Spring surprises

I’m about 3 days behind posting about spring’s arrival. Things change fast – a lot can happen in 3 days!

Sunday was chilly and windy. We went out to camp, where the blackflies were starting to really be a bother. And yet, I was able to go for a walk. It was so windy, they were mostly kept away. When I stopped walking to take photos, they got interested. Therefore, only a few photos of these spring beauties.

First, a big patch of something my plant app identifies as wood anemone. Other names are Nightcaps, Windflower, European thimbleweed, Twoleaf Anemone. The description says the flowers are white. But these were definitely lavender. Not sure I have the ID right. They were so beautiful though. I’m making a note of their location and the way their leaves look in my plant app. Maybe this will help me keep track of them later this year and next spring.

Close-up on leaves (five-lobed) and flower:

And the woods were full of this:

It’s hobble bush! Other names: Witch Hobble, Alder-Leaved Viburnum, Moosewood, American Wayfaring Tree. They look like lace cap hydrangeas, but those are Hydrangea macrophylla. These came in all sizes: short ones, medium ones, tall ones. All with the same lacy flower caps in full bloom. The outer flowers are sterile and the inner flowers are fertile, or so I read.

Botany is so interesting. I’m not going to make a diligent study of it though. I just want to form a relationship with the plants around me. They are a source of delight.