Spring is Unfurling

Spring is Unfurling, a photo by susanvg on Flickr.

Spring - each year new growth surprises with its speed and elan. Gardens wake up and get to work. No need for intervention, they know just what to do.




First comes the carpet of blue scylla which spread haphazardly where they please. No matter how many get dug up inadvertently as I plant a few annuals later in the season, they still seem to multiply.

Forsythia open their sunny blossoms, a yellow splash that brightens the garden.

Ah, spring! That season of ephemera. All the more to be appreciated for the temporary nature of each phase. 

The Ferns Unroll

The Ferns Unroll, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Growth happens so quickly this time of year. Little bumps unfurl until they are leafy ferns.



In forests, people pick the early fern shoots known as fiddleheads (usually the ostrich fern). They are quite tasty. They have to be cleaned well and then cooked thoroughly. As only the tightly furled shoots are edible, harvest season is short.

Here's a link to Fiddlehead recipes as well as information about picking them (I let mine grow and buy fresh fiddleheads at the grocery store).

May 10/10: Ferns

May 10/10: Ferns, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Ferns unfurling, their gentle green lace is revealed. Now they are young, not yet giving off their cool green aura of summer. As they fill in, their dense folliage will hide the earth, providing havens for the garden insects.

Day 118: The fiddleheads open

Day 118: The fiddleheads open, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Spring is the ephemeral season. Nothing lasts; change is constant. Each day the sights from yesterday have morphed into new delights. These ferns, just tiny fiddleheads yesterday, started to unfurl; tomorrow they may point their fronds skyward. The trees are dappled with delicate green lace like pointillist paintings. It is definitely my favourite season.