Checking the sheep yesterday I found green. Look! It’s just beginning…
Touches in the willows alongside the pond in First Rutleigh.
My wolf dog, Ness, waiting patiently whilst I looked for more signs of spring.
Amazing molinia - purple moor grass.
CPRE
The Campaign to Protect Rural England has helped set up this blog. We want farming to thrive in England, and believe that it is essential that people understand farming and farmers better in order for that to happen. Paula's views expressed here are her own and we won't necessarily share all of them, but we're happy to have helped give her a voice.
Find our more about CPRE and our views on food and farming at our website, www.cpre.org.uk
4 comments
Comments feed for this article
April 2, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Jane
Wow… you have a pond. I’m soooooooooo jealous! I’ve just opened my eyes to spring as well. It suddenly seems to be everywhere I look. Lovely pictures, especially wolf dog! Paula.
April 2, 2008 at 10:31 pm
elizabethm
our hawthorn hedge is just greening although when i go down across the cheshire plain it is all out and strong. My colour of spring is yellow - might have a go at some pictures inspired by yours.
April 3, 2008 at 9:55 am
paula
Sorry about this Jane…we actually have four! The one above is home to a dabchick, moorhen, various mallard and the ubiquitous Canada geese (cos of the island). The there’s Rob’s Folly - the only pond on the culm clay that leaks despite numerous attempts at puddling it - we gave up and it’s now a 15 year old supersize hole-puddle muddle, with some interesting stuff. The other, by the house, is where they dug the mud - 17thC - for the house and barns. yes we really are a mud hut with a grass roof. and the fourth is on the site of a derelict pole barn - which has worked well as a wild area full of tussock sedges, meadow sweet, marsh marigolds, bog-bean et al.
What about ‘pond-watching-holidays’…or ‘pond-life-discoveries’ even??
April 3, 2008 at 10:03 am
paula
Hi elizabethm - There are two types of hawthorn - one is indigenous and the other is an introduced continental. The continental hawthorn (your Cheshire one?) comes into leaf very early - and it’s often used/planted by county councils. I see it on my way into Exeter and it takes me by complete surprise as here on the farm we’re locked into mid winter. The other is our native type (Robert is very scathing about the introduced one) which makes an appearance much later as is ‘right and proper’!
I’m not sure what my spring colour is - I think it may just be the intensity of bright-bright clear light. I’m affected the other end of the year by October light, which I also love. Something to do with the equinox maybe.