painted

The petals of this dwarf iris appear to have been painted.

The flowers wear a delicate beauty.

windy

Cool temperatures today were chilled even more by a brisk wind.

Luckily, previous spring-like weather encouraged early spring flowers to emerge. I found the first daffodils of the season sheltered by a stone wall in Maudslay State Park.

looking to the north

Rippled sand and pools of water decorate the beach as the tide flows out.

from a walk at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

tidal

According to the forecast, today will be the last day with temperatures in the low 50s for a while. I took advantage of the relative warmth along with an approaching low tide, heading to the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge for a walk by the sea.

While it's a wonderful beach for walking, it's also a protected nesting area for the endangered piping plover. The beach in the refuge closes for the nesting season on April 1st, reopening when the birds are finished with it.

dwarf iris

A new early spring flower jumped in front of my eyes today, dwarf iris.

I'm enjoying the tiny flowers that emerge well before their full-sized kin.

opening

The gardens of Long Hill beckoned this afternoon. Sunshine supported a wander through the garden looking for the tiny early flowers of early spring.

Tiny early crocus wearing the name Tommy crocus wore a delicate shade of purple.

crocus

Yesterday I saw my first crocus of the season, a wonderful sign of spring!

photos! spring bulb show at Smith College

It's well worth driving across the state to visit the spring bulb show at Smith College.

The show provided an early taste of spring flowers. I loved the splash of color!

To see more photos, click here to jump to the gallery spring flowers at Smith College :: 2024.

calm

Approaching low tide, the beach is calm.

The air is filled with the sound of waves, the song of the ocean.

at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge

in a greenhouse

Today I headed to Smith College to spend some time with flowers that were thriving in the greenhouse during the Spring Bulb Show.

It was wonderful to stand and absorb the beauty of bright spring flowers.

mini daffodils

Late morning, with rain predicted for the afternoon, I headed to Maudslay State Park. I wondered if any new flowers had emerged since my last visit almost two weeks ago.

I found snowflakes and snowdrops hidden behind a brick wall, and I found miniature daffodils in bloom on the hill that is a home to crocus a little later in the season.

It's always fun to visit flowers early in the blooming season.