yet to decay. In certain locations in Connecticut, where there has not been a hard freeze...
Read MoreQueen Anne’s Lace
There has been an abundance of Queen Anne’s Lace in fields and grasslands this summer, like the this photo from a couple weeks ago at Stratford Point. Is the generally dry and warmer than usual season to blame? A moderate drought is taking hold in coastal Connecticut with conditions starting to get serious. The green below is gone and it’s already a brown and wilting beginning to this meteorological autumn. Rain as soon as possible, please, and lots of it!
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