Like a flock of angels, the spring blooms soar out of the earth and into our humble lives. Some think Epimedium x youngianum ‘Niveum’ looks like a Bishop’s hat, hence the common name. #epimedium #flowers #bishopshat #spring #gardens (at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden)
The flowering dogwood is both the state tree and the state flower of Virginia. It’s easy to see why the flower is well- loved, but look at those beautiful twisted branches in the background. Such an elegant backdrop for the blooms. #rva #rvagardentrail #dogwood #flowerstagram #millionblooms #flowers #garden (at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden)
The pink and yellow color combo on this columbine reminds us of a sunset. Did you know that the position of the Aquilegia canedensis flowers can be nodding (shown) or erect, depending on what pollinators they hope to attract. #rvagardentrail #columbine #flowers #garden #pink #flowerstagram (at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden)
Depending on where you live, you may have noticed unseasonably warm temperatures pushing flowers and trees to bloom much earlier than usual.
Spring’s early arrival is not just your imagination. For many, it’s here in a big way.
A new set of maps from the U.S. Geological Survey shows just how early spring is arriving in the U.S. this year in the West, Southwest and Mid-Atlantic —especially in parts of Washington, Oregon and Nevada where spring began four to five weeks early.
The maps are produced by the USGS-led USA National Phenology Network and are updated daily. To create them, researchers used climate change indicators called the spring indices. These are models scientists have developed to predict the start of spring based on the first leaf and first bloom of lilac and honeysuckle plants, two temperature-sensitive but otherwise common flowering plants. They applied these plant models to recent temperature data to create maps showing how this year compares to a long-term average (1981-2010).
Urocyon's Jaunts 2.0 
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