I took myself up the hill for a walk this week, to stretch my legs and my lungs. The Hawthorn is now in bloom - "May" my mum always called it, and forbade me to bring any into the house as it was "unlucky". Now in the hedgerows, its elegant arching branches are bedecked in all their splendour, and sway in the breeze.
The Ash trees are a LONG way behind the Oak trees this year and so I am hopeful of a good summer. They do say that a cold spring often heralds a hot summer. "Oak before Ash, nought but a splash; Ash before Oak, you're in for a soak" . . .
I was good and decided to carry on walking up the 2nd - much steeper - part of our hill. As you can see, I made it to the top and was able to draw breath and look back at Black Mountain.
The hedgerow banks are full of wild flowers - here mostly Red Campion and what my mum called "Shirtbuttons", which are Greater Stitchwort.
Another view of the edge of Black Mountain from a field gateway.
Spangles of more hedgerow flowers - Bluebells, Stitchwort, Red Campions, Cow Parsley and young ferns.
Wild Aquilegias (Columbines, Granny's Bonnets) growing outside our field gate. We have about a dozen plants which have survived the annual scalping of the bank by the Council . . .
As I came through our gateway, here is the Honeysuckle I planted about 4 years ago. It has such pretty colouring.
I am resting today as I'm very tired after a different medication for my asthma has kept me awake at night. Meanwhile, I shall let the wild flowers be a balm to my soul.
we used to call it May, too. I can remember attempting to bring a bunch indoors for my Mum and her crying out to stop me, as she believed it to be unlucky.
ReplyDeleteThe belief that May blossom was unlucky in the house must have been wide spread because it was the same here, and we called the flowers shirt buttons too. White Campion was more common than red around Suffolk when we walked to school.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fantastic view from the top of your hill.
What a beautiful bank of wild flowers! Everything looks so green and lush in your lanes and hedgerows.
ReplyDeleteMy Lincolnshire born Mum wouldn`t allow May blossom in the house.
The May is late flowering here this year and the ash is only just breaking bud.
Surely you are overdue for a bit of a rest! Your flowering hedgerow is so beautiful--I think we don't have the same kind of bluebells in the US--although we have several varieties of wildflower which go by that name.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure what your temperatures are but I can feel the cooling lush green and wild flowers coming through your post.
ReplyDeleteLovely.
cheers, parsnip
parsnip - cool - about 20 deg. I think - and not half so warm as we would like it (it was warmer at the end of March!), but we are hoping that it will herald a hot summer. Today it is raining - AGAIN!
ReplyDeleteSharon - Well, I definitely need the rest and unfortunately my asthma is worse - not sure if having to stop the new meds has done it or a sudden rush of pollen (which I don't think I have reacted to in the past, so that's something new). I am enjoying the embroidery and my stem stitch is almost passable now!
Smallhollder - we had more White Campion in Hampshire too, but you hardly see it here in Wales.
Kath - it seems to be a country-wide belief then.
I love the hedgerow flowers, they are so pretty together and you bluebell banner is fantastic. Enjoy your rest.
ReplyDeleteWish I had hedgerow flowers. Actually I'd like those in my garden; soft and lovely they are.
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be doing much better health wise.
Good luck on selling your property.
Just beautiful :) So lovely to see all the hedgerow flowers. I love the country name for Greater Stitchwort - I've never heard that one before. The honeysuckle is glorious :)
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