One afternoon recently, I had the pleasure of spending a hour or so along the banks of the Middle River that runs near my home, through Augusta County in Virginia.  This time of year it was just exploding with all the beauty and possibilities of Spring.  It was so soothing to walk along the dirt road that follows the path of the river and hear the water running over the rocks.

While the views of the river are lovely, I am more drawn to the small details along the way. The bank along this particular stretch of the river was awash in wildflowers just making their appearance for this year.  Many of the wildflowers were ones that I was not familiar with because they don’t grow in New York state where I lived for so long.   I’m looking forward to revisiting this spot many times during the year to see how it changes.

The Middle River, near Verona, VA.

The first Bloodroot flower I’ve ever seen.

I loved the way these tree roots framed another Bloodroot plant.

The flowers really do look like little pairs of pants on this Dutchman’s Breeches plant.

Cutleaf Toothwort gets its name from it’s historical use to treat toothaches.

Virginia Spring Beauty is most aptly named.

It was too early in the bloom for me to know what this shrub is but I loved the airy patterns that the branches created in the afternoon sunlight.