What a great time of year for New England nature photos — really, any photo that benefits from strong sunlight.
The first two iris photos are from the the grounds of the Buttrick Mansion at Minuteman National Park. The next one shows wild irises in a swamp near Walgreen’s.
Finding rare Lady Slippers is always a thrill, especially finding a large stand. The photo after the Lady Slippers shows fragrant lilacs and wisteria. That one is followed by a field of pink Dame’s Rocket near woods. The little bridge with the crab apple canopy is just off a busy parking lot. Even small pockets of nature are important.
The next photo is by Kristina, whose yard has a stream running through it. The painted turtle was not found there, however. It was on a high stone wall by the park. Someone must have rescued it from the middle of the road. It didn’t seem to know what to do about being so high up. Perhaps it was injured. I moved it to a field across the street. Not sure I did right.
A lot of people in town have been holding off on mowing in order to protect our pollinators. See the signs. I love that they are doing that — and not just because of the reprieve from noisy, polluting lawn mowers.
A different kind of sign is in Walden Woods. Author Toni Morrison once noted that there were few markers preserving the history of the enslaved. This one honors former slave Brister Freeman, well known in town during Thoreau’s time.
Next we have spring wreaths, a high school senior dressed as a clown for Pranks Day, glamorous table legs in a bakery, and the dogwood at my house.
Suzanne's Mom's Blog 
What a delight this post is! Irises are my favorite flowers. How I would love to go to that park and see all the irises. Those lady slippers are a treat, too.
I really got into iris this year, wild or tame. As a kid, I remember being put off by the way they shrivel uo. For pictures, you have to get them before that starts.
I still remember the thrill of finding a lady slipper in the woods near our house in Airmont. Knowing that it was illegal to pick them made the find all the more exciting. I recently had the pleasure of seeing them again at the orchid show at the Botanical Gardens in the Bronx in New York
Margaret! Hello! I don’t remember Lady Slippers from childhood. I was more into the common lily-of-the-valley — my flower in a ballet I was in at age 8. The 9-year-old lead dancer was Diana Something. I’ll remember, but give me a few days.
Love the bearded iris. Check out Nola’s Iris Garden in San Jose, CA. It is nearly at the top of one of the mountains in the Diablo Range just east of San Jose. I go up there every spring at the peak of bloom to enjoy the color and fragrance and the view. It’s so high up. They have hundreds of varieties and add more every year. They make great gifts. Nola’s ships them all over the world to arrive at the time of year when it’s appropriate to plant them. Even if you can’t get there in person, check out their web site – pictures of each bloom. Lovely.
Thanks, Sibby. Pretty inspirational, just from the photos! https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/nolas-iris-garden … I went to an iris show on the weekend, and discovered that these flowers really need to be seen outdoors, not one blossom at a time in an indoor competition. Yikes!