I lack roots, I cannot fly on my own wings, and I do not burrow into the earth. But I am a part of something vastly bigger than myself. I am a part of the enduring force, of life itself. And the great surge of life occurs every springtime. It is this that I am made aware of now.
~ Hal Borland
(Hal Borland’s Book of Days)
Another favorite walk in the botanical garden, savoring every possible moment of this memorable spring flowering. Longtime locals have been telling us that this spring has come earlier here than it has in previous years. The last rose I found on this bush (below) was in November and this one in March is the first rose since then.
I’m planning to get a once a month picture from this spot (below) on the boardwalk. The areas on either side here were part of a subscribed burn sometime after we found the seedbox plant in January.
Spring Equinox (8 seasons series)
Spring has returned — and now the earth is
like a child who has learned her poems by heart.
So many, so many … and for all her hard
and lengthy studies now she takes the prize.
~ Rainer Maria Rilke
(Sonnets to Orpheus)
Cauliflory is a botanical term referring to plants that flower and fruit from their main stems or woody trunks, rather than from new growth and shoots. It is rare in temperate regions but common in tropical forests.
~ Wikipedia
Learning something new every day… I’m trying to remember the word cauliflory by thinking of cauliflower. (I’m still having trouble remembering the word marcescence even after using it countless time on this blog…) This wonderful botanical garden is never the same twice.
Spring treasures!
Something new every week! 🙂
The photo shot of the hermit thrush seems to be the same wonderful back symmetry with it looking over the other shoulder! Wow! What a beautiful photo!
I resonate with the quote you chose by Borland.
The Venus flytraps scares me!!! I hope I’m not a fly.
I hope you will be able to get a once a month photo of that Habitat boardwalk! That would make a delightful slideshow. I remember your hunt & find for the seedbox plant in January.
Pleas remind me of what the Spring Equinox (8 seasons series) is about?
The redbud cauliflory is a new word for me too. I also thought about cauliflower which I don’t like the taste or texture to eat. And I’m sure my tiny little pea brain won’t remember the name, but I will remember how odd this flower blooms. I love learning about it.
Barbara, you are an amazing person!
Thank you so much for all your kind words, TD! I have no idea how to make a slideshow but I plan to create a post at the end of the year with all 12 boardwalk pictures together. Another blogger, Karma, challenged us to a 4 season photo series. Since I like observing the festivals that fall between the 4 solstices and equinoxes, too, (Groundhog Day, May Day, Lammas, Halloween) I’m expanding it to “8” seasons. 😉 For that I chose the Courtyard Gardens, also part of the botanical garden. I would never have noticed from a distance that the redbud tree’s blooms were coming straight from the branches instead of from the end of new twigs like most trees. It was fun getting up close to one and seeing the cauliflory for myself. The world is so full of small wonders!
These up coming posts are exciting. I love your ideas with the expansion. I look forward to reading about all the small wonders in your area!
I’ve been so much enjoying the hummingbird feeders and now there are three different hummers at the same time. They are very territorial!! I read that we have 18 varieties of hummingbirds here. From inside the window I’m able to capture photos and videos. It’s been so much fun!
Wow! 18 kinds of hummingbirds, how wonderful! All I ever saw in Connecticut was the ruby-throated ones. I haven’t seen any here yet. It sounds like yours are providing you with many hours of great entertainment.
I think perhaps that’s the beauty of a botanical garden — you just don’t see the same thing twice! Yes, I know that even our backyards are filled with natural wonders, but there’s something almost magical about a botanical garden, with the loving care afforded each species of plant (and the benefit of having them identified for us!)
I agree! A botanical garden has many more acres available for cultivation than a typical backyard. And many more people available for taking care of all the different kinds of plants. An added bonus to this one is that it is that there is no admission charge, although we decided to become members for the added benefits. We love the magical hours we spend there!
It was a complete joy to meander with you through the botanical garden, Barbara, enjoying the birds and various plants. The venus fly traps emerging out of the ground are so cool, and great to see the redbud and other spring treats. I love your plan to take photos from the same spot in seasons to come, and am so glad you are enjoying your new home.
