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).

A Splash of Colour

DSC03130_2, originally uploaded by susanvg.

The sun is warming the earth. In protected areas flowers are starting to appear. They grow quickly, eager to catch the warm rays. I always find spring to be a time of magic when changes happen quickly. You have to stop and admire each new growth, for by tomorrow there will be new things to see.

Beginnings

Beginnings, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Daily Shoot: Make a photo illustrating a fresh start, a new beginning, or the first step to a goal.
This cyclamen rewards me with new blooms. Like me, the plant has been around a while but it constantly creates new growth. New Year's is always a time to stop and reflect, to ponder whether the path we are on is the one we want to be taking, to set goals to tweak our lives and thus create new growth. Life is in constant change - the changes that happen to us and the changes we make happen. We have to tend our inner gardens well, to nourish, to find the sunshine and to revel in our own blooms.
Wishing all my friends new growth and a year full of blossoming dreams.

Apr 7/10 Start of Magnolias

Apr 7/10 Start of Magnolias, originally uploaded by susanvg.

Henri-Cartier Bresson said "Photography is nothing – it's life that interests me." Make a photo that reflects this quote.
This time of year I find myself documenting every change happening outside. This magnolia tree is beginning to bloom ahead of schedule due to our unseasonably warm temperatures. This week will be a little cooler so it may slow things down. Spring lets us watch life happen quickly as the spring blossoms appear so briefly then die off to let the next process begin. While plants flourish in summer, the changes are not so fast. Spring brings a frenzy of growth.