Spring Wildflowers
After the harbors let go of their ice and before the green lushness of summer fully arrives, the hardwood trees begin sending nourishment to their branches, nudging the buds awake. As the ground warms, the forest floor stirs—wild plants start poking through layers of last year's fallen leaves.
I remember how my grandma Sigrid would take us on treks through the woods, her walking stick in hand, carefully lifting leaves to reveal nature’s treasures without disturbing them. With her long silver braids, she could almost have passed for a Native American, but she always wound them neatly around her head—a clear sign she was proudly, purely Norwegian. She taught us to love nature, especially the delicate spring flowers, with a gentle reverence that stayed with me all my life.
The first wildflowers hardly waited for the snow to melt. These brave, delicate blooms, which we called Mayflowers (or more formally, Hepatica), often appeared in April. They grew in clumps and mounds, their pastel blues, pinks, violets, and whites brightening the neutral grays and browns of the forest floor. Because they were hardy, we were allowed to pick them. If you buried your nose into a little bouquet, you could smell the sweet, fresh essence of Mother Nature’s spring.
Years later, after I retired from my career as an Art Therapist, I spent a joyful year in Denver as a nanny for my first grandson. During that time, I visited the Denver Botanic Gardens and found myself drawn into their Botanical Illustration program. Through careful observation and study, we learned how to create detailed drawings of plant specimens, capturing as many characteristics—leaves, seeds, roots—as possible in two dimensions.
When I returned to Washington Island, I created a series of wildflower illustrations, using many of the techniques I'd learned. I had the honor of displaying them at the Art and Nature Center (ANC). Here are six of my favorites:
Hepatica:
Growing about six inches tall, Hepatica blooms on a single stem and clusters together in bunches. Its three-lobed leaves mature to a mahogany color in the fall. The blossoms come in pastel shades of blue, pink, violet, and white. A hardy little flower, it’s a relative of the buttercup, which appears later in the summer.
Trillium:
A tall woodland lily, the Trillium bears three white petals, three leaves, and three stamens. As the flower matures, the petals blush a soft pink. Its elegant, simple symmetry has made it an enduring symbol in many stories.
Bloodroot:
Bloodroot features a pristine white blossom atop a single stalk, paired with a large green leaf that wraps protectively around it and closes at night. Sometimes called the "Lotus of the Spring," it is revered for its elegance. Its name comes from the plant's reddish sap, historically used by Native Americans for dye, face paint, and medicine.
Trout Lily:
A small, yellow, bell-shaped flower that grows between two mottled leaves, speckled brown and purple like a trout's back. Also known as Adder’s Tongue or Dog-Toothed Violet, this shy plant often carpets the forest floor in hidden abundance.
Lady’s Slipper:
This bright yellow, waxy blossom looks like a tiny slipper perched atop a graceful, bending stem with twirling tendrils. A proud member of the Orchid family, the Lady’s Slipper feels like a secret discovery every time you spot one.
Jack-in-the-Pulpit:
One of the most unique wildflowers, Jack-in-the-Pulpit has a cone-shaped canopy over a small, central "jack" or stamen. Its striking stripes of green and purple make it easy to recognize. Artist Georgia O’Keeffe was so captivated by this plant she painted it five times, with her works now housed in museums.
I love how flowers carry stories. When missionaries first came to the northern woods to share their faith with the Native Americans, one legend says they used the Trillium to explain the concept of the Trinity—three in one. Inspired by that tale, I created a painting to honor and continue the story.
p.s. I am going to be reprinting the botanical card series again and will be available at the Art & Nature Center this summer.
