Shenk's Ferry Blues and Lavenders

     Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve is nestled in a small ravine clothed with deciduous trees.  That little valley radiates off the nearby Susquehanna River at a 90 degree angle close to the village of Pequea in the southern part of Lancaster County in Pennsylvania.  And although many species of native, woodland wildflowers bloom in that preserve from late March to mid-May, my two favorites are Virginia bluebells and wood phlox.  Those two native, flowering species blossom in abundance across much of the preserve during the latter half of April, though the bluebells begin blooming earlier than the phlox.  And both those species dominate Shenk's Ferry with their numerous, lovely flowers for a couple of weeks during that part of the month.  
     The dead-leaf floors of deciduous woods are warmer in April than at any other time of the year.  Then there are no leaves in the deciduous trees to block the sunlight, so the sun's warmth reaches to the ground, warming it and the dead leaves that carpet it.  That heat and the sun's light together encourage the growth of small, flowering plants on forest floors, making them beautiful and interesting to experience.
     Virginia bluebells stand about two feet tall and have large, broad leaves that are alternate on the plants' stems.   And each plant has a few clusters of sky-blue, bell-shaped flowers on the tips of the stems.  One can almost hear the flowers tinkling in the wind. 
     The flowers of Virginia bluebells develop as pink buds, offering a petty medley of green, blue and pink.  Bluebell blossoms begin to bloom about the second week in April and continue to close to the end of that month.  Many bluebell flowers together seem to reflect clear skies.
     Wood phlox bloom from the third week in April into early May.  This species stands about sixteen inches high and has two small, thin leaves opposite each other at intervals on their stems.  The lavender blossoms at the top of the stalks each have five petals that, together, look like pinwheels.  One can almost see them spinning in the wind.
     Virginia bluebells and wood phlox dominate Shenk's Ferry Wildflower Preserve for a couple of weeks in the middle of April with their abundance of beautiful blooms.  These innumerable flowers, that are readily seen from a soil trail that people are required to stay on, are exciting and inspiring to experience, along with other kinds of less dominating wild flowers.