DULUTH — It’s been said that the true meaning of life is planting a tree "under whose shade you do not expect to sit," a hint, of course, that you’ll likely be dead before the tree gets that tall. But ...

For short-lived spring wildflowers such as wood anemone (Anemone quinquefolia) and Dutchman’s breeches (Dicentra cucullaria), timing is everything. These fleeting plants, known as ephemerals, grow in ...