I didn’t know this before, but Venus flytraps are only native to North and South Carolina, even though they have been planted and naturalized elsewhere. My mother bought one from a nursery back in Connecticut when I was a child and she used to feed it bits of hamburger meat. Thank you so much for coming along with me exploring this wonderful new home. 🙂
Absolutely gorgeous! I am jealous of the beauty around you! As a former New Englander, I’m sure you remember how difficult it can be around here at this time of year – such fickle weather! Hoping to get out and try to do my own photo hunt this weekend.
Thank you, Karma! I do remember how bleak early spring is in New England. But I miss it so much! We used to celebrate the equinox by visiting a sugarhouse, sniffing the air as the sap boils down, and buying a year’s supply of maple syrup. But there is no such thing as a sugarhouse around here!
Everything is so Spring-y looking Barbara. We are not that far along yet. I think Redbuds might be the end of April (if I can find one). The Carolina wren is so cute with its bobbed tail and long beak. I’ve never seen one here. The boardwalk looks inviting – nope you don’t need to look for snakes. What a treasure it is here – you and Tim have found your nirvana in North Carolina.
Spring will catch up with you soon, my friend! And by then I’m sure we will be broiling in the summer oven down here… We see Carolina wrens all the time, as one would expect, but rarely do they sit on a branch without any twigs in front of them, long enough to get a decent photo. It was a lucky shot. 🙂 Soon my “gardens” tag will be bigger than the “seashore” and “woodlands” tags.
Well you were lucky and I can’t tell how how often a bird sits behind a big twig and won’t budge, You were in the right place at the right time for your Carolina wren. Yes, seashore and woodlands will go by the wayside. Yes, you’re right Barbara – Spring has a late start and we have a chilly week ahead with wintry precip Wednesday. I stood outside three hours this afternoon. They cut the tree down all day Wednesday and Thursday morning, the one that caused the fire in December 2022 and burned down the garage, stockade fence of my neighbor and my back garden. But branches fell on the power line in taking it down – I called DTE and told them and even told them some linemen were doing a routine shutoff/inspection on our street but no one did anything. There were three small fires, no damage this time and the linemen came to repair the two downed wires from 4:30 to 7:30 today. But my nerves are frayed worrying until they got there – a skeleton crew due to the holiday. Sigh.
I’m not surprised that your nerves are frayed! It’s one of those persistent problems that never seems to go away no matter how much it gets worked on. As my mother used to say, it’s like pulling teeth, getting that tree completely taken care of. It’s like some things on my to-do list that I can never seem to get crossed off…
I was overjoyed to see the tree cutters there last Wednesday when I went outside. It took them until sunset and they were there again Thursday morning. The homeowner had the tree taken to the ground – originally they were to leave it nine feet above the ground. I didn’t care how it looked – it was gone. The tree-cutting surveying crew came this afternoon to see how serious the problem I had reported really was, so I said we had a downed wire and three small fires. “Oh” he said. I hate those perpetual lists that never get completed.
There are so many flowers here that I have never seen before, Barbara. I’m sure I learn something new every week about nature in the Northern Hemisphere from my blogging friends. 🙂
Was the burn carried out, by any chance, to encourage new growth on certain plants?
I’m encountering flowers and trees and birds down south here that I’ve never seen before, too. Yes, controlled burns restore and maintain open habitats and help prevent catastrophic wildfires. And they keep dense forests from taking over, allowing areas of flat grasslands to flourish.
That’s interesting that they do the same in the USA as they do here, although the controlled burns are not carried out as often here as they used to be. Unfortunately, when a fire takes hold, in many areas there is too much neglected scrubland, fueling the fires and wreaking havoc on nearby houses as the flames gain momentum. I don’t know if you have heard, but there are several Australian native plants that require burning to grow!
We have the same problem here, especially out west. I’ve read that some pine cones here can only open and release their seeds after the heat of a fire melts the resin they are coated with.