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.
