I take an absurd amount of pleasure in watching the opening flowers of Spring. I'm not talking about big, splashy flowers like daffodils and tulips, but the the tiny ground covers I find in my lawn. They come thick and fast this time of year and I try to photograph them in order of appearance. I have tried to accurately identify them and in this I have been greatly helped by Portia Elm. Anyway, if you feel so inclined just browse through my happy Springtime below the orange lily.
First up, the Snow Drops:
Snow drops are particularly exciting because they are first and they are everywhere.
The next find, maybe ten days later, I have not been able to identify. I welcome help. It came up right in the middle of the lawn. It is clearly a bulb flower and I definitely did not plant it. We are riddled with subterranean critters and maybe they left me a gift.
Plain:
With bee:
If anyone knows how to post pictures side by side I would take it kindly if you could leave directions in the comments or by PM.
About a week later I came across one of my favorite scenes, a kind of mini ecosystem with several members.
The blue ones are bluets, the white are unknown, and the purple are dead nettle. A bit more of the dead nettle.
And finally, a stolen close-up:
I was out of town for three days and found some new treats today.
The grape hyacinth was fully fledged, so to speak:
My only formal flower, a daffodil my mom gave me:
A little later, maybe in a month a large section of lawn will be mostly purple, white, and yellow violets. The only ones open today were white:
And finally several large sections of ground ivy have come into bloom:
Winter always makes me sad and I experience great joy in watching life return. Thank you for sharing in my flowery pleasure.
UPDATE: if you continue into the diary, the white flower (with and without bee) is a crocus. The small white flower with the bluets and dead nettle is as yet unidentified.
I found another plant yesterday in a swampy or at least very wet area. I first thought it might be skunk cabbage, but it doesn't smell at all when broken. Any help would be appreciated:
