It's a crazy spring here in Southern Wisconsin! While April is always a variable month, it's been terribly dramatic this year. We had a week of summer-like weather (70s/80s F) the second week of the month, followed by wintry/early spring temps since. All the plants got going during the warm stretch, only to be covered in snow and cold weather the following week.
As we approach May, the forecast looks a little better. (Fingers crossed.) I'm joining in with Garden Ruminations' Six on Saturday meme: highlighting six things of note in the garden. The items I'm sharing are spring ephemeral plants that bloom for a short time in spring, and then fade.
Most shared here are long-time friends, planted by Mother Nature, that have appeared on our property every spring since we moved in two decades ago.
1. The exception is the Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica). I planted these because I like them. The conditions are right and they are native plants. The only challenge is that rabbits like to eat them. So...because the rabbits have few predators here, mine must be caged. The plants are starting to spread beyond the cages, so I've added native Alliums around them to help keep the rabbits at bay.
1. The exception is the Virginia Bluebells (Mertensia virginica). I planted these because I like them. The conditions are right and they are native plants. The only challenge is that rabbits like to eat them. So...because the rabbits have few predators here, mine must be caged. The plants are starting to spread beyond the cages, so I've added native Alliums around them to help keep the rabbits at bay.
2. Wild Ginger (Asarum canadense) is thriving in and at the edge of the woods. The fuzzy foliage and tiny, bell-shaped red blooms at the base are enchanting.
3. Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum) is a happy groundcover that blooms a little later in the spring. I'm cheating just a bit with this one; it's not a true ephemeral, but the flowers bloom and fade quickly in May.
4. This has been the year for Spring Beauties (Claytonia virginica). They've been blooming for a couple of weeks now: closing up during nighttime and cooler weather (see top photo), and re-bursting with pink pollen given warmth and sunshine.
5. The Trilliums have emerged, which usually marks the end of nighttime freezing temps. While the Great White Trilliums (T. grandiflorum) have barely emerged, the Red Trilliums (T. erectum) (shown here) are just about to bloom.
6. Finally, the large patch of Mayapples (Podophyllum peltatum) is about to dominate its hillside at the back of our woodland. It's quite a dramatic transformation to see the "umbrella" foliage fully open.
Spring is here, even if it's taking two steps forward and one step back.
