the ancient packhorse bridge over the river Clun at Valley's End.
I have decided that I must try not to complain about the English weather so much. True, it was raining today and the skies were of that unfriendly grey which lowers the spirits and gives rise to grumbling, but we have had some wonderful late March and early April sunshine. Besides, mild rain makes my garden grow!
When I saw a recent post at Ellen's blog showing pictures of a wisteria already past its prime, roses and a mock orange in full bloom, I felt glad to live in England, where the seasons come in slowly, one after the other, taking their time unfolding, lingering over each new arrival and spreading the glorious riches of nature for all to savour. Each flower has its moment of triumph in the sun, there is room and time to spare; only in high summer do they jostle each other for attention.
Even winter has its upside. The intricate patterns of the bare branches of trees and colourful stems of shrubs dramatise a drab world which for several years lately has turned brilliant, sparkling white and glittering, jewel-like ice for weeks on end.
Let May and June welcome the spectacular hanging chains of wisteria on house fronts, give the mock orange time in June and July to spray its intoxicating perfume and as for roses, well, give the queen of the garden four or five months to dazzle the senses, all the time from first flowering in early June to October. In a good year I have had the last roses bloom into December.
At the moment spring flowers are the stars of the show, among others
white anemonies
tiny blue grape hyacinths
and a host of daffodils nodding in the breeze.
Give me my English seasons, weather included. The poet Robert Browning, in his 'Home Thoughts From Abroad', said "O to be in England, now that April's here". He has a point.
This entry nods a distant 'hello' to the many other entries at My World.
Your post certainly gives the lie to all those complaints about England's weather, Friko. Your description here is lovely as are your photos. Oh to be in England indeed.
ReplyDeleteHi Friko: I, too, love the gift of four distinct seasons. Each Spring it is a delight to watch the progression of blooms. Your anemonie photograph is stunning!
ReplyDeleteI am always amazed at how long your growing season is from ours in Canada. A little in awe, actually. And envious.
ReplyDeletewow friko! what riches. nothing is growing here yet. the rain has started and so the first tickles of life will emerge in the next coupe of weeks. i am so excited to see what i see. steven
ReplyDeletethanks for the mention. even here on the gulf coast things come in progression only it starts in February with the early pears, then the japanese magnolias, the daffodils, the peaches, the red buds, the wisteria, the mock orange. one gives way to another. it just seems like it all happens at once here because we are nearly done when you are just beginning. but summer is long here. it brings us magnolias, crepe myrtles, altheas, yellow bells, roses and many other summer bloomers.
ReplyDeleteit's a myth, you know, that we don't have four seasons. we may not have the six weeks or so of fall color in trees, but we have other things that tell us it is fall. and winter is (mostly) blessedly short.
Friko...
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how I love your nature posts.
Your photos are spectacular.
And you know, you just know.
I appreciate the four distinct seasons we enjoy in Canada, but certainly don't like the unpredictability. The West Coast is probably close to what you are experiencing in some ways..
We have been teased a little with spring, but are once again enduring flurries and the lack of green.
Now that I am no longer in the nursery or garden maintenance business, I am relaxed and taking it one day at a time. Seasonal means less, a day in the life of .. means more.
Friko, it does look as if your springtime is following a similar staging to ours in New York. I know that I saw some of those same anemonies in Central Park yesterday.
ReplyDeleteI love the idea of the springtime flowering taking a long, leisurely time in its showtime. It gives us a chance to really look at each development. The Central Park gardener told me yesterday that he could see changes in his garden every day. I wish I could visit that garden every day, but still love to see what's new every week or so.
xo
Much has been written, mostly by British ex-pats, about the glorious English spring. I'd like to experience it some time. One reads about violets and primroses and gamboling lambs. I see from your post that the bit about the flowers is true.
ReplyDeleteYou write so beautifully, Friko, and make a wonderful case for enjoying each of the four seasons as they gently ease their way in. I love the four seasons, too. However, we're even behind you! Two violets and forsythia in bloom so far! i adore your "host of daffodils!"
ReplyDeletelove the pics....the flowers are beautiful...each season too has its highs and lows...each a thing to appreciate...
