First 70 Degree Day of the Year

Well, this March certainly came in like a Lion and is going out like a Lamb. We hit a high of 72 today; our first 70+ degree day of the year. Last year we hit this milestone on  March 9th, so this year is a bit more "normal" than the last 2 years have been. Everyone - plants and people alike - are loving this warm, dry spell. A quick walk down the secret path lead to a thick patch of Lamb's Tongues beginning to bloom.

A Magnolia Tour

We took advantage of a break in the rain today and drove out to Gossler Farms Nursery in East Springfield. They had a spur-of-the-moment open house to celebrate their magnificent magnolia collection which is currently at peak bloom.

The magnolia trees aren't labeled, so I can't identify them by name in each picture. But I can say that many of the trees have huge trunks and must be decades old.

This gorgeous one was covered in deep violet blooms.

A close-up.

This tree almost looked like it had billowy rose blossoms.

Each bloom was a rounded mass of pink and white.

I don't think this magnolia could fit any more blooms on its branches!

Heavenly.

This magnolia had the most interestingly shaped buds and blooms. They were so pointed and cone-shaped and were a striking deep purple. When the bloom opened each petal was long and narrow. It gave the blooms an open, airy look.

Here's a pretty white bloom that had a under pink blush to the lower petal region.

I always forget that there are yellow magnolias but I really like them. The soft butter color really stands out in the trees.

And you can't forget the white blooms. Most of them were discolored from the rains but I found this perfect bloom on the end of this branch.

This grand tree is near the homes on the property. It is an un-named variety given tot he Gosslers by a magnolia hybridizer many years ago. He gave them the young un-named tree to grow and then passed away before naming it.

I loved the open center of each bloom.

Besides magnolias, the Gossler Farm property is s showroom for the many other shrubs, trees and perennials that they sell. This shrub was covered in these beautiful yellow cascading blooms. The air was sweet with its fragrance and the blooms were buzzing with happy pollinators.

This pine caught my eye. I fell in love with its cones, in all three stages. Here are some clusters of newly formed cones.

In middle-age the cones separate, turn a shocking lime-green and stand up straight down the branches.

In maturity the cones turn into these sweet, fat, brown sentinels that are dripping with sap.

Around every bend in the gardens there is something beautiful to see. We loved this old, moss covered bench getting slowly consumed by a rhododendron. And down by the creek we found a mass of lilac erythonium in bloom.

The Lamb's Tongue & Shooting Stars

Less than a mile down the road, our neighbor's front "yard" is a delight each Spring. The open, shady area comes alive with the blooms of Shooting Stars and Lamb's Tongues.

The purple multi-branched blooms of the shooting stars really stand out in the field of greens and cream.

Most of the yard is awash with Lambs Tongues. 

The blooms are at full maturity right now and will soon begin to fade.

Lamb's Tongue Season

It is officially Lamb's Tongue season here! Lamb's Tongues, or as they are also commonly called, Trout Lilies, are native to our area. They grow in lightly shaded areas of forests. I have two nice groups of them growing along the secret path.

The pretty bell shaped blooms are just starting to open.

When they are fully open they resemble starfish a bit. 

The biggest patch of Lamb's Tongues are down the road at our neighbor's home. In an area underneath a few oak trees she has a naturalized mass planting.

It is literally a solid carpet of Lamb's Tongues right now.

She doesn't let her son mow this area until the plants have finished blooming for the year and have died back. This allows seed to set and the plants to multiply. Her careful watch over this patch has paid off.

Also tucked into the Lamb's Tongue patch are a few Shooting Stars. They too are a Spring treat. Their pale purple blooms are a great compliment to the soft yellow Lamb's Tongues.

A Sunday Walkabout

Sunday I took a walk around the property. This was my first walk around in a while and there were many, many signs of Spring. Down in the big garden, the trillium are getting larger. My favorites are the ones with the spotted leaves.

We also seem to have a number of solid leaf trillium.

The Osoberry, or Indian Plum, are the first "trees" to leaf out each year. As soon as the buds have broken, and the first bright green leaves appear, the plant sends out this lovely cascade of white flowers.

Right in the middle of the secret path, the large patch of shooting stars has returned. This is the only place on the property that we have shooting stars. The deer march up and down this path but fortunately shooting star plants appear to be pretty tough. I wonder if we will get any blooms this year?

Further down the path, the Veratrum, or Corn Lilies, grow thickly. This area is quite near the creek and is very wet and bog-like. This plant is extremely poisonous, but has such beautiful textured leaves as it emerges.

Across the creek, the Lamb's Tongues have suddenly appeared. I was just looking for them a week or two ago and couldn't find any. Now the pretty sets of leaves are up and the blossom stalk is forming.