Vermont is an embarrassing abundance of greens right now. Blankets of green are draped over the hills and mountains. Walls of green line the edges of the fields and streets. It is easy to miss the trees for the forest but some simply make themselves known.
Tulip poplar, a tree that does not grow this far north of its own accord, is now in magnificent bloom, fully living up to its name. In the past few years we have planted another dozen around the city because the climate seems more warmly accommodating and because the trees are gorgeous.
The Little-leaf Linden I mentioned in an earlier post is nearly in full bloom. By Sunday the trees will literally be humming with bees and the scent will drive both the bees and me crazy with enchantment—something I can’t show you on this blog so please, do yourself a favor, and go find one to sniff and listen to!
While you are out foraging, look for the Shad or Serviceberry trees that grow both along many of our streets as well as on the margins of the fields. Their gorgeous flowers are among the first to show up on the hillsides, in early May.
Their berries are just now ripening and offer a superb flavor unlike any other berry I know. But you have to share with the birds and squirrels (and they don’t really want to share with us) so don’t tarry.
While the rest of the world may not have the plethora of trees Vermont has, they are nearly everywhere and all are deserving of being closely watched and enjoyed—what else is there to do on this July 4th weekend?!
Still Learning To See 