I live in South Manchester, UK. Last Friday I, and my botanising friend and neighbour, Priscilla, went looking for Spring Crocuses (Crocus vernus). We found five colonies spread through the Mersey Valley. Most were in churchyards and cemeteries and most had, as far as we can ascertain, not been recorded before (or may be survivals of old records). There is a possibility that some of these colonies may be very old and could have been introduced by medieval medical orders of monks (C. vernus is not native to the UK but is widely naturalised).
The interesting thing is that many of these colonies are close to (or intermingled with) colonies of another introduced Crocus, C. nudiflorus (the Autumn Crocus). This latter species is believed to be associated with the Knights of St. John of Jerusalem (a medical order formed after the Seige of Jerusalem in 1099). They were said to have used the stigmas as part of a treatment for malaria. There is also a possibility of a link with Cluniac monks from Burgundy (where both species grow wild). It's obviously very complicated and needs lots more work!
Anyway, apart from the theoretical aspects, there's nothing to lift the spirits so much as botanising, or contemplating new growth, on a fine Spring day - as, of course, all of the posters to this thread can attest!
Actually, last Friday was a fine sunny day - but about an hour after I got home a blizzard started!

SRS - I sympathise with you over the destruction of your prairie - property developers are a curse here as well. I hate the greedy bastards and hope they all burn in Hell!!