Blackthorn winter

(Click on photos to enlarge)

I was interested to see what wild flowers would be flowering, and whether there was still snow on Black Mountain, so I took a walk up the hill behind the house today. No snow now , it's all melted, and this morning's offering was just a blizzard of wet sleet.

Hart's Tongue fern unfurling:



The first Stitchwort flower. Soon it will have masses of Red Campion and Bluebells to keep it company. I have a lovely x-stitch chart for a picture just like that and fancy sewing it again.



Primroses


Ground Ivy and leaves of Goosegrass


Violets

Violets and Hart's Tongue Fern unfurling


2 Red Campion flowers and leaves; leaves of Foxglove



The flowers were: Red Campion; Violets; Celendines; Saxifraga oppositifolia; Dandelions; Primroses; Wild Strawberries; Dog's Mercury; early Cow Parsley (though I've seen it in February in sheltered spots round here before) and the first Stitchwort. There were leaves of Foxglove; Shining Cranesbill; the first coils of Hart's Tongue Fern unrolling; and the little purple flowers of Ground Ivy.

Here is Shining Cranesbill, which will soon flower with its tiny pink flowers.



Dog's Mercury


Wild Strawberry



The Blackthorn was still in flower though, and spring flowers count for naught when it's still a Blackthorn Winter . . .