Nature Blog Network

I admit to a northern hemisphere bias here, even though the NBN as a whole has several excellent southern hemisphere members as well.  I suppose I should try to mitigate that bias as best I can, but this time of year it’s awfully hard to.  You see, the equinox is behind us, and here in the northern hemisphere we’re beginning our slide into spring, the most exciting time for nearly every nature watcher.  And what is arguably the single most conspicuous part of spring’s return?  With a nod to increase in bird activity, I’ll have to go with flowers.  Suddenly, on every walk in the woods, the naturalist is treated first to the green fingers of growth rising through the blanket of dead leaves, then suddenly a petal packed explosion of color.

It’s just beginning here in North Carolina, the hepatica and trout lily springing up first, meaning the first warblers aren’t far behind and spring will be in full swing.  It’s all very exciting.

So to get you ready here’s a compilation of NBN blogs specifically or mostly about flowers.  Enjoy, and Ihope you’re looking forward to spring as much as I am.

=======

- Orchids are evolutionary dynamos, an incredibly diverse and unique group of flowers that do some really cool things to reproduce.  The blog Florida’s Native Orchids focuses on those from the Sunshine State, which are as amazing as any.

- Flowers are irresistible subjects for macro photographers.  The spanish language site macroinstantes devotes itself to the petal set in addition to other small things.

- Flowers are the preferred currency of the grasslands, where there are no trees to cover them up.  Get en eyeful at the blog Flora of the Texas Rolling Plains.

- Tom Whelan at Nature Diary points his macro lens at whatever catches his eye.  Which means this time of year he’s got his mind on floral finery.

- While we in the northern hemisphere are gearing up for spring, our friends in Australia are watching it slip away for another year.  While Flora I like may have been hopping before, it may become quiet again until spring returns.

=======

Hope you found some blogs to come back to.  Are you ready for spring yet?

Hepatica nobilis photo from wikipedia