“Some old-fashioned things like fresh air and sunshine are hard to beat.” Laura Ingalls Wilder
This spring has been one for the books, and I do not mean comic books. We had a week of 70 and 80 degree days with one day that was over 94 degrees. Then we went down to the 40’s and perhaps 50’ since then. Crabapples bloomed a little earlier than normal, with rainy or cloudy cold days with less bee activity. It is unclear how pollination was affected by these cold, cloudy days, as many fruit trees also were in bloom. Flowers are fading now and it is still relatively cold. Perhaps the more robust queen bumblebees will have taken up the slack.
An unusual non-native spring- flowering plant, barrenwort, blooms from spring into summer. This plant can endure dense shade and droughts, and it is sometimes called Bishop’s hat. Large panicles have a profusion of colorful, dangling flowers that are very unusual. They have four sepals with the long, tapering slender, true petals forming a cup with the stamens inside.
Native wildflowers like trillium and bird’s foot violet should be in bloom now, and lady’s slippers, and columbine will flower shortly. Blue flag irises occur in wetlands, often in colonies. They are easily identified by the distinct blue to blue violet delicate-looking flowers. Their falls have white centers often with fluted yellow fringe.
Insects in general have not been abundant due to the cold and cloudy weather conditions. Many pollinators have been absent from the abundance of dandelion flowers we have had this year. We finally had a warm, sunny day in early May and bees and other insects came out to celebrate that big event. One of them was the orange- collared scape moth,
Peculiar- looking fruiting bodies are often seen on red cedars and some junipers this time of year. Small, woody galls form on twigs of the host evergreens the previous year. During wet weather, these galls produce orange, gummy horns that make them look like the head of Medusa. Spores will be released from these horns and infect crabapples and apples as they are windblown to their new host plant.
We experienced a mini-drought this spring that came with forest fire warnings. Hiking along a large pond with a grove of white pines, my sister and I came upon proof that this warning was not for nothing. During the single thunderstorm we had during this time, lightning must have struck two dead pines and their was evidence of a small forest fire that was doused quickly by rain- no needles on the ground were burned.
Migrating and returning birds are slow to arrive or pass through, but this week they are here in abundance. Soon the woods will be full of the songs of veerys, wood thrushes and vireos, among others. A Wilson’s warbler was seen in scrub brush as it was passing through on its way to northern parts.
Soon trees will be leafed out, birds will have started building nests and raising their young, days and nights will be warmer and gardens will be filling up with flowers. I am hoping we have a less hot and droughty summer than we had last year, but will deal with what we get. I cannot control everything that can go wrong in my gardens and nothing much less in nature. I must strive for the better way and not think so much about the bad, because I tend to get distracted from all the good things going on, too.
‘In acceptance, is peace’- Amy Carmichael.
Pamm Cooper
Uconnladybug's Blog 
