Never yet was a springtime, when the buds forgot to bloom.
~ Margaret Elizabeth Sangster
This quote reminds me of the first flower buds I look for each year. They are not what most people seek in anticipation of the advent of spring — the early spring ephemerals — Bloodroot, Hepaticas and the like. What I notice first, when it is still officially winter, are certain tree flowers. Where I live, in Brooke County, West Virginia, the first tree to flower is the American Elm soon followed by the Red Maple. Right now, in early March, those flower buds are beginning to swell.
Although the buds and flowers of American Elms are not noticeable from a distance, those of the Red Maples can be seen from far away.
Closeup, the flowers of Red Maples are interestingly exquisite.
I’ve been watching them. The buds are already beginning to swell and flowers will soon follow. Spring begins!!
Bill Beatty Nature 