Something new to notice

From a distance it's easy to see the huge swath of white trillium on the hillside above my driveway, but you have to walk up close to notice the diminutive brownish blossoms on the pawpaw trees or the tiny new twinleaf foliage swaying in the breeze. At Lake Katharine the mayapples seem to be colonizing every damp spot but lean close and you'll see a jack-in-the-pulpit just popping up, a few drooping trout lilies still holding on, or foamflowers opening in a delicate riot of lacy white. Here and there this morning we saw an unfamiliar type of leaf cluster bursting from its sheath, and I wondered whether we're seeing the first signs of the bigleaf and umbrella magnolias returning to life or whether it's another tree entirely. Always something new to notice, something fresh to learn. Where have you been all my life, golden ragwort?

Just a few of the trilliums above my driveway.

Pawpaw blossoms

foamflower

fiddleheads

a forest of mayapples

Golden Ragwort

What is this? They were all over the place.