Late blossom

The Met Office is still doing the calculations.However it seems likely that they’ll soon confirm what many of us know in our bones: it’s been the coolest spring in England since 1961. And the cool and wet May has for some of us meant that we have not been able to enjoy our gardens as much as we might like.

Nevertheless there are some consolations. Few would dispute the beauty of the blossom, now it’s here. The apple trees in the walled garden are a delight, blushing with effervescent blooms. Out in the woods, it may be June but you can still enjoy the carpets of bluebells on the slopes of Kirk Wood.

Perhaps most impressive are the drifts of wild garlic. On a warmish humid afternoon, you can taste the pungent oils as their spicy scent hangs heavy. The woodland floor white and green, radiant in the gentle light filtering through the fresh greens of late spring.