First spring flowers

[SidW]

First spring wildflowers, 25 March.

Hepatica nobilis growing wild in Sweden. The flowers are barely 1cm in diameter. They don't grow wild in the British Isles, but are popular there in gardens. EOS 20D, EF 50mm/1.8, 1 cm extension ring, ISO1600, 1/1600s f:11, cropped to 80%.


Anemone nemorosa, wood anemone. Not sure if you have this one in North America, but there are other anemones somewhat similar. As above, but 1/800s f:16, cropped to 50%.

[scott]

a wild guess: is that blåsippa and vitsippa?

Thinking back, those were probably the first two flower names I learned!

I learned Swedish in northern Sweden, where the first flowers of spring are a BIG DEAL. And very beautiful, as well.

If you have ever lived through a whole winter there, then you understand WHY the first spring flowers are such a big deal. Every spring, the first person in town to find a blooming dandilion gets their picture in the local paper!

[SidW]

Yes Scott, full points on every observation.

We live in the south, which is more urban and agricultural, less wild, a fence round everything. The few small forested areas are nature reserves. So these symbols of spring are less common, and in danger of being dug up by unscrupulous people. And spring itself is more diffuse than in the north, coming and going in fits and starts from February to May, with warm sunny days alternating with gales and hurricanes or severe frost or short-lived but violent blizzards.

But nature keeps to her own timetable, and Hepaticas and lapwings and skylarks always turn up on the same day year after year whatever the weather.