wchs: tax day reminder

i have decided this year to photograph one of my favorite wildflower spots every few weeks throughout the spring and summer and maybe even into fall.  this is my second visit of the year (the first can be seen HERE).  many experienced tennessee gardeners say to wait until tax day to begin putting seeds in the ground.  now that april 15th is almost upon us, i can tell that nature is in tune with the change of seasons and is beginning to show some of her spring colors.

this first one is vinca minor (or maybe major, but i'm thinking minor).  it is an invasive species from europe that has become naturalized in much of the united states.

south american mock vervain, glandularia pulchella, sadly another invasive, this time from south america.  they were mostly this purple, changing to a vivid blue around the edges as they aged.  i also saw a couple random clumps of a hotter pink.

i love sharing these photos.  flora is so beautiful to me and i think a well framed photo can even elicit emotions and a feeling of nostalgia.  even better, of course, is getting outdoors to explore.  these pictures only hint at the warm of the sunshine.  actually feeling it was amazing.  and the flowers above had a lovely soft scent that the breeze would catch.  it was also nice to hear the leaves rustling and the sounds of the honeybees buzzing and the lizards scurrying in the underbrush.  entirely relaxing and rejuvenating at the same time.

i am enjoying taking photos in this one small spot of earth.  i think if i just went once or twice i would notice the showy things, but not the small subtle little bits of beauty that are always changing.  on this visit it was the new growth that caught my eye.

i had missed the redbud blossoms in their prime, but the baby leaves were no less lovely.  even more so, really, the way the light shone through their heart shaped leaves of so many varying colors.

glade sandwort, arenaria patula, finally a native species!  these are tiny and delicate, but real survivors, growing on rocky ground with hardly any soil. 

and this one reminds me of summer!  i think she's getting an early start.  :)