Holden Arboretum - An Early Spring

In Kirkland, OH, is a beautiful wooded area called Holden Arboretum. It's a little bit of a drive for us but well worth the time--and on Tuesdays, seniors are free! A few weeks ago we decided to visit and see what was already in bloom since so much of our yard had already sprung signs of spring.

I love the early budding of the trees in spring when they are tinged with red and green as the leaves are just ready to start popping. This unusually warm March brought what is usually an April scene. The magnolia had begun to bloom against that feathery soft background of early spring colors.

We walked the trails through the display garden where many of the magnolias had unfolded their blooms and headed for the rhododendron area. It was still too early for their blooms but there were a few azalea blooming and some early variety of Japanese Andromeda.

In the middle of the rhododendron garden is the stump of a huge 150 year old red oak that fell in 2007. Since it was such a favorite of so many visitors, it was decided to make it into a work of art by enlisting the artistic talents of Dan Sammon from Monteville, OH, to carve some of his woodland creatures and nymphs emerging from the stump of the tree. He used various sized chain saws and a hand held torch to complete his work

Lots of daffodils were in evidence--white with yellow centers, yellow on yellow, yellow with orange trumpets. . .Several other colors were displayed in ground covers that were blue, pink and white.

Along the Woodland Trail, we watched the frogs plop into the water. We stopped when we saw one just sitting as still as a statue except for an eye that kept watching us. While I have a lens that lets me get close up, I still wondered how close the frog would let me get before he plopped into the water. I took a step and clicked. Another step and clicked. And several more. I got to the water's edge and he never moved a muscle. So cool!

At another lake along the way, I was glad to have a lens that lets me get close without getting too close when I spotted what I thought was a gray rubber hose. No hose. It was a snake! I only took the picture for my grandkids who know my fear of them and think I'm a real wimp. Shhh. I really am.

After several trails and many clicks of my camera, we grabbed our packed lunch from the car and found a spot on a picnic bench overlooking one of the small lakes in the park. As we ate, we listened to the honking and hissing of Canadian geese who were obviously laying out their territory for their nests.

The weather couldn't have been more perfect--well maybe a little less hazy cloud cover but for a Northeastern Ohio March day it was a dream!