I woke just before sunrise this morning and was indeed delighted to see a clear blue sky. Walking through to the living room, still warm from last night’s fire, I was met by the sweet scent of hyacinths…and our long haired tabby Serenity who can’t eat her breakfast until someone has walked up to her bowl and said “biscuits!” while looking meaningfully at her and then the aforementioned biscuits.
Once the sun was well up Ian and I set off for Dartington Gardens, which is a constant source of transformation and wonder at this time of the year. If you are reading this and live anywhere nearby…get yourself to Dartington gardens! As Walter de la Mare wrote
let no night seal thy sense in deathly slumber till to delight thou hast paid thy utmost blessing
My first honey bee of Spring
Dartington Gardens has drifts of species crocus with honey bees. Hallelujah! The first honey bees of Spring! No doubt many of us are concerned about the bees and if you haven’t already signed the Avaaz petition to help protect them… please do it now at the link below
Dartington also has…the first daffs, a robin at every turn, deep purple hellebores in full bloom, shocking pink rhododendron and camellia flowering amidst dark, shining foliage, more snowdrops then you can shake an intricately carved shamanic walking stick at….
and even an entire avenue of flowering witch hazel with the Goddess Flora at the end, waiting to bless and greet you! What more could anyone ask for? (And to see the rest of the photos, visit my ‘soon to be less neglected’ facebook page)
Dartington Camellia
In the face of such a bubbling up of Spring optimism and delight, I’ll return to my usual theme of light and darkness with the rest of Walt’s wonderful poem
