Signs of spring

The Iris cristata foliage is up, buds of the hickories, oaks, and blueberry relatives are swollen, and the songs of birds are louder than ever in the morning.  Spring is progressing. 

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis), Spring, 2010

The bloodroot plants along the front walk are flowering, although there's still no competition to last year's flowering (above).

It's still early, though, and a few years ago, we experienced a significant late April 8 (Easter that year) freeze.  It caused a lot of freeze damage, even to native plants, as it was a hard freeze, much later than usual.

But this has been a year for enjoying the non-native Magnolia stellata and M. acuminata flowers, following a long warm February.

Erratic weather is something that is predicted to become more common, as the climate changes.  It's worrisome, to be sure.