Flowery mead

 

 

June is the month when the meadows seem to overflow with colour.
The golden carpet above is all buttercups and they glow in the misty, thundery light.

This meadow must have dozens of different varieties of flowers and they form a more subtle tapestry.

I've been intrigued by the swathe of pink in a field alongside the A36 just past Wilton. Today I turned down a bumpy little track and went exploring. The pink is a mass of Campion flowers- red, pink and white. It is a breath-taking sight.

I can now boast that I have my own meadow. For some time, with the help of a gardening friend, I have been creating a tiny orchard at the bottom of my narrow terrace garden and have planted wild flowers and grasses beneath the trees. To some it might seem an over-gown muddle but to me it is utterly enchanting.

I will write a proper piece about my little orchard. It is a magical transformation from the bare earth of  two years ago.
I love the abundance of June in England.

Spring Greens

I love the moment in Spring when everything is just on the brink of bursting into leaf. The shoots, buds and new leaves are so many different shades and often there is a warm haze of purple and pink over the woodlands.

The new leaves are different colours on each tree and bush and only in Autumn does the countryside show such a variety of tones.
On my wanderings this weekend, I tried to capture as many different greens as I could find- such a pleasure!



Horse Chestnut

 


Hawthorn

 


Oak



The verges are changed from their bedraggled winter dun colour to a rich new green where;

" Weeds in wheels, shoot long and lovely and lush"

 

Ransoms

 

Bracken

 

Queen Anne's Lace

 

mainly Blackberry

 

 Bluebells and stitchwort gleam against their background of grass and beech

 

 

 

 

 

Patterns of ferns and a Beech avenue

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everything was glowing in the sunlight

 

 

 

 

Wheat fields and far hills are green

 

 

 

 

 

And the tree line is, for this short space of time, a mix of so many shades and hues, before it settles down to the uniform green of summer

 

 

 

" Proud pied April, dressed in all his trim,
Hath put a spirit of youth in every thing."

Wandering, finding and foraging

It has been a typical English April day, alternating sunshine and rain, with a bit of hail thrown in to keep things chilly.
I awoke to bright sunshine and this tempted me to spend the day exploring the local countryside. However, by the time I was ready to leave the house, it was pouring with rain.
Undeterred, I ventured out and by the time I found a nicely situated byway, the rain had stopped and all was calm and cool.

The path went slowly up beside some woods to a ridge, wandered along the top and then dipped down again to the valley. I walked slowly, looking around me and listening to the sounds of a spring day. There were birds everywhere. I saw and heard: Blue Tits, Great Tits, Woodpecker, Thrushes, a Chaffinch and Blackbirds, a quick swoop by of a Jay, the 'kee kee' of a Buzzard and my first Lark's song this year.
The landscape is still that of early spring from a distance but looking closer, I found many trees, leaves and flowers are just beginning to come out.

 

 

Wiltshire feels an old land, perhaps because some of the first people in England lived here. I'm always looking under fallen trees, in Mole hills and by Badger's sets in the hope of finding an ancient treasure.

Today I found this heavy and rusty horse shoe, dug up by a badger. I wonder how old it is?

 

 

 

 

Further down the bridleway, a rabbit had disturbed the earth beneath the hedge and this little flint caught my eye. I can never really tell if my findings are Stone Age tools, or just  pieces of chipped flint. I would so love to find an arrow head. Imagine holding something that was last touched by another human being thousands of years ago?

 

 

On my way home I stopped to pick an armful of Wild Garlic. It's just at its best and I wanted to make some Pesto.

 

 

 

 It is probably one of my favourite 'foods for free' and I love the fact that it seems to arrive so suddenly. Its garlicky smell and lush green leaves mark the true start to Spring for me.

There are various recipes for the Pesto on the internet. I tend to alter them according to what I have in my store-cupboard...

 

 

Wild Garlic and Parsley

 

Pine nuts and Cashew nuts



 

Cheddar and Parmesan cheese

Lemon juice

Quite a bit of Olive oil

All whizzed up together

There! Enough for me and two little gifts to take to my Brother and Mother tomorrow.

 

 

 

 

I have enjoyed myself today.

It feels as if I have had the best of country living

 









Easter Bonnets- the joy of finding that perfect hat

David and I were spending a leisurely day exploring the market town of Devizes. He has a nose for the interesting, so I wasn't surprised when he beckoned and said: " Let's have a look down this little alleyway"
I followed him and gasped in delight! It was as if we had stepped back in time...

Hidden in amongst the more modern houses is St Johns Alley and this perfect Elizabethan building is home to this most amazing hat shop.
Inside is a treasure trove of colour and texture and hats, hats, hats!. I have never seen so many beautiful hats in one place.
The proprietor, Joan Pressley, told us that the shop was established in 1987 and from the number of elegant ladies we saw shopping there, it is still thriving.
 She very kindly let me look around and even allowed me a glimpse into the back room where all the hat trimming and altering was done.

 

The shop sells and hires designer hats for all occasions and also offers a bespoke trimming service where you can have your favourite hat remade to match your outfit for that special celebration.
The whole shop was a lit up with jewelled colours. there were traditional styles, elegant little creations and some which looked quite bonkers to me!

I'm so glad we found Joan Pressley's unique shop. Now I can wait and hope that I will have a chance to officiate as a Celebrant at an extremely fabulous wedding where it will be imperative that I have to treat myself to a beautiful hat to suit!

Here is the link to the shop. If you are ever in Devizes... be tempted!

http://www.devizeshats.co.uk/joanpressley/Home.html

Wishing everybody a

 

Happy Easter