[homoe]

Spring is a time of great change, of significant transformation in the landscape. The pace starts off slow, with subtle signs here and there, available to the attentive nature watcher. Then, as the days grow longer, there is acceleration. Life seems to burst into the previously dormant world. It’s a wonderful time of the year to be exploring nature and the more you are out, the more you’ll witness. After the short days of winter, it’s a good time of year to dust of your bushcraft knowledge, sharpen your skills and sample the best that springtime has to offer!

Spring is a time when dormant shrubs and trees come back to life. Catkins and blossoms are one of the first signs of this resurgence of activity in the hedgerows and in the woods. Catkins are spikes of small flowers. Catkins are most closely associated with hazel, alder and willows. Blossoms are closely associated with fruit trees in particular. In the early spring we can expect to see the blossom of blackthorn, otherwise known as sloe, as well as the cherry plum, or myrobalan plum, both of which have very similar and very pretty and flowers which appear before the trees come into leaf. It’s quite a transformation when these species come into flower, from a very dark skeletal hedgerow or understorey in the woods, to an explosion of white or very light pink blossom and a spray of brightness and colour.