[dc]T[/dc]here is no doubt about it. Spring is upon us in all of its glorious proliferation. Trees are leafing-out, yards are being mowed, and spring migrants are winging their way back to us in earnest. Frankly, I’m a bit worried about warblering season, as the unseasonably early tree leaves will make the little buggers impossible to see. (And let’s be honest, I don’t need any handicaps in the warblering department.)
At any rate, early tree leaves also mean that the push of spring wildflowers is almost over, as the leafy sun-hoggers are the flowers’ signal to gracefully bow out. Wildflowers are the girls-next-door of the plant world: naturally beautiful, often taken for granted, and when you finally begin to appreciate them, they play hard to get.
Anyway.
If you’re an insufferable nature nerd, like me, you will love this book.
Released just in time for wildflower season, it’s more than a guide to the beauties of spring. It is a beautiful, hardcover natural history lesson. Seriously. There are 10 pages covering skunk cabbage. Ten more on trout lilies. Ten more on trillium. You get the point. The pages are filled with gorgeous photos and engaging text (on everything from habitat preferences to pollinator information); I’ve found myself reading “chapters” at a time. And impulsively sharing the information with anyone willing to listen. (Yup, I’m that type of nerd.)
Check it out, you won’t regret it.
(p.s. my favorite spring wildflower is Jack-in-the-Pulpit, what’s yours?)
Disclaimer: I received a complimentary copy of this book from Princeton University Press.