Tag Archives: crocus

crocus carpet

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The crocuses in the park started to appear in January. Now they are reaching their peak. They are like mushrooms in the way they seem to pop up over night – one morning this bank was just a slope of dewey grass, the next it was carpeted with purple, yellow and white goblet-shaped flowers. On slightly misty mornings, when there is a hint of sunshine and the promise of mild weather, they can convince me that spring is here and summer is just around the corner. But it’s only March so I mustn’t get too excited.

I’ve never grown crocuses (though I have been tempted), because I think they look their best growing in grass, particularly under trees and when they are allowed to encroach gently along the edges of large areas of lawn. Our current garden has just one tree and no grass at all, so I get my crocus fix in St Andrew’s Park when I walk the dog.

snow

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So, Matilda got her wish.

In a perfect world I think we could all have done with a slightly heavier snow fall.

But it seems that even a thin blanket of the white stuff exerts a certain magic: all three girls were out of bed and ready for breakfast by 7am. Unheard of on a school day.

And like the rest of the family, Sybil loves it too. Shame it’s all gone.

park life

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The first time I visited St Andrew’s Park, five years ago, it was as a parent rather than a dog walker. I thought it was rather gloomy despite the well-equipped playground and charming cafe (run from a van around which tables covered with polka dot oil cloths are set up), and vowed to visit only if I really, really had to. How things change.

Several years on, and now a dog owner, I find that I am in the same slightly gloomy park on an almost daily basis (I must add here that Sybil does get walked elsewhere, but time is limited at the moment, and a local walk is all we can manage). Given my initial feelings about the park, you’d think this would be a recipe for utter misery and boredom on my part, but curiously, for such a small place, there is always something new to see.

Over the last two weeks snowdrops have been emerging, first one small cluster and now great clumps light up an otherwise dull corner. The crocuses have also started popping up: brilliant flashes of electric yellow and purple along the muddy banks. And although the trees are still leafless and skeletal, there have been some interesting additions: this kite, lit up by the sun, caught my eye the other day.

And at the weekend I could hardly fail to spot this spectacular bit of yarn-bombing.

Recently, I came across a whole group of photos that I took last July when the trees were covered with ribbons in advance of an annual arts festival. Sadly, we weren’t around for the actual festival and I guess that’s why I never got round to posting these photos.

 As I’ve said, St Andrew’s park is not particularly large, or even especially pretty, but I love it more and more, and clearly I am not alone.