March in Review

Listening to the rain on my window this evening, March has proven to be a lion the whole way through. The few warm days have been punctuated with random snow storms, lots of rain, and some chilly sunny days. No, this is not uncommon, I mean, it's spring in Ohio after all. 

I have been taking my down time this month to go through the past two springs to see how things line up, see if certain plants always bloom first or if it's based on other factors (maybe more rain this year means plant x will bloom before plant y who likes more sun and has bloomed first before) - yeah, I'm even making an excel sheet about it, it's a thing... But anyway the findings are fascinating! 

2016 - First Bloom: (at Wooster memorial park because if you remember I went out there every single day (literally) to find the first blooming trillium, on the way I learned about all these other cool plants aaannnd the rest is history) The first bloom was a tie, the hepatica was cracking open (3/13) but the spring beauty was in full bloom (3/14) and it had gotten chilly so the hepatica closed back up.
Other blooms March 2016...
Skunk Cabbage, Spring Beauty, Hepatica, Colts Foot, Dutchman's Breeches, Deadnettle, Cutleaf Toothwort, Bloodroot, Swamp Buttercup, and Blue Cohosh!

2017 - First Bloom: Technically Harbinger of Spring but that was at a park I don't regular, at a regularly visited (by me) park, Hepatica (3/26) was the winner. 
Other blooms March 2017...
Skunk Cabbage, Harbinger of Spring, Hepatica, Spring Beauty, Swamp Buttercup, Cutleaf Toothwort, Bloodroot, Dutchman's Breeches, Colts Foot

The photos of both years show Trilliums are up and budding (but not blooming yet).

2017's photos are snowier than 2016, and I'm sure the cold of 2018 is what's put the damper on this year's blooms (just like how the frogs and salamanders are only now getting to their migration). 

2018 - First Bloom: Colt's Foot at Barne's Preserve
Putting the grand total for blooms here in Wayne County (that I've found) at 2 - Skunk Cabbage and Colt's Foot.

Now that's not for lack of trying, the few warm days have the plants geared up to bloom, you'll notice the buds on March 6th, they're still ready and waiting with the addition of other buds March 19th. Once this weather turned nice, watch out, these plant's won't be stopped! 

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March 6, 2018 - Wooster Memorial Park

Green! After winter how can one not appreciate seeing the new, bright hue that has seemed to escape us for so long.

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March 11, 2018 - Brown's Lake Bog

Pitcher plants are beginning to gain size, some ferns are unfurling, and the tiniest clues of sundews are beginning to show!

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March 11, 2018 - Force Rd

Migration season is really taking off, this evening though, we enjoyed the honking of swans in the marsh. 

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March 16, 2018 - Barnes Preserve

Late evening walk at Barnes, all was quiet at the pond but the field was filled with fluttering bluebirds!

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March 19, 2018 - Wooster Memorial Park

Slow and steady wins the race... More buds are appearing, but no flowers yet. Beginning to see more (I believe) sweet Cicely, that I had thought initially was dutchman's breeches (you'll see that on the 30th post).

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March 27, 2018 - Brown's Lake Bog

Rain sure highlights the uniqueness of the bog. Tiny sprouts, florescent golden ragwort rosette, and the mosses! 

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March 30, 2018 - Wooster Memorial Park

New spring regulars are waking up, still no blooms.