Spring beginnings: monarchs and cardinals

Monarach pupa found under a bench I was planning to paint. Now I have to wait until the butterfly emerges.

Sorry this is such a bad pic. But I didn't want to disturb the baby cardinals. I think there are three in this nest at Sheldon Lake.

April showers bring May sunflowers

On one of our road trips last year I bought a variety park of sunflower seeds at Wildseeds Farms.

Even the tall ones have started to bloom so it is interesting to see the different flowers. Wish I could remember the different names. Next year maybe I will label them better.

Spiderlilies love wet ditches

Spiderlily in bloom.

The flashes of white you see in the ditches you drive past are most likely Spiderlilies.

They have distinctive flowers, and their big seeds resemble tiny limes. They are one of the showy faves used in wetland restoration.

After the flower is spent, the seeds (left) drop to the water.

Seed me.

Volunteers collected seeds for replanting.  They will sprout soon.

Sprouts growing in the pan will be separated, potted and returned to the grow-out pond to await distribution in a park.