Crocus

About 3 years ago we planted several dozen crocus in our lawn. These have been starting to show up for about a week now. Not particularly early, as our yard warms up slowly.
Crocus are pretty easy way to get early spring color...plant the bulbs in the fall (a typical bulb-planting rule is to plant the bulb at a depth that's the same as 3x the width of the bulb). Just plant them and walk away.
Easy: they multiply, they return year after year, the squirrels don't seem to eat them. But the deer will nibble on the flowers.
One of the easiest gardening projects there is!

A Mild Winter Day

...was perfect for exploring Bell’s Bend Park for the first time last weekend. There are several miles of walking trails along this mostly flat meadowland near the river. The subtle rich colors of the meadow, and the hills in the distance made a comforting Tennessee scene.

But winter offers more challenge to the identification of favorite wildlfowers; with less vibrant color and fewer leaves, I had to focus on height, location, shapes of dried seed heads.


Pictured: Broom Sedge, Milkweed,Queen Annes' Lace, Ironweed, Goldenrod.

Visit the 808 acres of Bell’s Bend Outdoor Center (a Davidson County metropolitan park) by taking Briley Parkway off White Bridge Road, north to Exit 12, Ashland City Hiway west-ish, left on Old Hickory Boulevard. No crowds, fantastic visitor’s center, good programs led by the staff
naturalists.
LINKS
http://www.nashville.gov/parks/nature/bbnc/index.asp
http://www.beamanpark.org/