What a difference a few weeks makes. At the beginning of February I was working in the wood with frost on the ground and an air temperature of -2ºC. This week I have been in shirt sleeves basking in 15ºC and bright sunshine. Such a difference being able to sit out at lunchtime without having to put back on every piece of clothing that you have brought just to keep warm.
The woodland is responding equally enthusiastically to the warmer, brighter weather. The dog mercury is growing almost as you watch and the wild garlic has put on a spurt during the week.
The plum cherry tree ordinarily looks a bit sorry for itself, sprawling almost horizontally in places along the horizon at the top of the wood. However, there are two occasions in the year when it comes into its own. The first is when it bursts into blossom and the other is when the tight green cherries, that have formed as the blossom fades, turn into sun ripened, juicy fruit. These taste great straight from the tree but every other living thing in the wood thinks the same so it’s a race to see if you can get any to try.
The other new entrant to the re-awakening of the woodland is the bluebell. These are a personal favourite, a strong reminder of childhood days playing hide and seek amongst last years dead bracken and the scent of bluebells.
What starts out as a green baize transforms into a blue haze and then eventually into a straw coloured, berry clad, carpet. What an amazing plant. The hornbeam and oak at the top of the wood won’t come into leaf for a few weeks yet so the sunshine is hitting the woodland floor, warming the soil up and lighting up the “go” button of the bluebells to once more work their magic. Once it has done its thing it all dies back into the bulb, completely disappears and awaits its turn next year.
For all my huffing and puffing, cutting and carting wood at the bottom of the plot the real work is going on without any intervention from me or anyone else. Spring has well and truly sprung and its still officially winter.
More next time…………
Tim Burr 