One of my April joys is watching spring flowers blossom and bloom. I love all the varieties, sizes, and colors. In our current yard we do not have many colors. In past yards, I have planted lots of colorful shrubs and flowers. When we built a house, we were able to plan the entire yard and put a perennial garden surrounding the front walk. It was picturesque and included bulbs, flowers, and a butterfly bush.

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Many eyes go through the meadow, but few see the flowers in it.

— Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882) American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, and poet

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When we moved to our current house fourteen years ago the yard and flower beds were a mess. They still are. I have been busy with other things. Previous owners planted flowers and shrubs, but the strange thing is that most of the flowers they planted are white. I love them, but it seems odd.

In the spring I adore going out and taking pictures to observe and document the unfolding of each bloom. Often I will jump up from the breakfast table when I notice a new blossom and exclaim, “I need to go out and take a picture of that!” Lovely blossoms and blooms peek out from the brambles and weeds surrounding them.

Crossvine

One of my favorite flowers is a wildflower. The Crossvine (Bignonia capreolata L.) is a member of the trumpet-creeper family. It is a climbing, woody vine which can reach fifty feet. The flowers are orange-red, trumpet-shaped flowers two inches long and one and a half inches across. They hang in clusters of two to five blossoms. The vine climbs by means of tendrils and you can often see them high in a tree. They bloom from March into May. Hummingbirds are attracted to the flowers and so are bumblebees. 

There are several crossvine plants around our yard. One is right next to our deck which is about ten feet off the ground. That makes it easy for me to see the blooms and take pictures. I went out one morning to take pictures and saw this bee going from flower to flower. The blossom is so deep the bee could dive right in and not be seen. I took this video.

I remember the first time I saw a bloom from a crossvine. I was standing at the kitchen sink of the house we built. It was in a wooded area and any unusual color stood out against the ground. I saw a bright red and yellow flower nestled among the brown leaves and pine straw. I had never seen a flower like that so, I went out to pick it up and take a closer look. The flower was exotic and unusual—deep red on the outside and bright yellow on the inside. I wondered where it could have come from. Looking around I did not see any flowering plant or bush. I looked up and high in the tree was a vine with these beautiful flowers. I gathered up the blossoms I found on the ground and took them in to show my husband.

Then, I pulled out my book, Wildflowers of Alabama and Adjoining States. I flipped through each page and finally I found a picture of this flower!

Other Spring Flowers

When I scroll back through the pictures on my phone, it reminds me of the beauty that nature provides for us even in the mess—if only we take time to stop and look . . . or take a picture.

Here are some pictures . . .

Iris

Azalea

White Rose Mallow

Daffodil

Violet

Clematis

Creeping Buttercup

Hairy Golden Aster

Virginia Spiderwort

Weigela

Japanese Maple

It’s easy to get caught up in all the busyness of our daily lives. We often forget to stop and appreciate the beautiful (often small) things around us—that are sometimes hidden in the mess. Grab your iPhone or camera and go out and take some pictures of plants or flowers right now!