Thursday, April 9th, 2026
This ancient camellia bush was already there when my family moved into this place in 1960. It is hidden away in a corner of the garden that is not very visible unless you go right up to it, which is a shame. These photos were taken on March 30th. I almost missed seeing these perfect and prolific blooms as the second half of March was not a pleasant time to walk around the still water-logged grounds. After its promising first few days, that month soon reverted back to winter and became cold and grey for days on end. But spring must come eventually, and I am writing this a few days after Easter on a glorious day that could easily pass for high summer. Wild flowers are coming up all around in the lanes, and yesterday I counted eleven species in bloom along the banks. Celandine and violets are particularly abundant this year. The birds are enjoying the sudden onset of warm weather too. My Merlin app identified ten species filling the air with song.