Amongst the soup making and wooly jumper wearing and firewood collecting, something has started to happen…
…the smallest of signs are emerging, telling me that Winter is fleeting, Spring will be upon us soon. Out the farmhouse kitchen window I spied a branch of blossom in the orchard. I wandered outside, over the fence and behind the limestone laundry to find a lone tree in blossom. Most of the trees in our (I must say rather sad looking) orchard are a mystery, I’m no fruit tree expert so am eagerly awaiting some fruit in Spring/Summer to correctly identify them. Meanwhile back in the kitchen the sun streams in on my jonquils from my weekend gathering. The air might be frosty outside but inside I can feel my bones thawing out, stretching in the sun and dreaming of warm sunny days.
It’s always the way that I just get into the swing of a season…and then it’s gone. But I fall in love with another in no time. Sometimes I feel like I’m cheating on Autumn by falling in love with Winter, and then Spring comes along and it gets all kinds of complicated.
What’s your favourite season?
Do you know what my blossoming fruit tree could be?
Don’t jonquils smell funny?!
look see. says
I love those early signs of Spring – we’ve had a fairly mild winter so I’m not surprised to see them. I did catch myself thinking last week that it was lighter at 6pm than it had been before – I love that!
Lisa says
My itchy eyes, runny nose and itchy throat are other, less picturesque, signs that Spring is in the process of rearing her head! I am a sucker for Autumn, especially March when it is still warm but not that awful soaking-your-clothes-in-sweat kind of warm. Those leaves get me every time. The kiwi within is a sucker for cooler months – ugg boots, warm beverages, blankets and fires. Bliss. x
Emma says
Oh, lovely photos! And lucky you, seeing signs of spring!
We have bulbs out but the wind is chilly and the weekend forecast looks chillier ๐ But spring will come hey?! And I’ll be ready!!!
Amy says
Love the tip from Virginia – will try that as I do not like the scent of Jonquils either. Yes, I have to concur – it looks a bit like plum! I best get my bum out to the orchard to finish pruning me thinks!! xx
Emma says
We didn’t prune, bad orchardists, but I figure I’ll be happy with whatever I get! Fig tree was laden when we arrived in April so that has me excited, anything else a bonus. Just me or jonquils kind of smell like sheep poo? I always walk into the kitchen thinking Matt has been marking lambs or shearing or something! Oh no, just the jonquils…!
Kathy says
Stunning photos as usual and I love the one with the farmhouse in the distance. Regards Kathy A, Brisbane, Australia
virginia says
they almost look like plum blossom…the branches look a bit like a plum too…how fun to have to wait till summer to find out!
If you don’t like the smell of jonquils, put a teaspoon of sugar in their vase of water…it takes away the strong scent…I personally love the scent but know that it is too strong for my husband…
I have also moved to a new place and didn’t plant any bulbs in autumn, thinking there would be masses as the garden is old. But alas! Not one! Shall have to wait till next year to rectify it.
Like you, I love each of the seasons….whichever it happens to be at the time.
Beautiful images!
Emma says
Thank you! I was thinking plum too so we shall see ๐
I’m going to try that with the jonquils, my husband can’t stand it either!
sharon says
have no clue at all but isn’t it PRETTY?! I forsee a beaten path winding through the grass from your house in the weeks to come!
I wonder if you get wildflowers there….oh imagine if someone had planted a scattered selection of bulbs amongst the orchard in the past, how lovely that would be to see them popping up in spring!
Emma says
I know! I’ve been hoping so, as I didn’t plant any in Autumn (kicking myself now but weren’t even sure if we were staying in this house at the time). I spied some poking up down the driveway, none in the orchard though. Matt wants to pull down the fence and graze the rams in there, I’m ok with that as long as I get a new fence to look at out the kitchen window rather than the current sad state of affairs!