Wild Ginger

Dear Lilliputian ,

Isn't this such a unique sort of flower . To me it looks like a piece of jewelry that you would wear on a velvet gown . It is rather small and grows so close to the ground . If you notice in the photo above that it is hardly above the moss that grows around it . The leaves which are heart shaped grow
taller . . . they grow up to 4 or 5 inches tall .  One other thing that I think is special about this plant is the stem that the leaves grows on . . .  look at the photo above and see how hairy the leaf stem is . 

Most flowers are known by more than one name .

Wild Ginger has also been called Heart Leaf , and Little Brown Jug . Which name do you like ? This plant grows early in the Spring . In fact I just found this flower growing in the woods this past  weekend . It can still be chilly at this time of year and so some beetles have been known to climb into this odd shaped flower to stay out of the cooler air . Have you noticed that things in nature tend to in some way help other living things . We just spoke in our last letter about how trees help animals survive the winter . Remember the Skunk Cabbage keeps some creatures warm in cold temperatures . And just today we learned that beetles climb into the Wild Ginger to have some protection from the colder weather . It is important to learn about helping others . Don't you think we should all do something each day to help some one or something else ?

Emily Dickinson is a famous poet that lived in Massachusetts and she wrote some charming
 poems . . . if you like that sort of thing . Here is one below about helping .

If I can stop one Heart from breaking
I shall not live in vain
If I can ease one Life the Aching
Or cool one Pain

Or help one fainting Robin
Unto his Nest again
I shall not live in Vain

Today is Mothers Day . . . I bet your Mother or even your Grandmother ( because she is a mother
too ) could use a little help today . When you help someone or something you are like the trees , and the Skunk Cabbage . . . just not so smelly .

I like a little book titled The Mouse of Amherst by Elizabeth Spires . Maybe someone can read it to you . It is fun to read together . This book is about the poet Emily that I mentioned .

Until next time ,
Wildbee