Somewhat Vertically Challenged

Those familiar with the author may think this blog title was in reference to me.  Those who saw me crawling around on the ground with a camera may have thought I was challenged in some other way.  Let's just say I felt a kinship with the plants I photographed today.  Although the cold and windy weather brought an end to the beautiful magnolia and cherry blossoms, many of the early-blooming perennials are putting on a great show this week.  

I chose to start with a plant that many people despise because it grows as a weed and regularly invades turf: wild violet, Viola papilionaceae. Indeed, we did not plant it, but it thrives, especially on the south sloping lawn leading down to the big pond.   I personally like the blooms popping up all over in the grass.  It turns an otherwise brownish and dull area into a sea of purple.

I stopped short of photographing dandelions, and instead moved on to some of our great perennials planted near the Barn Ruins and around the house.

              

lungwort

Virginia bluebell, Mertensia virginica

puschkinia

grape hyacinth, Muscari armeniacum

glory-of-the-snow, chionodoxa

Japanese kerria, Kerria japonica

pagoda dogtooth violet, Erythronium 'Pagoda'

bleeding heart, Dicentra spectabilis 'Gold Heart' 

I photographed a few other plants that do not have spectacular blooms, but have very attractive foliage.

ginger

native pachysandra, Pachysandra procumbens

trillium

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