Thursday, April 10, 2008

It's DEFINITELY Spring now!

What's a surer sign of spring in these parts than pussy willows?


This plant, which I placed on our south lawn 15 or more years ago, is in a wet area where it can soak up all the water it needs. And each year it responds with catkins in late March and then slowly the buds open and mature and we're left with the tiny flowers (and copiuos amounts of pollen) on warm spring days in April.
Today is one of those days. I just came in from a walk of the neighbor's lane and the pussy willow was covered in powdered yellow. What a pretty sight in the sunshine. Of course my eyes know the pollen level has risen; they're red and I'm wiping them regularly.
This year we took cuttings from this willow before the catkins matured, right when they were at their fuzziest white. And we've dried them - froze them in time, really - and we'll enjoy them throughout the year. It's one of the few plants which can be held at a certain point in their bloom cycle.

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