Fern Return

Ferns are one of the oldest groups of plants. Did you know that at one point there were tree ferns? They are also “the second-most diverse group of vascular plants on Earth, outnumbered only by flowering plants,” according to the American Fern Society. You don’t really need to know these facts to get that they are somehow special, resilient and tough yet at the same time extremely delicate. When you see a swath of them, and a breeze blows through, all of their triangular fronds sway and there’s a strange fractal-like pattern that dazzles the eye.

Do you ever get a little depressed after spring? Sometimes I do. It’s a bit of a let down after all of that newness. We are closer to summer now. The ferns are almost full grown. Maple keys are fluttering down in droves. Frogs are abundant–at twilight the grey tree frogs are particularly insistent. I am already worried about the heat of summer.

1. Hay-scented fern
2. Dogwood
3. A fabulous tree
4. New York fern
5. Yellow pond lilies
6. A hashtag?
7. Pink lady’s slipper
8. X
9. Shawangunk conglomerate
10. I predict a good blueberry season this year (but that could change any moment)
11. This week’s report