No matter where you go now, you’re never too far from the heady fragrance of the wild garlic. The hedgerows and woodland floors are carpeted in rich, green leaf and will soon be adorned with their pretty little white flowers which will only accentuate their aroma. Hot on the heels of the wild garlic will be the bluebells, whose familiar green framework is already well established. As the rough weather subsides, and the temperatures start to rise a little, our countryside will spring to life and give us all the little lift that we need on the back of the long winter months.
The primroses have given a welcome splash of colour to grassy verges over the past few weeks, giving a welcome ‘promise of spring’, and the shoots are just starting to emerge from the sleeping hedgerows.
Also spotted in the undisturbed grassy patches have been some delicate little violets, also giving a splash of colour if you can spot them. There is a recipe for crystallised violets in ‘A Visit to Brambly Hedge’, but copies of this lovely book are hard to come by these days as it is currently out of print. Once the cowslips and forget-me-nots are all out, these will be candied too, marking the start of a busy season for Mr Apple who is in charge of the Store Stump. Supplies are currently low, but he knows that the shelves will be full again very soon.
There is much to celebrate over the winter months, but none of the mice will deny that they are looking forward to Spring. Don’t forget to share your culinary creations with us on social media as we love to see them!
In the mean time, here’s to the imminent warm Spring days!