I declared spring’s arrival a month ago, but many plants do not stir from their winter slumber until the start of April. The recent weather has been a rollercoaster, alternating between unusually warm with a few more typical cool temperatures. A tree with swelling buds at dawn might be nearly in full leaf by late afternoon on an eighty degree (Fahrenheit) day.

In recent days, the garden has turned from nearly naked, with scattered spots of green, to  walls of green and red (Japanese maples) that enclose and shield one part of the garden from the other. The screen becomes denser by the hour.

Hellebores, that were the highlight through much of March, remain in flower but are now an afterthought as barrenworts (Epimedium, below) flower, hostas unfurl, and mayapples (Podophyllum) and trilliums begin their ephemeral show.