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Barbara Sinclair's avatar

Just this morning, I noticed that the Japanese Dappled Willow by my back door has begun her spring budding. Takes my breath away every year. It's literally medicine for the soul.

A lovely tribute to Mother Nature in bloom, Gavin. Thank you! 🌸🌸🌸

Gavin Mounsey's avatar

Hello my friend! It made me smile to see your comment here.

I love those cheerful fluffy willow blossoms (catkins) ! I agree about them being medicine for the soul. And the fact you can make medicine for the body and weave baskets and feed pollinators with the same shrub/tree is also impressive :)

Thanks for swinging by my tree hugging soul sister!

Wishing you many enchanting and nourishing moments in the woods this spring

Barbara Sinclair's avatar

Hi Gavin! I'm enjoying the greening and the upsurge in birdsong. The Eastern Phoebes have returned and are building their nest under my back door overhang again. :) Yesterday, I found mud all over the ground while they were constructing their masterpiece. I'm savoring early spring before the monstrous bugs arrive. I realize how important their role is in the bigger picture that is Nature, but they seem to really like my blood. ☹️ Happy Spring!

Gavin Mounsey's avatar

Audacity is another good word that describes April, but I prefer Audaciousness for the particular moments I highlighted in the photos in the album above.

Thanks for the comment.

Steve Connally's avatar

That Elder Polar. What a magnificent structure. We rarely see such a broad canopy. Thanks for sharing all the woodland beauty.

Gavin Mounsey's avatar

The Tulip tree? If so, you are most welcome Steve! The one I think you may be referring to was part of a patch of forest owned by the Heinz corporation and was given to the town as a conservation area so I think she may have grown up on the edge of an already cleared area so she branched out lower then the trees that start off within a dense forest. People started clearing the forests here over 250 years ago so branching on tulip trees like that offers an interesting historical glimpse when compared to those super straight trunked ones in the deep forest that only crown at 60 feet plus into limited branching.

Thanks for the comment my friend.

Steve Connally's avatar

Yes I did refer to the Tulip. Here the species is Tulip Poplar. Interesting how they grow when you change the setting and the surrounding factors.