Design

Even though 'official' winter is just underway, our recent mild weather has encouraged a few early winter flowers. These aren't natives, to be sure, but hardy imports from Asia, Camellia japonica (Camellia) and Chaenomeles speciosa (Flowering Quince) . Their early flowers are an encouraging part of gray winter days (at least what passes for gloomy winter days here). I'm thankful that we don't have too many dark days; a fellow on a nature walk this morning said 'this is what Chicago is like all winter.' Without the snow, I guess. But, that doesn't sound fun to me, although I celebrate folks who can embrace winter snow and ice with a full heart. But I thought today WAS a gray, cold day, and I was glad to see the Professor Sargent camellia flowers and the quince flower buds.

The calendar is late February, but there are many signs of spring on a morning walk at the Garden. All the winter and early flowering Asian species are in full swing; camellias, Japanese apricots, and magnolias, joined by the Mediterranean daffodils and rosemary. But some of our natives are also early; the tiny flowers of winged elm pose a nice contrast to the corky stems, and the male cones of red cedar ( Juniperus virginiana ) released great puffs of pollen when touched. Walking in the woodland wildflower area, part of the Garden's forest & woodland areas, we spotted first a single red-shouldered hawk in flight, stopping briefly so I noticed s/he was carrying a stick. The females are bigger than the males, but otherwise they look similar. Flying on to a large twiggy nest high in a tulip poplar tree, a second hawk joined the first, and then they stood on a nearby branch together. It's not too far from where a pair nested 2 years ago, and were quite easy to observe fee...