Words and pictures from the author of And the Crows Took Their Eyes as well as the Elizabeth Goodweather Appalachian Mysteries . . .
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Blackberry Winter and Blue-eyed Grass
Blackberries are blooming on the hill sides and we've had a few days of chilly weather -- lows in the forties, highs in the sixties. Around here this kind of weather at this time of year is known as called blackberry winter. It hasn't been cool enough to harm anything but I've had to shut all the windows and pull out my corduroy shirts and fleece vests.
This little green clump in the asparagus bed almost got yanked out till I looked closer and realized that it was blue-eyed grass -- not grass at all but a tiny, tiny (the flower is slightly smaller than my little fingernail) iris. Such a pretty little thing!
And this is the blue-eyed grass's giant cousin -- a bearded iris just beginning to unfurl.
I did not know the blue-eye grass. It is unknown here at least in the Paris region. After a wonderful April, May has started badly : cold and cloudy). I cannot wait for warm and sunny days ! Have a nice week.
Good morning Vicki! I've just caught up on your blog and you sure got some great shots last week! I can't wait for the blackberries to get ripe as I used the last ones in the freezer about a month ago. I LOVE wild blackberries!
Rick -- it's a wildflower -- or a weed, depending on your point of view. The flower is so very tiny that it tends just to look like grass. I think it works best as a specimen plant -- mine fortunately showed up at the edge of a raised bed where it's easy to admire. The little flowers seem only to open in the sun so you have to visit it then.
Helene -- I suspect it's native to our area. Hope your weather improves!
Pat -- rain this morning and not quite as cold -- no frost, thank goodness!
You can look at the blades and see where the bloom will be -- not easy though -- it's likely to be mixed in with ordinary grass.
Good morning, Carol -- Buds in the JC but no blooms yet!
That's my kind of weather, Vicki! We are finally having some rain and cool days after the best Spring we have had in 35 years of living in the Midwest! It's fitting that my last Spring in the Midwest will be the best weather-wise! Thanks for the pics -
Beautiful little blooms. I sometimes want to yank out our Forget-me-nots until I remember the delicate splendour of those little blue flowers for a few days in early spring.
Just had blackberry winter here too, then severe storms (which thankfully mostly missed us) and a warm up in the night. In fact my house windows were all fogged up this morning, because it was actaully colder INSIDE the house than outside! When I walked out it was like walking into a sauna. Crazy. I actually have a sheep named Blackberry Winter--Blackberry for short. Everyone wonders why I named her blackberry when she is a grey sheep, but it's the rest of her name that describes her color! ;-) Have a great one. Tammy
Oh oh! That little blue-eyed grass looks like what came along for the ride when I rescued some condemned plants from a nearby property. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and plant it in a corner in my garden to see what develops.
This is the first time that I learn of the term "Blackberry Winter"! Here, that period of spring, is named after the "Ice Saints" - Pankratius, Servatius, Bonifatius - which are followed on the 15th by "Cold Sophia" (under the Julian calender, these days were actually set a week later, which corresponded better with the meteorological phenomenon).
I've been hearing about blackberry winter here too-we did have scattered frost one night-luckily none at my house. Love the blue-eyed grass pic-one of my favorite flowers.
21 comments:
I love spring! The blackberries are blooming here, on the trail behind our home. Lovely pictures, I espicially loved the bearded iris.
Is blue-eyed grass something that can be used as a border or ground cover, Vicki?
Rick
I did not know the blue-eye grass. It is unknown here at least in the Paris region.
After a wonderful April, May has started badly : cold and cloudy). I cannot wait for warm and sunny days !
Have a nice week.
Definitely blackberry winter here, as we had a good frost yesterday morning and several days of chilly, windy weather.
I'd better look closer before I pull those grassy clumps ... I never knew about blue-eyed grass.
so nice...i love me some black berries...and the iris unfurling is very cool.
What a dear little flower. I don't recall seeing it before. Is it a mountain plant, I wonder?
Blessings, Star
Good morning Vicki! I've just caught up on your blog and you sure got some great shots last week! I can't wait for the blackberries to get ripe as I used the last ones in the freezer about a month ago. I LOVE wild blackberries!
Blackberry winter is so charming. Never heard that term before.
Now, I think I smell something wonderful in your previous post.....
Rick -- it's a wildflower -- or a weed, depending on your point of view. The flower is so very tiny that it tends just to look like grass. I think it works best as a specimen plant -- mine fortunately showed up at the edge of a raised bed where it's easy to admire. The little flowers seem only to open in the sun so you have to visit it then.
Helene -- I suspect it's native to our area. Hope your weather improves!
Pat -- rain this morning and not quite as cold -- no frost, thank goodness!
You can look at the blades and see where the bloom will be -- not easy though -- it's likely to be mixed in with ordinary grass.
Good morning, Carol -- Buds in the JC but no blooms yet!
The bearded iris looks like it is being birthed.
That's my kind of weather, Vicki! We are finally having some rain and cool days after the best Spring we have had in 35 years of living in the Midwest! It's fitting that my last Spring in the Midwest will be the best weather-wise! Thanks for the pics -
Beautiful little blooms. I sometimes want to yank out our Forget-me-nots until I remember the delicate splendour of those little blue flowers for a few days in early spring.
Just had blackberry winter here too, then severe storms (which thankfully mostly missed us) and a warm up in the night. In fact my house windows were all fogged up this morning, because it was actaully colder INSIDE the house than outside! When I walked out it was like walking into a sauna. Crazy. I actually have a sheep named Blackberry Winter--Blackberry for short. Everyone wonders why I named her blackberry when she is a grey sheep, but it's the rest of her name that describes her color! ;-)
Have a great one.
Tammy
Oh oh! That little blue-eyed grass looks like what came along for the ride when I rescued some condemned plants from a nearby property. I'll give it the benefit of the doubt and plant it in a corner in my garden to see what develops.
thanks for the tip.
I just put in a hot link to blue-eyed grass -- it's all over North America -- Alaska even
Very nice !
Your translation is quite right.
Even if the sentence seems very strange,"ongles" do mean fingernails .
what a sweet way to describe a cool spell in spring. I have never heard of blue-eyed grass either, another charming expression for a charming flower.
This is the first time that I learn of the term "Blackberry Winter"! Here, that period of spring, is named after the "Ice Saints" - Pankratius, Servatius, Bonifatius - which are followed on the 15th by "Cold Sophia" (under the Julian calender, these days were actually set a week later, which corresponded better with the meteorological phenomenon).
The blue-eyed grass looks beautiful! I didn't know that kind of plant.
juicy and sweet,
lovely in sight!
thanks for sharing!
I've been hearing about blackberry winter here too-we did have scattered frost one night-luckily none at my house. Love the blue-eyed grass pic-one of my favorite flowers.
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