Thursday, April 6, 2017

Nature Study Outing :: Early Spring Adventures

Fall is my overall favorite season of the year, but spring is hands-down my favorite season for nature study.  The wildflowers, the waterways, the cool temperatures and bright sun, and all that green...







A few of our most common wildflowers for March:

fiddlenecks

red-stemmed filaree

wild radish

first lupines!

shining peppergrass

blue dicks

unopened yarrow, i think

milkmaids

johnny jump-up

baby blue eyes

persian speedwell

bladder parsnip

purple sanicle

shepherd's needle

cut-leaf geranium

checker mallow

california buttercup

western bittercress

Our nature tray from one March outing:


And that week's nature journal entries -- can you tell we are inspired by the season?

xavier (6)

cate (7)

gianna (10)

vincent (10)

and mine!

Every week there's something new blooming: I have friends texting me pictures of hounds tongue, sticky monkey flower, shooting stars and more.  (I have great friends. :))  Lots more wildflower photos to come in the months ahead, so be warned!

What blooms in March where you are?

4 comments:

  1. Okay, Celeste - here's one more thing we have in common: "Fall is my overall favorite season of the year, but spring is hands-down my favorite season for nature study." I wholeheartedly agree!

    I love looking at your wildflower pictures, and learn so much about identifying things through your posts. Even though our species are not identical to yours due to us living on the east coast there are enough similarities that I always come away from your posts excited due to learning something new. Thanks for that!

    The checker mallow is stunning and is unfamiliar to me. The persian speedwell is my favorite of this lot, though. I planted some lupine seeds in our flower bed this year. Time will tell if we get a crop. I'd love to be labeled the local "Lupine Lady." :)

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    1. I love Miss Rumphius!

      The checker mallow is the only magenta we see in March, so it's a real treat against all that green.

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  2. Thank you for identifying these wildflowers with your photos. This will be so helpful! I feel like I just got a mini, local wildflower guide. ��

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    1. Sarah, you're going to have to make it down here for a walk with us some time! We're almost on summer break, so I'll have a little more flexibility in my schedule. Let's chat about what day of the week might work. :)

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