Easter Sunday surprised me with the first blooms of the trout lilies in the woodland garden. To some these flowers are known as dog-toothed violets. The scientific name is Erythronium Americanum. Nature surprised me with these delightful diminutive flowers. I did not plant them. With the removal of the invasive honeysuckle the trout lilies are now visible.
The name trout lily is directly related to the mottle coloring of the leaves, bearing a resemblance to the skin of a trout. It has been a delight to see them popping up in several different locations in the woodland garden.
On the Monday after Easter, New York was hit by a storm that had also pounded the Southern and Atlantic states. While tornadoes reeked havoc in the south, New York only had generous amounts of rain and wind.
The woodland garden contains the remnants of three gigantic willow trees. Everyone with whom I have spoken, who saw the trees in their prime, speaks with them in reverential terms. Unfortunately, they are so old they are either dead or barely putting out a few branches each year.
Mid Monday morning, my neighbor called me to ask if I had heard the loud crashing sound. I had not heard it. She told me one of the massive willows had come crashing down. Already rotting, wet with the storm and buffeted by strong winds, the tree broke in half. A surprise for Monday, but not an unexpected event overall.
A few weeks ago my neighbors had generously sent me a collection of astilbe plants. On Easter Sunday my neighbors and I had looked at them peeking out the ground with their fern like leaves. It was exciting. Of course, I planted the majority of them by the stream, as it is shady and moist – their preferred habitat. Unfortunately, the tree fell, as if on target, in the middle of the astilbes. Oh well, better luck next planting.
Lynn Warren landscaping came out this morning. No one could be more surprised than me to have had such quick response from a company. They showed up at 8:30 am and by 10:30 they had left, with all the branches chipped and the site cleared. If only every company were so quick professional and thorough.
The biggest sections of the tree were moved beside the stream. Over the years these logs will decay, providing a living environment for insects, birds and small rodents. I have a number of such spots in the woodland garden, primarily centered by these old willows and previous fallen branches. The goal is to still support the natural ecosystem while still having an attractive garden to enjoy (yes, even the snakes are tolerated).
Gardeners know all too well nature is in control. All a gardener can do is try to put things in the right place at the right time. In the instance of the trout lilies, by eliminating the honeysuckle I enabled the trout lilies to be seen and I am now anxious to discover whatever else might have been hidden on the woodland floor. With respect to the fallen willow, any number of things could be possible – more birds because of more insects, maybe different plants in this part of the garden as the willow, and other trees that fell, will no longer block the sun. Nature surprises and what a delight this is to experience.