ReplyDeleteVery enjoyable post, and so true. I encountered a lilac in full bloom today. The life-span of it's flowering can be measured in measly days.
ReplyDeleteWhen I think of an English Spring, daffodils immediately come to mind and all the poetry that speaks of them. But oh that glorious blooming tree with all the pink blossoms...that is a heart stopper!
ReplyDeleteSo beautifully written and I do so agree.
ReplyDeleteI love the way you painted a picture with your words of flowers lasting longer. We only have daffodils in bloom here in Missouri. This year they have lasted longer than normal. I think it is because of snow came after there bloom. And made the restart there energy and survive.
ReplyDeleteWhat a delightfully written and beautifully celebration of the seasons. The pictures were stunning and thanks for identifying the flowers (I am an ignoramus when it comes to plants).
ReplyDeleteYour photos and words speak of a very gentle season, slowly unwrapping itself. Today I gathered the last of summer form my vegetable garden. As your season slowly unwraps ours is closing down.
ReplyDeletewie erfrischend und schön ist Dein Post und schliesslich und endlich :-) eine verdiente glorreiche Hymne an das Land, in dem Du - jetzt - zu Hause bist! Die Bilder sind herrlich, welch schöne Blumen und Blüten!
ReplyDeleteDir einen schönen sonnigen Tag, liebe Friko!
Renée
Absolutely. I'm sure many, perhaps nearly everyone, in the world is happy to live where they do - but I feel specially privileged (England, Dorset) and understand that you do too in Shropshire - despite the (lovely) weather.
ReplyDeleteLucy
England may be know for its gloomy weather but it is also known for it lovely gardens. I someday want to plan a tour of those lovely gardens. Welcome to spring at your end of the world.
ReplyDeleteExcellent points. By the same token I like it when in Michigan we have long cool springs; the flowers last longer. And I do love the bare trees in winter, their shapes against the white sky.
ReplyDeleteLovely post, and gorgeous flowers. The narcissus in your yard are amazing, an inspiration for another poem about daffodils.
Dear Friko,
ReplyDeletebeautiful pictures! You took me by surprise when I opened your post: blossoms I did not expect (having just read IGs yarn about the rain). I love all seasons, too - wouldn't miss any of them.
So very lovely. I am waiting with bated breath for the first daffy to wave in the early Spring breeze. We are still in the barely bud stage. It has been a long and wet winter - with more snow than we've had in 50 years.
ReplyDeleteI always want to hang on to April and May for as long as we can. Your pictures are lovely, Friko. I'm glad we live here as well!
ReplyDeleteWe are having English weather here in the Pacific Northwest, too. Everything is slower and later than usual, and the grey skies only rarely give way to the sun. Love the pictures, Friko.
ReplyDelete*Gasp*
ReplyDeleteThe top shot makes Hawaii look gaudy!
Warm Aloha from Waikiki
Comfort Spiral
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ReplyDeleteMagnificent photos...and the grape hyacinths are my favorites. Flowers always put a smile on my face. The gray skies have a way of making photos of flowers come out better...if the sun is out it sort of washes out the color. So I guess the gray skies are good for something...maybe.
ReplyDeleteWishing you lots of bright sunshine.
"I felt glad to live in England, where the seasons come in slowly, one after the other, taking their time unfolding, lingering over each new arrival and spreading the glorious riches of nature for all to savour." You've made for all of us a gorgeous poem-in-prose.
ReplyDeleteThere's definitely something about being in England. I can't think of anywhere else I'd rather be.
ReplyDeleteI liked what you said about the seasons coming in slowly. In Atlanta, spring overdoes itself in February and then looks embarrassed in March.
ReplyDeleteI do love a Spring garden! Those hyacinths are blinding. Of course, as you move into your warmer months, everything has started to crumble and die here. One week of grey wet skies, and I'm already over autumn. I guess it's now my turn to be the voyeur.
ReplyDeleteFriko, Oh to be in England. I have been there many times at different seasons, and have the fondest memories of old structures and beautiful blossoms. The bridge with cherry blossoms at the top of your blog is almost worth dying for. Dianne
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely lovely Friko. Such delicacy of flowers and words
ReplyDeleteI don’t know about the whole year, but springs are really lovely in England and the flowers are gorgeous.
ReplyDelete