spring unfolding

Buckhorn Island State Park on May 11th. I was taking a walk through the park and was fascinated by the baby leaves on some of the trees at Buckhorn, which is a nature preserve and an Important Bird Area. It is a restored wetlands.

Pear blossoms, May 13th. One of the fleeting pleasures of spring, these flowers have since fallen from the tree and scattered to the winds.

Lilacs, May 14th. Another fleeting pleasure of spring. These flowers last for a short moment of intense color and aroma and then disappear.

grape hyacinths, May 15th. Another early spring flower, they help to bring beautiful vivid color after the grayness of winter.

leaves from apple tree, May 16th. It's from the tree in front of my house.

maple, May 17th. Young leaves are, for a brief time, flowers. They are delicate, soft, and a light green, with a bit of yellow mixed in. They are the promise of beauty.

apple blossoms, May 18th. The more blossoms, the more apples in the fall! I saw the shadow of pink in these white blossoms.

blue spruce and dandelion, May19th. The blue spruce is an evergreen but I included it in the unfolding spring project because it puts out new growth in the spring. The dandelion is, of course, a sign that spring has come. It's also an indication that it's time to get the lawn mower out and running!!!

rose of sharon, May 20th. This bush matures later than the others so I was able to catch it with its buds barely open.

new leaves on trees at library, May 21st. So soft and delicate, these leaves are another example of how leaves start their lives as flowers.

sorrel in garden, May 22nd. The sorrel grows everywhere. It resembles clover in that it has three sections. But sorrel leaves are heart-shaped while clover leaves are round. Also sorrel can be eaten or put into soup. The leaves have a lemony flavor, which is quite yummy!

My friend Ellen calls this a "helicopter." Some of these little critters grow up to become great big maple trees.

Here are some flowers that I found on one of my walks. One thing that I discovered is that buttercups don't last long after being picked. I had to draw fast before the petals all fell off!

I was working in a garden and I pruned a Japanese maple. I took one of the leaves home to draw, as I really like the color.

Here are some more flowers that I found by the side of the road.

Here is a plant that I found next to the ditch near the library. Fortunately, I didn't have to jump into the ditch to get the plant but I probably would have!!!

This was part of the leftovers from a plant that was pruned outside of Saint Martin in the Fields...

I was thrilled to find some daisies growing alongside a ditch, and I was even more thrilled when I didn't fall into the ditch!

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I went to my friend Orphia's house to help her clean up some of her flower beds. They were full of weeds. But I found the forget-me-nots to be very pretty.

I found these lovely flowers growing on a bush when I cleaned up the gardens at my friend Kathy's house.

Here is a leaf from the apple trees.

This is a flower that I picked during a walk.

Here is something else that I found growing by the side of the road.

These are leaves from the pear tree.

I went to Ruth's house to help her clear her gardens. She once decided that she really liked ferns. That was thirty years ago. The ferns have taken over the garden, and I pulled many of them out.

This is a leaf from the rose of sharon bush behind my parents' house.

This is a strong, determined, and resilient plant that grows in the cracks of the driveway.