Spring Has Sprung At Kendrick Lake Park

I took a walk the other day at Kendrick Lake Park, not far from my home in Lakewood. There is a public garden there with a great collection of native and regionally appropriate plants, artfully juxtaposed with large boulders on low mounds. Pathways meander among the mounds creating islands of texture and color. The color is very muted right now, with most plants cut back to prepare for spring. Grasses are cut down to 6 - 12" and the yellow greens of Manzanita, Yucca, bear grass, and Agave species serve as a back drop for the brilliant blue Iris reticulata. My daughter and I strolled around the lake, moving in and out of clouds of midges, who undoubtedly had been awakened by the recent spate of warm weather we've had. Spring indeed has sprung.

Many people, when they encounter midges, think they are mosquitoes because they seem to swarm. But these primitive flies are non-biting and are merely swarming in a mating frenzy, waiting for a female to dash into the cloud and select some lucky fellow. The larvae float at the ponds edge, waiting for a warm day to burst into flight, if they are lucky enough to not become fish fodder.

I plan to return periodically to document the garden as it progresses through the seasons--showing the seasonal form of these beautiful plants that deserve a place in our gardens. I hope to tell a story about the plants that are at home in our region--picturing various plants throughout the seasons so you have an idea what the plants look like and how to take care of them.