Mt. Holyoke’s Spring Flower Show! March 13, 2012
Posted by littlebangtheory in Art and Nature.Tags: amaryllis, crocuses, Mount Holyoke College, Spring Flower Show, tulips
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Most of March (through next weekend, as I’m posting this) sees Mount Holyoke College’s annual Spring Flower Show at their Botanic Gardens, a sprawling series of greenhouses just east of the campus’ center.
It’s a refreshing departure from Smith College’s staid cattle-call, which is happening concurrently. Smith’s greenhouses are beautiful, but the elbow-to-elbow death-march through their tightly choreographed presentation makes me want to bleat out loud.
By contrast, Mt. Holyoke is a refreshing walk in the garden, whether it’s white or brown outside the glass. And the atmosphere is mellow; sure, bring that tripod right in (I didn’t this time,) there’s plenty of time, lots of room.
It was casually inviting enough to coax me in both on Saturday, with my daughter Ursula, and on Sunday with my sweetie Susan. Both visits kept me rapt and focused on my work, with frequent excited interactions with both of these enthusiastic co-conspirators.
The entry takes one past impressive Amaryllises like this Rilona:
…to a series of greenhouses filled with fragrant beauty:
The weather was unusually mild for March in Massachusetts, and their windows were fully open, allowing lots of honey bees to love their floral hosts:
INCOMING!
TOUCHDOWN!
We in the Northeast are struggling through an epidemic of Colony Collapse Disorder, but there were still quite a few honey bees about to spread the wealth of this beautiful collection of specimens.
The air was filled with the fragrance of thousands of blossoms, and I inhaled deeply of the bounty. Freesia were abundantly represented:
I have too many shots of these to share, lest I drive you away screaming.
But really, it was the blossoms which I was there for:
I lost that one’s name, and may add it later.
Being Spring, corcuses were well represented:
…and tulips, the mainstay of Spring floweriness:
All this and more characterize this flower show. More shots will follow, as I’m presently going blind sifting through this stuff.
Blossoms. April 8, 2010
Posted by littlebangtheory in Art and Nature, macro photos.Tags: crocuses, Spring
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Crocuses, to be precise:
…because it is, after all, Spring.
In Our Door Yard! April 1, 2010
Posted by littlebangtheory in Art and Nature, macro photos.Tags: crocuses, slug, thyme
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While a new sump pump evacuated our cellar, I took a moment to investigate the minutiae of our dooryard and was rewarded by signs of Spring.
Crocuses stake a claim in the thin light:
…while other denizens of the dooryard are just happy to be out and about:
I marveled at this guy’s little square feet (before removing him to a place where his nibbling would effect our yard less obviously.)
And beneath it all, our thyme was blossoming:
I guess flooding isn’t the only sign of Spring!
In The Dooryard. March 26, 2010
Posted by littlebangtheory in Art and Nature, macro photos.Tags: crocuses, Spring
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One of the first signs of Spring in these parts is the appearance of crocuses. They peek through the waning snow, dotting the landscape with the first hints of the color to come.
In our dooryard:
These little beauties will succumb to the coming cold nights, but their slight cousins will show their lovely heads during the next warm spell, which we trust will be upon us sooner rather than later.
Viva la Spring!
More From The Bridge. April 19, 2009
Posted by littlebangtheory in Art and Nature.Tags: crocuses, The Bridge of Flowers
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Well, actually, two more, ’cause it’s getting late, and I have to rise and shine at an obscene hour.
Crocuses on The Bridge:
…and a daffodil:
That is all.
Open For The Season! April 10, 2009
Posted by littlebangtheory in Art and Nature.Tags: Bridge of Flowers, crocuses
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The Bridge of Flowers, which spans the Deerfield River between Shelburne and Buckland, opened for the season this past weekend:
At the moment, it’s mostly crocuses:
…but I’m cool with that.
This place is a gem, and will soon be a riot of blossoms of all kinds.
Just wanted to share what’s there now.
Little Bang Theory 