- The biggest story in the yard these days is the massive reproductive efforts of our trees. There are remnants of fall acorns everywhere. There are seedlings and saplings all around, too, not just baby oaks, but also maples and birches, and some other things that I do not recognize (but hope to soon). And now every surface is littered with birch flowers, pollen, and pink-winged maple seeds. The air is unhealthy from all the pollen. It’s making me sick, not just sneezy, but lung-congested and fatigued. This is a part of spring that I do not love.
My car is so filthy with tree crud that I’m going to have to hose it off before going anywhere.
- I found a stand of what appears to be autumn olive along the side of the road, just off our property. Given the invasive nature of the plant, it will spread, and I expect that I’ll find it growing in my yard within the next couple of years.
It’s a pretty plant. If it weren’t invasive, I wouldn’t mind having it as a neighbor, but it is invasive, so I’m not thrilled with its proximity. The berries are said to make good jelly, and picking them would reduce the plant’s spread, but foraging along heavily-traveled roads is a questionable practice. Plus I’m a little afraid of foraging something so unfamiliar anyway. It doesn’t matter right now, though. The berries won’t develop for a while yet.
- The Jack-in-the-pulpit is still alive. My husband has left it alone, and so have the deer, which is encouraging. Maybe we’ll actually see the flowers someday.
- The lily-of-the-valley has sprouted again in spite of having been chewed down by deer in the past, but it has not bloomed this year, and I’m not sure it ever has. We started with two plants, and there are now perhaps three, so the spread has been minimal. I’m not sure whether to be sad or relieved. I love lily-of-the-valley, but it’s no good to me if it won’t spread or bloom. OTH, if it were to spread and bloom, it might become invasive, and we already have enough invasive plants.