WE GET TWO SPRINGS UP HERE IN FLOYD COUNTY

There is nothing like springtime in the mountains of Southwest Virginia. 

Growing up in a Revolutionary War era commuter town in suburban NJ,  the beautifully manicured postage stamp sized lawns were really impressive.   Ironically, we had one of two Southern Magnolia trees in the state in my backyard.  But now that I'm typing that I'm really doubting my information. Probably some useless inaccurate minutia that has somehow stuck in my head.  Actually, the tree always looked pretty sickly and I'm not sure that I ever saw it bloom.  But you surely couldn't cut it down if there were only two in the state, now could you?

Indigenous spring in the Blue Ridge Mountains completely shames anything we could purchase at the local Garden State garden center.  On my walk this morning I noticed that the wild rhododendrun that line the creek are about to burst into color.  The color is more subdued than the cultivated variety, but the rhody grow so thick back here that they form a kind of natural fence between our house and the neighbor's house.  But we can't really see the neighbors anyway, cause we Bent Mountians like our space. 

There are a lot of gorgeous redbud coming up the mountain from Roanoke, but I think it may be a bit too cold up here for them to flourish in the wild.  That isn't the story with the mountain laurel, or the flame azalea, or the wild dogwood.  They seem to thoroughly enjoy our natural airconditioning. 

Trilium like the cooler temps and grow along the road in profusion.  Some white, some a light shade of pink.  Hundreds of them.  My favorite are the little trumpet shaped red colored beauties.  I had thought they were called Indian Paintbrush, but now I'm not so sure.  Anyway, they are my favorites.  Favorites are so special that you don't always have to know the name.  Usually, when I'm musing about wildflowers I'm by myself anyway, and I don't have to appear educated.  I know I'm not.

Anyway, because we are a little cooler in Floyd County, we get springtime down in Roanoke about two weeks before we get springtime up here on the Mountain.  I have always said that we get to enjoy two springs.  And I have always agreed with myself.