February 25th – And then there’s Kings Hill Park, too. I couldn’t resist swinging past on this fine morning to check out the crocuses – and to my surprise, the snowdrops were also out in force; the ones here must be a later flowering variety.
Am I imagining it, or do yellow crocuses flower before other colours? Plenty of yellow ones about, but not so many violet.
After seeing these, you can’t fail to go to work with happiness in your heart: spring is coming, and nothing can stop it now.
February 17th – In Kings Hill Park, two firsts for the year; my first snowdrops and crocuses. The snowdrops seem very few and far between this year, and those around seem small and spindly. Can’t be their year. No such issues with the crocuses.
I think this spring idea might just work. The seasons wheel moves on another tooth. Bring it on.
March 7th – After the despondency of the previous day, spring returned with a fresh passion today. I managed to escape work while the sun was still shining, and headed to Burntwood to pick something up. On the way back, in bright spring sunshine, I happened to glance through the gates of the cemetery opposite St, Anne’s Church. What I saw astonished me: the finest display of crocuses I have ever seen in my life. These are incredible when seen in person, and I commend any reader to go take a look. An astonishing, and beautiful thing.
Forget what I said yesterday: spring isn’t shaping up too badly right now…
February 28th – Returning from work mid-afternoon, with shopping to fetch, I came through Aldridge. Just opposite the Manor House I spotted these rings of crocuses planted around young saplings, themselves strongly in blossom. The sight and intensity of the flowers was a tonic, and the blossom beautiful in its delicacy.
Spring? This’ll do.
April 8th – Sping, come she will. After yesterday’s shock at finding myself snowbound not once, but twice, I noted the warm afternoon and spring flowers. I’m interested in the daffodils at the moment – they seem small to almost narcissus proportions this year; is this a symptom of the poor spring? Blooms that are normally large and plentiful at Sandhills are small and diminutive this year.
The faux village green at Walsall Wood – a grass verge councillors tried to convert to avert the expansion of the adjacent pub – does look lovely with a riot of crocuses.
It’s not all growth, though; the polythene lined field at Home Farm still isn’t giving up it’s secret, and the bowling green at Oak Park is being named as a possible Olympic training facility.
A mad season, indeed.
March 9th – Although the weather continues to be poor,spring is starting to roll in. I noticed today Lichfield Lore publicising an open day at Christchurch, in Leamonsley, near Lichfield. The church in question is my favourite in the city, and is secluded and beautiful, and aI think little-known. When I drifted through today, the churchyard was full of snowdrops and crocuses on the verge of breaking in to bloom. Everywhere, daffodils are in bud, too.
I’d never been inside Christchurch before. It’s gorgeous, and well worth a visit. A real hidden gem.
March 4th – A day beset by travel difficulties. Actually, a bloody awful day all around, if I’m honest. I set off on an 8am train to go to Leicester. I didn’t get there, due to signalling issues, until gone 12pm. Hopping off the train in South Wigston, in bright sunshine,resisting the urge to kiss the platform papal-style, the deathly dark mood was suddenly lifted.
Readers who’ve been following this journal a while will recall from last year that I’m fascinated by the flowers that grow, untended, on a patch of embankment at South Wigston Station. All year, this once tended strip of border is a riot of colour. Today, I noticed it had already got it’s spring jacket on.
Yellows and blues were the order of the day. Crocus, forsythia and a small blue flower I think may be hepatica or anemone, but I welcome a positive ID.
I went on my way, my mood lifted. Heaven, in a wild flower.
February 23rd – On my way to work on a sunny, warm summer- sorry, February day, I was in shirtsleeves. Taking the scenic route through Kings Hill Park in Darlaston, the spring flowers were just crying out for attention. As was a wee ladybird, sunning itself. 2012 certainly is running the whole gamut of weather, that’s for sure…
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