We're still running rather late here in northern New Jersey, in terms of what is blooming, but, post-April-showers, the May flowers are starting to show up. Violets escaped from my mom's rock garden long ago -- they seed themselves all over the place. I've seen them described as "weeds", but unless you are one of those folks who like their lawn to look like Astroturf, I can't imagine thinking of these pretty little low-growing flowers that way. Since we are a very, very long way from Astroturf, the violets are quite a welcome ornament in the still-sparse grass (and other ground covers) growing behind the house.
Viola sororia, the Common Blue Violet, actually comes in white too. It's the state flower of New Jersey, but it's so widely found in the east and midwest that it's also the flower of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Rhode Island. The charming contrasting-color center of the flower is not just decoration; the veins of color leading into the middle help insects find their way to the nectar that's stored in the "spur" at the back of the flower. The violet has hidden overhead anthers holding its pollen, which it drops on the back of any insect that pushes its way in to collect nectar.
Despite this excellent scheme, violets are hampered by the fact that they generally bloom so early that not many pollinators are active, so their plan B is, they produce a second kind of flower, cleistogamous flowers, meaning they're self-pollinating. These are small and low to the ground, and they don't open. They are the ones that develop most of the seeds that violets spray all over the place like birdshot on a Dick Cheney hunting trip. For more violets and other May flowers, please proceed past the orange earthworm.
In other floral news, bluebells are starting to bloom in the perennial garden.
And lily of the valley sprouts are belatedly up -- they should be blooming already, and since this photo is a few days old, some have unfurled leaves now and are probably working on flower stalks.
We pass violets looking for roses. We pass contentment looking for victory.
~ Bern Williams
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Kitchen Table Kibitzing is a community series for those who wish to share part of the evening around a virtual kitchen table with kossacks who are caring and supportive of one another. So bring your stories, jokes, photos, funny pics, music, and interesting videos, as well as links—including quotations—to diaries, news stories, and books that you think this community would appreciate. Readers may notice that most who post diaries and comments in this series already know one another to some degree, but newcomers should not feel excluded. We welcome guests at our kitchen table, and hope to make some new friends as well.
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