Have
you noticed that the days are starting to lengthen and the birds are
sounding more cheerful? Tree buds are swelling, Hazel catkins are
dancing in the wind and Snowdrops add a dash of light among the bare
vegetation. Spring is on the way. At this time of year my two favourite
plants are Snowdrops and Hazel catkins.
Look out for Hazel catkins
If you are driving
in the countryside, watch out for Hazel catkins. They are ever so
easy to identify hanging from hazel trees. These are the male catkins
which distribute their pollen to the smaller female flowers on the
same tree.
The cheerful sight of Snowdrops
Snowdrops cheer
me up on a very dull February day. Sometimes when bunches of snowdrops
are found in the middle of a wood or out of the way place, it could
be a sign of where once a house stood or even a garden, now long gone.
The only tell tale sign is the Snowdrop
Now
if you want to see a good show of Snowdrops, visit Dimingsdale Nature
Reserve. It is owned by Severn Trent Water and managed by the Leicestershire
and Rutland Trust. They are having an open day on February 24th
from 10am to 4pm. The reserve is housed at the inlet end of the Staunton
Harold Reservoir, off the B587 between Lount and Melbourne.
Have you noticed that the birds are starting to sing and protect their
territories? The local rookery will start to get very noisy now with
the rooks repairing and building new nests ready for spring.
In a couple of weeks, watch and listen out for the sound of frogs
spawning and of course birds will be busy nesting. Woods,hedges and
country lanes will come alive with spring flowers. |
