Mid April In The Meadow

The weather has been so cold that the meadow is a good three weeks later Than it was last year.The upside being that the daffodils have really lasted well in the colder weather and it has only been the gale force winds of the last few days That has caused their demise

Orange Oxslip (Primula veris)
2013/M12

Common Oxslip (Primula veris)
2013/M13

White Fritillery (Fritillaria meleagris)
M2013/m14

Purple  Fritillery (Fritillaria meleagris)
M2013 /M15

Common Daisy ( Bellis Perennis)
2013/M16

Grecian Windflower Anenome
Blanda Blue2013/ m17

Hoary Bittercress (cardamine hirsute)
2013/M18

Honesty Lunaria  annua
2013/M19

Spring is not now far away and the meadow is already waking up .The shining yellow of the Lesser celandine and the  creamy pale yellow of the first Primrose are a welcome sight, After the long very winter a week of dry mild weather has brought everything on leaps and bounds, the Daffodils over the last couple of years are starting to bunch up nicely .  Anenome Blanda are showing small buds .All of these will make a welcome early food source for both Honey Bees and Bumble Bees over the next few weeks. The Quince and Rosa Rugosa are bursting into leaf giving the meadow a real spring feeling.

Lesser Celendine 2013 m7

Primrose ,primula vulgaris 2013 m9

Daffodil Narcissus 2012m4  m10

Anenome Blanda M10

Quince Cydonia Vulgaris 2013 m8

Rosa Rugosa 2013 M11

The first cut of the year

The first cut of the year

After a week of dry weather and winter sunshine the meadow was dry enough for the first cut on the grass .it will have its second cut in about 6 to 8 weeks depending how it grows.I just hope that the wild flowers are down there somewhere waiting and not all rotted off with all the wet weather of last summer and winter of 2012 .the hedging contractor did not return to cut my hedges so it looks like they will have to stay untidy as the birds will be nesting  a little trim by hand may be in order but no big noisy tractors  

Snowdrops and Daffodils

At last the Snow drops have arrived  the ground is so wet  the rain still continues , The hedge cutting contractor has let me down never returned as promised . Wondering now is it too late to have it done Birds will be nesting soon. 

The daffodils will be following quickly behind the snowdrops .The mild wet winter seems to have been just what they like.

After experiencing the wettest winter in my lifetime (don’t ask how long) I can’t help but wonder what will have been the toll on my meadow . We will just have to wait and see .

The lichens and mosses have loved it and they have really grown well.I know very little of Lichens except they have a   symbiotic relationship with each other .I have only posted the photo’s so far  I will have to classify them and  and list later

                 

January 2013

meadow under snow

Not the images I had planned as my first photos of the year,
I was hoping it would be snowdrops and emerging daffodils 
 .Well it can only get better after this ,.I hope???

Bee Hives
The poor bee hives under a deep layer of snow 
I hope they are safe and warm . 
Although not sited in meadow they are at 
the rear of the property the meadow is
 there mainly for them