Spring Vignettes

It has been so warm that every single day things are changing radically. I am doing practically no work, just enjoying the fruits from having been busy in previous years.

Carolina Silverbell

- iPhone uPdate

Afternoon Backlight

I designed this front edge to benefit from the afternoon sun.







Golden groundsel surrounding feral artglass.

- iPhone uPdate

Spring is Bustin' Out All Over

Things move along too fast for me to keep up with them.

Snap

A microcosm - a few valiant tulips surviving in a once lovely bed now every which way.




- iPhone uPdate

Vignettes from the beginning of April

Not so much the blooms as the sprouts.

Why do I want to get rid of these?

Vinca minor was in my yard before I got here, and as I've reduced the English ivy it has had a major resurgence.



It is one of the earliest things to bloom in the yard, hardy in dry shade under evergreens, and unbelievably charming when it blooms. So why am I battling it?Clearly, the reason I am not winning the battle is my ambivalence.

This really symbolizes where I am in the native plant issue. Ambivalent. This stuff is pretty. It is also sterile in terms of its wildlife value. It does not support insect or animal populations to any significant degree. It is aggressive and pops up unexpectedly all over my yard. It outcompetes and smothers native spring plants with more significant wildlife value.

But it's lovely to look at right now. We had it at my house in Ann Arbor- one of the first plants I learned the name of. So there is a pause in my battle- but it's not a truce because it is spreading while I regard it with an indulgent smile.

- iPhone uPdate