Neither the Oak nor the Ash triumphed in the race to be the first into full leaf this year. So although I cannot claim to have knowingly met an old wife; they have had to forget their theory of long-term weather forecasting based upon the result (“Oak before Ash…etc.”). The sudden improvement in the weather has encouraged every plant to develop at once. As this photograph shows, taken upon one morning this week, each species was pushing it’s leaves out at the same time. As they did so, the Hawthorn flowers were arriving in all their glory. Then without a further backward glance Spring turns to Summer.