In Minnesota our spring season is a little (or a lot) later than almost every other spot in the country. That can leave us staring longingly at those bare branches, willing them to bud. As someone who grew up where spring started in well, spring, I definitely longed for leaves in early April those first years here. However, I’ve since discovered that if looking up into the trees isn’t rewarding, looking down can be and is dare I say better than a green leaf.
Flowers! We get flowers here in Minnesota long before the trees have a chance to shade everything in. Beautiful, delicate, and intricate native wildflowers take advantage of the extra sun bare trees let by and don’t mind a good ‘ole April snow. While most flowering plants slowly taunt us with a few leaves first, stems, and then everlasting buds, spring wildflowers get to the good stuff right away, focusing on the flowers first.
These flowers are vital for emerging native bees and other pollinators who wake up rightly hungry after a long northern winter. That can also be said for us non-flying species. I can’t think of a better way to welcome everyone to the end of the cold and snowy road than beautiful colors dotting the landscape.
To bask in their beauty you do need to be a little on your toes. Most spring wildflowers bloom for only a short time before the tree canopy fills in and they use what sun they have left to go to seed. So here are tips I’ve picked up to get it while the getting is good.
Continue Reading at Twin Cities Mom Collective…
