Today is blossom day in the garden. The day when the flowering cherry in my front garden bursts into bloom, when there are so many bees visiting it that you can hear the tree buzzing! The day when the blossom smells as sweet as spun sugar. It is only fleeting though. The blossom will all be gone in a week’s time, and the scent of spun sugar may be there tomorrow but it will not be as strong as today.
The tree has been ready to burst into bloom for the last week. Each day I’ve watched the buds swell, and the last few days there have been one or two sprays opening. But today, the tree is covered in blossom, bees and to my surprise butterflies. It is March, and whilst we’ve had warm sunny weather these last few days, the nights have been cold. Nevertheless, I saw several Peacock butterflies feeding on the tree. Here’s one of them.
It feels like spring is here, and as I’m writing this on the 25th of March, perhaps it is. The daffodils have been out for a week or so, and the buds of tulips are swelling and ready to open. But spring-time in England can be fickle. Today has been hot sunshine but the skies are clear and tomorrow morning there will be frost.
When I was little one of the weather rhymes I learned was ‘March winds and April showers, bring forth May flowers’. I’m not certain if that is still strictly true but nevertheless the days are getting longer, the sun is higher in the sky and getting warmer and the world is full of life.
I am aware that my last sentence above may be particularly poignant for some people. I’m writing this after my Prime Minister’s announcement that we should avoid going out and maintain social distancing. This plague of coronavirus has struck Italy and Spain grievous blows and other countries will also suffer greatly. Life isn’t fair, and for those who have recently lost relatives and loved ones, my above words may well sound hollow. I feel though that it is important to notice the world around us and enjoy it whilst we can, it could all be taken away tomorrow. God bless and stay safe and healthy.
danielksmith 