Trees are the spirits of a garden and the lungs of our earth. ~Sharon Lovejoy
The cold spring kept the trees from doing much. It took 2 months for the maple I am following to flower fully and leaf 
out. And then I ran out of time to show much of the growth and changes of my maple tree. So I thought I would do a longer post to show how the silver maple comes alive in spring.
I am linking in with Lucy@Loose and Leafy’s Tree Following meme that happens around the 7th of every month.
I really love all the marks, scars and interesting views I see especially when the leaves are not out yet. I noticed the lovely heart, in the above shot, that has developed on the front of the tree. And without the leaves, it is easy to see who is visiting this special tree.
Here are what the flowers look like when they are fully open. The last picture is when the flowers fade. In a hard rain they will be washed from the trees leaving room for the leaves to bud.
Here are the buds just opening. The colors are similar to what they look like in fall. And I love the Chartreuse color of the early leaves.
As I have mentioned I love the lichen. It is very colorful when the bark is wet. I often wonder what the many colors mean and will have to explore a bit more.
Is this a belly button on my tree? What causes these little warts and bumps? Did the tree lose a branch?
This is the back view of the tree facing north. A view I rarely see. You can see the dried moss as the bark had been dry for a while in early spring.
Why does my tree have flower buds in fall and all winter, and flowers earlier than the other maple but they leaf out at the same time. I would suspect that the larger ash trees have created a microclimate around this maple in fall and winter.
These male birds enjoyed hanging out in the maple tree calling and serenading their mates. Sorry the oriole’s head was obscured.
And here is what the tree looked like in mid to late May and early June as the leaves now obscure the branches and the birds from my sight.
And the leaves continue to grow and multiply even in summer. Not sure if those spots on the lower leaf are the tar spot starting or some insects.
Leaves glistening just this week after a rainy day as summer begins.
What tree are you following? What is your favorite tree in your garden right now?
“Love the trees until their leaves fall off, then encourage them to try again next year.”
― Chad Sugg
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Next up on the blog: Monday I will be reviewing what has been happening in the June garden.
I am linking in with Michelle@Rambling Woods for her Nature Notes meme. It is a great way to see what is happening in nature around the world every Tuesday.
I hope you will join me for my posts once a month at Beautiful Wildlife Garden. My most recent post is up already.
I can also be found blogging once a month at Vision and Verb.
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