It is late May and the Long Meadow is looking at its best. Fresh greens of the trees, bushes and grass contrast with the rich yellow of the Buttercups on the banks of the River Mermaid.
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Buttercup strewn meadows
Lush grass , Buttercups and hawthorn blossom garland the May meadow -
The simple beauty of an Oxeye Daisy.
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Scent
The scent of Woodbine or Wild Honeysuckle is a glorious assault on the sense of smell. Conditions have to be right. Warm damp mornings, just as the sun warms up the flowers are best. To walk through the fugitive cloud if scent is the very essence of June.
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Green fuse
Bud burst is nearly upon us. Hawthorn and Elders in the hedges and Willows on the Common are all showing the emergent tips of fresh leaves. Ash trees on the railway line are also starting to stir, but they tend to take a long time – obviously not in a hurry in their annual race with the Oaks. The poet Larkin compared this emergent stage to “something almost being said” and you do get the feeling of Spring being on the verge of a new stage.
Lent lilies at Brampton Church In the Churchyard, the Daffodils (or Lent Lilies) are absolutely at their peak, just in time to welcome everybody for this evenings Spring choral concert. Outside the Church workmen are digging up the road in a perhaps less welcome sign of the season.
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Spring arrives
Walk along the river now and you can feel the changing season below the soles of your boots. In this dry period the footpaths have lost that puddled and sticky-mud quality of the late Winter. They have taken on the consistency of coir mat; so much so that you literally and temporally feel the spring in your step.
In St Peter’s churchyard the spring sunshine has drawn the Winter Aconites, Snowdrops and Crocuses into a flower. The Daffodils or ‘Lent Lilies’ are starting to flower. It is the peak time for the small rural church and its’ arrival emphasises the renewing power of nature. The Spring floral display is in marked contrast with the unadorned interior of the Lenten church.
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Butterflies
As the temperature rises, butterflies are out in profusion. The flowering Thistles along the Bure were especially attractive this morning. Large numbers of Small Tortoiseshells were accompanied by Meadow Browns , Large and Silver Spotted Skippers. Along the lanes Ringlet Butterflies emerge from their Bramble nurseries and the Speckled Wood basks near the Railway Bridge.
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Welcome return of rain
The return of rain in June has been welcome and much needed. The local flora which had become dormant and parched during May has sprung back to a wholesome green. The arrival of the wild Mallow flowers has coincided with a second flush of Dandelion and those small spires of the village garden favourite, toadflax. Not the most inspiring name but a plant which is appreciated by bees. This is particularly the case for the Common Carder Bee. This is a member of the bumble bee family, albeit a more subtle fur of orange, russet and dark brownish black. I understand that the “carder” in the name is related to it’s habit of removing hair form plants to line it’s nest.
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Sukebind Scent
This morning I walked through a lens of scent which was suspended in mid-air. The Woodbine or Wild Honeysuckle is at its peak. The vines bind an Ash and an Oak together in a cloud of sweet scent. This scent is transient and is seems to be at it’s strongest when the morning sum hits the dew-covered flowers in the morning. The light summer breeze pulls the scent down wind, but the cloud seems to retain a foothold on the source bloom.
It reminded me of that sign of summer in Cold Comfort Farm when.. “The Sukebind (was) hanging heavy from the wains…”. This is the peak of the year and all we need is more rain.
Elsewhere in the Village the Albertine Rose at the Old Post Office and others continue to contribute their own fragrance. At the other end of the spectrum I recalled the contribution from Street Farm when it housed the herd of pigs.
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Dry verges
Walking up through the village last night, it was clearly evident that the lack of rain is having an impact. The last decent shower was on the 26th March – nothing of any note for over a month.
The warm Easter period has propelled the Cow Parsley into rapid growth and the Cuckoo Pint into flower. Both species are now showing signs of stress – roadside banks in this area have few moisture retentive qualities, the soil type is a sandy loam, so there are no real reserves to call upon.
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Blackthorn Bloom
Blackthorn bloom along the Bure
