Wednesday 12 June 2013

Blooming marvellous.

Never in my time on the farm (over twenty years) or even in the farmer's lifetime here, has there been a year like this for blossom.  I don't know whether it is a combination of a very wet year last year and a very late Spring this year - but whatever it is then everything has decided to burgeon.

The new header, which I took five minutes ago (tripped up all the way across the lawn by two farm cats wanting their morning milk) shows the paddock outside the back door.  It is a mixture of buttercups and what I think is probably meadow foxtail grass but I don't want to go into the field and trample it down for a closer look.

It is a glorious sight as is the clematis in the garden, the white lilac in next door's garden, the hawthorn across from our bedroom window.   The blossom is everywhere.

But the buttercup field here is nothing when compared with the field opposite my son's cottage.  It is just total yellow - not a blade of grass to be seen.   Yesterday he counted the heads in just one small square, estimated the size of the field and came to the conclusion that there are at least eighty million buttercup heads in that field alone.  We need to make the most of them as all too soon they will be gone for another year.

17 comments:

Arija said...

You sound quite breathless with all the beauty around sour.

Penny said...

Sounds wonderful, here we have suddenly been hit with winter, 2 days of rain and more to come. I know it is winter but we went from remarkably warm to this.

Heather said...

Your new header is beautiful. Someone down here remarked on what a good year it is for buttercups, so it must be a nationwide occurrence. I know there are some magnificent ones in our garden! They are a glorious sight and look sunny even on a dull day. I'm quite pleased it's cloudy and threatening to rain today as I have no energy for more gardening just yet.

Bovey Belle said...

What a lovely header. Amazing buttercup crop round here too - although I have far too many in the borders I have been too poorly to get out and weed yet. I am calling them Flowers instead!

I planted a beautiful white clematis a couple of years back, but rather than live in our garden it has climbed into the farmyard next door, so they are benefiting. I am going to have to try and reclaim it - once it's flowered - as it has wound itself into a roll of sheep wire . . .

We have lost our sunshine now - grey and drizzly - but at least I am let off watering round daily.

Twiglet said...

It's certainly a good year for buttercups down here too - a glorious splash of sunshine across the meadows. I love your header pic. x Jo

MorningAJ said...

Eighty million buttercups! That's a summer. The ox-eye daisies are out here. They're wonderful, but I just can't get close enough to get a decent photo. Most of the best looking ones are on the side of the motorway!

angryparsnip said...

Eighty Million Buttercups !
Sounds wonderful.

I think about three years ago we had one of those spring too ! Everything that could bloomed and it was fabulous !

cheers, parsnip

crafty cat corner said...

I was only saying to Tom the other day, how quickly each month goes by. I love the wayside daisies.
Briony
x

Loren said...

Marvelous, indeed.

Rachel Phillips said...

It looks like what I would call Timothy grass which is probably the same thing. It is a very nice photograph.

Crafty Green Poet said...

wonderful blossoms here too!

Terry and Linda said...

Hot here...with hot wind. Your header is outstanding!

Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com

Judy said...

Wow!! That would be something to see!!! I have never seen a field of buttercups that yellow!!

ChrisJ said...

"Oh to be in England now that JUNE is here!!!

Elizabeth said...

This sounds so very blissful and thrilling.
A worthy recompense for a pretty grim cold spring!

Willow said...

The header is beautiful and I am glad to hear something good has come of the weather you have had. !

The Weaver of Grass said...

Thanks for visiting. Every field of buttercups I pass is like passing a ray of bright sunshine. They are beginning to fade now but the memory lives on.