Marvellous May, 2025
Writing this at the end of May, I can certainly say that this has been a really marvellous month. Hardly any rain (though obviously that brings its own trials), mostly quite warm and generally flora and fauna seem to be thriving at the moment. IN THE GARDEN From the scent of lilacs and the promise …...
Otley blooms
As we reach the end of April, Otley’s hedgerows, fields and patches of woodland and groaning with greenery and putting on their best blooms. So what can you see around us at the moment? Well, ash trees have mostly still not sprouted, but our oaks are in varied stages of leaf – some very green, …...
A Spring Palette
The colours of mid-April Yellow, white and green. If you look around our countryside right now, these are the predominant colours, alongside the browns of the earth and the trees. In the hedgerows, the white blackthorn blossom is over and it leaves are pushing through, but the hawthorn blossom has not quite ready to show …...
Art in Nature
An exhibition of sculpture at Helminghall Hall Living so close to Helminghall Hall, I’m sure many or most of us have walked the public footpath through the park filled with deer, soay sheep and of course the many veteran and ancient oaks. Certainly Finn, my goldendoodle, and I go regularly. You’ve maybe also enjoyed the...
Hedgerow Jelly
Come the autumn, the hedges are dripping with fruit for birds, mammals and insects to build up their resources for the winter ahead. Likewise, I aim to fill and store jars with rich purple jams and jellies made with fruit harvested while dog walking. Any sunny afternoon I can be found scouring the hedgerows for …...
Otley’s Platinum Jubilee Oak
Part of the celebration of the Queen’s platinum jubilee in 2022 is the ‘Queen’s Green Canopy’ or ‘Treebilee’ – the planting of trees throughout the kingdom. In March 2022, a native oak was planted in our village. It was provided by the East Suffolk council and kindly planted by Chris Taylor....
Elderflower tea anyone?
The elder tree: a tree respected for centuries, esteemed for its provision of food and health benefits to mankind, and still sharing itself with us today. Elderflower tea, anyone? Despite it being such an important tree species in the UK, many of us might struggle to identify an elder tree – especially as it’s more …...
Hawthorn or blackthorn?
Hedges of frothy white blossom flanking our roads and pathways are just one of the joyous signs of spring. But what is the blossom that so beautifully proclaims the changing of the seasons? It’s possible that, along with many others, you might assume that the first hedgerow flowers belong to hawthorn bushes. But think again. …...
Spring flower gallery
Spring is here and the hedgerow and verge-side wildflowers are singing with pleasure.
My favourite animal
Sisters, Martha and Anna Groenwald, sent us three lovely drawings of their favourite wild animals that they might see around Otley. They chose a squirrel, a kestrel and a hedgehog and we love these drawings. For information about hedgehogs, go to our post about these wonderfully prickly, charismatic mammals >>...