New and Old…… The Seasons move on

We have enjoyed the Snowdrops, the Daffodils are in full bloom, Crocus are bursting into life and the first green shoots of the Bluebells to come are starting to show.  But for me the first real sign that Spring is really on the way is when the over wintering buds on the trees start to burst….

Pussy Willow and Catkins (these on a twisted Hazel) are a very welcome sign of the approaching Spring….

Skimmia Japonica has a mass of flower heads and the Camelia Buds are swelling and nearly ready to burst….

 In a darker corner of the garden a genuine little gem, the minute flower heads of our Quince Japonica…. all the more valuable as they are displayed on the most miserable of twigs….

and in another dark corner the Ivy continues to weave its way through whatever is in its way….

New life in woods and garden but on the younger Beech trees the fight continues, as they doggedly hold onto their autumnal leaves adding a rich glow.  I am told that these leaves are protecting the new buds, which when they are ready to burst will push off the old leaves…job done.

We still have a week to go before the Spring Equinox on the 19th March but the signs are promising.

12th March

(C) David Oakes 2020