End of May ramblings

Just a couple more days and we're into June and well and truly into Summer. The weather is a mixed bag at the moment but there are more good days than bad and there's been plenty of sunshine. Sadly there's also been a fair bit of wind from the north which has kept temperatures down but I have no complaints. It's good walking weather and it's a joy to feel solid ground under my shoes instead of mud halfway up my wellies. 

The Daffodils are gone and the Bluebells are going over but the meadows are full of daisies and buttercups. And the Holly trees are in flower. I wonder how many people even know that Holly has a flower? Well it does and the ovary at the centre will become the bright red berries in the Autumn.

The Hawthorn trees are in bloom ranging from white to pink in blossom and, like the Holly, each flower will become a bright red Haw berry in due course.

And the Ash trees are producing their seed pods, known as Ash Keys. These are edible and best picked and pickled while they are this young. There's a good recipe here.

Nature's bounty. It just gets better and better from this point on.