Ephemeral beauty

Botanists label many of our native spring plants as ephemerals, plants that live, bloom, and die back in just a short time.  While their days are short, the ephemerals are some of the most uniquely lovely plants in my garden.   It's difficult to find these plants in nurseries because their visible growing and blooming season is so short--it's hard to sell what looks like a pot of dirt.  Most of my ephemerals were carefully harvested from meadows and woodlands and transplanted to my own woodland garden.

While I only see these plants for a few weeks each spring, I feel their energy beneath the surface of my garden's soil.  When spring arrives, I watch eagerly for their foliage to appear and diligently keep watch for their delightful blooms.

I love the mysterious beauty of my ephemeral garden.