A couple of weeks ago, it occurred to me to check on the Virginia bluebells. I saw a couple of leaves just beginning to peep up from the ground. Disappointed, I thought that most of them had probably died because it was so hot and dry last summer, and I didn’t water them at all. I stand corrected; they are quite alive, and after I thought about it a while, it occurred to me that they go dormant in late spring/early summer, so they probably don’t care much how dry it is or is not. Anyway, they’re alive!

Canada bloodroot not looking like much, so last year’s super-dry summer may very well have claimed some victims. This one is alive, though, and I’ll take whatever flowers I can get.

I was doing a little flowerbed-clearing when I came across a whole bunch of seedlings.

I don’t know what they are for sure, but given the location, I think they just might be cup plant. Time will tell; I understand they’re slow to establish from seed, and I kind of hope these don’t establish at all if they’re Sylphium because those are some seriously big plants, and the seedlings are closer to the front than the original plants, so they’d overpower the smaller plants. Anyway, we’ll see what happens.

This is from the afternoon I took off yesterday. I saw a sulphur, but I’ve seen them on warm days earlier than this. Red Admiral, though, always says spring to me. Early spring, but spring!