“Every year when I go to the woods to photograph on those first soft, warm days, it is like walking into a whole new world. First come the odd, yet elegant skunk-cabbage blossoms and the soft willow catkins. Spiraled new fern leaves unfurl towards the light. Then the trees are budding. Their branches are adorned with living jewels of reds, pinks and the freshest hues of vibrant green. The earliest clusters of woodland plants boldly push up through the rich earth that was hidden from us under the thick snow of a long winter. These early wildflowers are the most unique in form and shape, and probably the most anticipated of the year. Intrepid and delicate, they show they are most deserving of their solo performance on the forest floor.”
by Mindy Arledge