Turning Over A New Leaf: How Senescence, Marcesence, and A Little Immaturity All Make For A Greener World

New England gardeners always feel a little behind the curve in the Spring.  When gardeners further south have already moved well beyond spring bulbs and ephemerals, our trees are just beginning to show signs of green.  Well, I'm happy to say that it feels like we are catching up just a little, as things are really leafing out here now.  And, some of the new, emerging foliage on the trees and shrubs can be quite striking.  You see many more different shades of leaf color this time of year than you will see at the height of summer when the leaves are mature; the variation in hues only being surpassed in the autumn.  Here in the New England forest, we are lucky to have such a diversity of tree and shrub species that provide an endless variety of leaf size, form and color.

Hellebores Galore

I have often said that if I were only allowed to have one flowering plant, it would probably be a hellebore.  What's not to love about this plant?  It has beautiful glossy green foliage that hangs around all winter, it's amazingly frost resistant, the deer seem to hate it, and its flowers come in the most delicious colors that run the gamut from creamy whites, through deep pinks and purples, to almost black.

Rachel's Garden- Lavender

For more art from Rachel's Garden, click here.

To see what this is all about, click here.

Cirque du Swift

This past Thursday, Swift Corwin made his annual appearance here to do some tree pruning and cleanup from winter damage.  Watching him perform his craft is a little like watching an act from Cirque du Soleil; and just as breathtaking!  He travels through the treetops moving from tree to tree without ever touching the ground.  There are no ladders, no cranes, no booms, baskets, or cherry pickers. Only a rope, some safety rigging, and one strong and agile young arboreal acrobat who clearly doesn't suffer from acrophobia.