My husband has been in the hospital, so I haven’t walked on the greenway for over a week. How surprised I was to find the woods ablaze with yellow wildflowers. Definitely uplifting and just what I needed!

I found the edge of the woods covered with violets on my last hike. Some believe wild violets (common in the Eastern half of North America) are a desirable perennial, but others consider it a weed. They can take over a lawn because they self-seed and are difficult to control once established.

These native wildflowers bloom in the spring and have heart-shaped leaves. They prefer shady areas with moist soil but can spread into sunnier locations. According to my research, wild violets and their leaves are edible, but be sure to verify that information.

I found this violet growing in a fallen tree!

Violets and their leaves are easy to press and can be used to make sweet gifts. Press them between sheets of newspaper until the moisture in the flowers is gone. Then place them in a frame around a spring or Mother’s Day poem.

When I walk in my neighborhood, I pass a bush with twisted branches. Have you come across a plant that grows like this with your children or students? Why would a tree or bush grow in this manner? Brainstorm a list of possibilities. A phenomenon is simply an observable event which drives student inquiry.

Did you notice the catkins? Have you seen catkins on other plants?

“Men love to wonder, and that is the seed of science.”  Ralph Waldo Emerson
Click here and here to learn more about twisted plants.