From Monochrome to Polychrome

My last journal entry mentioned the small ornamental pussy willow (Salix caprea) that grows in a near-by garden. It has a very distinctive domed shape, with lots of contorted twisted branches forming the core. Willows are dioecious, meaning that they are either male or female. The tree I pass is male and each year it is covered in beautiful ‘pussies’ or catkins, that turn from a soft grey to become a vibrant yellow - a sure sign spring is in the air! At the time of my last blog, there were just a few small buds beginning to break open. What a change these last 3 weeks have brought, despite the storms and the colder-than-usual weather. The tree already has many bright yellow catkins covering the south-facing side of the dome. Interestingly, the north-facing side seems to be about 2 weeks behind. I had not expected the orientation of the tree to have such a noticeable effect on its growth.

Catkins at different stages of growth on the willow tree

Underneath the tree there are still some snowdrops, but they are reaching the end of their time. I can’t remember seeing so many seedpods. This year they seem to be everywhere. The Eranthis patch, on the opposite side of the footpath has already disappeared.

The earlier snowdrops already setting seeds

At the old church graveyard in the village, the primroses have finally appeared in large drifts and in many colours too. There are large clusters everywhere of the more common yellow varieties but also, here and there, purple, red, pink and white ones too.

So many Primroses to choose from!

Elsewhere in the churchyard the beautiful blue Chionodoxa have started to appear in large numbers. They may look small and delicate but they do spread widely if left unchecked, which is what they have done in the graveyard. That’s fine by me – I love the strong blue coloured flower-spikes popping up everywhere. In terms of position, they are exactly replacing the drift of snowdrops that are now fading away – a kind of transformation from white to blue. There are also daffodils, cyclamens, crocuses, scilla, primroses and narcissus all growing in the same small area. From winter monochrome it has become a garden rainbow – a spring-flower hot-spot!

Narcissus, a Crocus half-hidden and Geranium leaves in the background

The first insects have also started to appear, chancing their luck. I unexpectedly spotted a beautiful ‘Peacock’ butterfly on the footpath, wings folded upwards, probably wishing it had stayed a chrysalis for a few weeks longer! Although there are now many flowers open, including the catkins on the pussy willow, so far I have not yet seen any bees.

Cyclamen sprinkling themselves across the grass

Probably my star find today was a patch of Pulmonaria officianalis growing in the verge. This plant has now naturalised throughout many parts of the UK. It is a cheerful plant, with its colourful pink and blue trumpet-shaped flowers. SeeHow volume 1 includes Pulmonaria ‘Lewis Palmer’, which is very similar.

Pulmonaria growing wild in a lane-side verge

The above Text and all Photographs are copyright of Wincenty (Wicek) Sosna. Please contact SeeHow for permission to reproduce in any way, in part or as the complete text.