A Seasonal Shift in February

Spring-like Hopefulness. Lengthening of days. Waning Winter. Stirring of the Land

Issue 2 February 2020

I know we've had Imbolc and yes the light is improving but hang on I hear you cry - it still feels like winter! Whilst Imbolc marks the very earliest start of Spring, in reality February days (& nights) can still feel pretty wintry. However the good news is we are definitely moving towards Spring and whilst I agree it's a shame the mud didn't instantly dry up overnight, outdoors there are positive signs of a seasonal shift.

WILDNESS

Around the lanes where I live the blackthorn (Prunus spinosa) is coming into flower - certainly one of my favourite things to spot in the hedgerows, as it’s a real heralder of Spring. Its romantic frothy white blossoms appear long before the leaf buds have unfurled and in sharp contrast to the lethal dark, spiky stems.  Best in a breeze when the tiny petals get swept up and scatter like confetti. Blackthorn is a wild ancestor of the cultivated plum and a valuable hedgerow shrub for early pollen for bees and for its blue-black sloes in the Autumn - great for collecting and making sloe gin!

The buds on the trees are swelling and the wild hazels are adorned with dangly yellow male catkins. The wind carries the pollen from these eyecatching catkins to the much less sensational female catkins (found at the end of the same branches) and will later grow into nuts.  
"Like little tails of little lambs,

On leafless twigs my catkins swing;

They dingle-dangle merrily

Before the wakening of Spring."

- Cicely Mary Barker, Flower Fairies of the Spring

Out in the fields and woods look for swathes of naturalised snowdrops (old favourites), the yellow winter aconites and wild primroses. All three have delicate, little flowers that belie their ability to withstand the harshest of months - great for lifting the spirits.

Small wild birds are on the move in February on the search for food. As supplies begin to run out in the wild they find their way into our gardens.  Don't forget to put food and water out for them to help them weather the next few months. February 14 is the traditional day for birds to take partners and as part of their courtship you’ll notice birdsong increasing as the days get longer.  Blue tits sing heartily in February and if you're lucky you might witness their choreographed flights designed to demonstrate to a mate that they are fit and well. 

Towards the end of the month frog and toad spawn suddenly appears in ponds and open water - frogspawn borne in clumps and toad spawn in long ribbons. The amount of frogspawn in my pond can sometimes be vast, conjuring images of amphibian plagues!!! Don’t fret however - frogspawn is food for many species and the journey to amphibian maturity is only completed by a few!

So if you can do get outside and explore your local countryside this week. Looking at the details is a wonderful way to reconnect to the seasons. Let me know what February highlights you spot and/or photograph.

If you have any questions you can reach me via my website www.plotgardendesign.co.uk and please follow/like PLOT Garden Design on social media to receive my seasonal updates and photos.

---