The seasons might be blending slowly into a string of unpredictable chaos, but for now, they remain a wonderful insight into the natural world, of which we are all part.
I’ve found the concept of the seasons to be very humbling in relation to my existence as a human being. The seasons are a cycle. They are not without their surprises but, for now, there remains an element of comforting predictability. Many of us humans think we have cheated the seasons (for example we buy out-of-season produce and advance the clocks in Spring to get more daylight) but we are as much subject to them as the rest of the natural world. The sooner we recognise that as a species the better; we are not above nature.
The most obvious signs of seasonal change are temperature and daylight levels, but over the past few years I’ve found myself more and more interested about the other indicators too – the sights, sounds and smells that can be an instant giveaway as to the time of year it is. Living in the countryside often does give me access to a wider array of seasonal signals, but they can be experienced wherever you live.
At the moment, we’re the infancy of Spring 2021, and if you’re like me you’ll have been enjoying the vivid yellow of the daffodils, the chorus of birds singing their hearts out, seeing the first bees and butterflies on the search for early nectar and pollen.
What I thought I’d do for this short post, is just share a few images of a few things in bloom around me. I reckon taking just a few minutes a day or week to notice the natural world as it shifts and changes around us can really help pull us from the autopilot we’re on so much of the time. It’s an opportunity to feel grounded and present, and part of something. It’s a space that sits outside of “consuming” or “working”, two things we spend a disproportionate amount of our limited time on Earth doing.
Seeing some of these Spring plants in bloom really does lift the mood - and we can draw a lot of strength from the pervasiveness of plants; after all, through the harshest winters they have adapted and come back year after year. So can we.
Enjoy!
1) Purple Rock Cress / Aubretia deltoidea
This is growing out of a crack in the pavement at the bottom of my drive. Aubretias are really vigorous creeping plants in the right conditions - in most cases it’ll grow in really free draining, poor soil and is good for a rockery/gravel garden.
2) Rapeseed / Brassica napus
A classic sign of Spring if there ever was one, this is a particularly early rapeseed flower for the middle of Lincolnshire. This particular field has had rapeseed in all winter, laying fairly dormant, but has very quickly sprung to life. Soon we’ll be seeing farmlands carpeted with bright yellow.
3) Early dog-violet / Viola reichenbachiana
This just started cropping up all over the village a few weeks ago, I hadn’t even noticed it before in the seven years I’ve lived here. It likes shade and moist soil, and has a really nice, kind of understated colour. So-called “dog” violet to distinguish it from “sweet violet”.
4) Marsh Marigold / Caltha palustris
This was one of the first plants I got for my pond. It’s a native perennial and I was so pleased when it came back this year - even the flowerheads before bursting looked beautiful. It’s a lovely warm yellow-orange and the bees are loving it.
5) Grape Hyacinth / Muscari
I only noticed these for the first time a few years ago too. They’re Spring flowering bulbs and I’ve got a real soft spot for them. They crop up on long, thin stems and look like rich, juicy bunches of grapes - kind of exotic looking - and good for bees. Great for planting alongside your other Spring bulbs like Daffodils and Tulips, but can spread quite quickly!
6) Tulips / Tulipa
I had to actually tweak the saturation on this image because the red was so vivid. Tulips are one of those things where a photo will never do it justice because the colours really are so vibrant. A classic Spring bulb that emerges from a base of quite thick, leathery leaves.
7) Cherry Blossom / Prunus
Oh man, one of my absolute favourite flowers and I’m sure I’m not alone! I believe ornamental cherry trees like this are actually native to China. The bees round here have been loving it. Looking up through this wonderful tree towards a blue sky is just something else - and this one is in our garden which makes us very lucky indeed. Blossom is another sure sign of Spring, and tends to bloom in a staggered fashion up and down the country in whites, creams and pale pinks.
8) Green Alkanet / Pentaglottis sempervirens
I noticed this just before heading to the tip this morning. Really small flowers (a little like forget-me-nots) and actually considered a weed by many (although the term ‘weed’ is very ambiguous). It’s actually a really pretty wildflower that grows particularly well in damper areas.
9) Darwin’s Barberry / Berberis darwinii
I’m cheating here because it’s not fully in bloom yet but I bloody adore this shrub. Again, a non-native but absolutely beautiful, sun-drenched orange flowers open up in April and the whole plant is covered with bees. The leaves are a bit thorny, but it really does add some amazing colour. I acquired this with my garden, and I’ve pruned the lower branches to make it a bit more tree-like.
10) Dandelion / Taraxacum
Most folks are familiar with dandelions - they’re very good at spreading themselves about. I don’t mind that so much though - particularly because they’re a great source of nectar for bees. Humans like to keep things neat and tidy so often we larrup dandelions in weed killer, but honestly plants like this are often the best ones for pollinators!