The white May flowers are falling to dusty pink on their way to browning and shedding. The dainty and prolific cow parsley is turning to seed, while its bigger and more robust cousin, the hogweed, is coming into full bloom. The golden swathes of oilseed-laden fields are back to almost uniform green as the flowers drop and the seeds begin to swell. The first white flower buds of elder are yet to open, but they’re evident enough and only awaiting the flow of time to follow the virginal tradition of blackthorn and hawthorn. (‘Blow trumpet, for the world is white with elder’ doesn’t have quite the same poetic ring, does it? But the sight is still appealing.) The meadowsweet is also rampant and budding, so Church Lane will soon be smelling as sweet as old roses. And all the standard trees are now in full leaf and gradually attuning to the solid green of the summer season.
The only concern is the lack of water. The maize which was sown several weeks ago is now painting green stripes across the previously brown fields, but we’ve had no rain since they were set and there’s still none in the forecast. The ears of wheat and barley are also growing strongly from their supporting stems, but they’re going to need water in order to swell and subsequently ripen in the sun of high summer.
But let’s be optimistic and hope that nature will be kinder to us than it’s been to other parts of Europe and the world in general. Let’s hope that when the rain does come it comes in favourable quantity and not as destructive deluge, for it would be nice to think that this green and pleasant land of my forebears and I will continue to delight my senses for as long as I have the means to be a part of it.
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