There were big gaps between the raindrops last night. There was not enough rain, I said to my sister as she fussed around looking for the dark prince’s exercise sheet, to really get a horse wet. Certainly not enough, I thought, to nourish the parched, cracked earth. But I was wrong.Driving to work this morning, things looked different. The verges were more lush and verdant than yesterday; the white and pink blossom more thickly stippled atop the trees. Suddenly, the golden yellow gorse bushes were burning for attention, while the first candles have appeared on the horse chestnuts that stand sentinel on the roadside.
The rich banks of trees that screen the fields from the A1 are tiptoeing towards ripeness. Some architects of arboreal excellence knew what they were doing; surely this mixture of rich greens, emeralds, peridots and scatterings of cream confetti is more than a happy accident? Look closely, and you can see there is so much more to come as pale buds awaken on bare branches that hide behind the fertility of their neighbours.
I adore this time of year; not yet the blowsy riot of flaming June, the plants and trees are establishing and delighting themselves once again. The yellow trumpeting daffodils give way to the shy, sap-stalked bluebells hiding in green shadows. Some might say it’s grim up north; me, I think it’s just perfick.
12 comments:
Hmm.. Methinks I'd better start building that ark right now...
I love bluebells and seem to remember thick carpets of them in the woods behind the house where I grew up. You don't see them in such broad swathes any more.
Drunk Mummy - you do here in Guernsey. There is a beautiful place called The Bluebell Wood (above Fermain Bay) that is FULL of them.
Oddly, for being so southern, I notice that the cherry blossom and forsythia (sp?) here is way behind the UK.
Was over in England over Easter and the blossoms etc were out in full bloom.
Got back here and we seem to be about two weeks behind.
Asked a gardening blurke I know and put it down to "severe winds". Hmmm.
We will have lots of bluebells in Cumbria too. They aren't quite ready yet though!
We've had 3 days of rain and thick low cloud here but now the wind has blown it all away and everything is freshly washed and sparkly.
In my town there are some terrific pink blossoms, and on the south bank of the river amongst all the still quite bare beeches there is the huge splash of white of a wild cherry. There is also a beautiful magnolia by the church that flowers for about four days before being stripped bare by the wind and rain, the saddest sight of spring. Glad I don't have hayfever though because I can smell the rape in my car even with the windows closed, it's absolutely overpowering and there is more of it each year.
drunk mummy, north yorkshire has some of those broad swathes you mention still too.
I love the spring too, but M&M, if your horse isn't getting wet enough I can ask my neighbour to lend you his pressure washer if you like.
Living in the countryside [or rather brought up there, I should say] going to the cinema was an occasional treat and not a weekly occurrence. So the first film I ever saw, at the age of 7 or so, was Snow White & the Seven Dwarves.
Seems impossibly schmaltzy now, but at the time it was absolutely magical and very amusing. Not to mention very sad towards the end. My main memory though is [warning, plot spoilers follow] seeing the tortoise fall down the stairs.
Everyone in the cinema laughed.
Except me. We lived in a bungalow, and I thought, 'Why are they all laughing - he is obviously seriously injured' ! Though I did brighten up when I discovered that no animals were harmed in the making of the film, and then the April showers came.
But after the 'double feature' film , a film about a 'Dancing chihuahua' I developed a lifelong hatred for people trying to spoil film endings, as my mum made us leave before the end before the car got locked in the car park..
I never did discover what happened to that poor dog..
I think that spring is the best season of all. It uplifts and makes everything seem possible. It takes me back too, to my childhood.
We had rain dahhn Sarf, but not that much!
I like Spring because things are happening in the garden but it still looks tidy!
Tonight, we rode past what used to be a convent. The grounds are absolutely stuffed with bluebells. Gorgeous!
There are several beautiful magnolia trees in Carlisle and I love walking by them everyday. Some of the beds that the council have done look fab too. In a small park in the middle of a square there is a trippy flower effect - tall bright yellow tulips and shorter blue flowers - something about the difference in height of the flowers and contrasting colours makes it seem psychedelic.
Spring is just behind autumn in favourite seasons for me - but I do like to feel energised as the sap is rising in all the plants and trees. I am still to find the culprit tree blossom that gives me hayfever though.
It will probably be the evil oilseed rape that is giving you hayfever - I vote we just go and burn it all!
I think it's beech trees actually M&M as there are a lot of them lining the streets of Carlisle. Which is a massive shame as I love beech trees - but I especially like them in autumn when my hair is a similar colour to their leaves. And they don't have evil pollen!
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