The Pleasures of Neglect

I don't know whether it's because of local authority cuts or just that we go missed out but our grass verges haven't been cut for weeks.

The ditches are full of Keck, with that wonderful almondy smell but that's just as usual.

The grass is getting deep and, among it and the daisies (Bellis Perennis - everlastingly beautiful) or  Day's Eye because they close completely at dusk - Chaucer named it 'Eye of the Day'... anyway, among them are the much less well-known Common Storksbill, more usually found in sandy soil near the sea. These open at dawn and close at dusk. They are usually shorn by the mowing so we don't see them. Just one of the pleasures of neglect.

Cast not a clout 'til May be out

We may have lost the real May Day to the forces of reaction and there are even those who want to change it again into a celebration of nationalism, the blight of the 20th century and now infecting the 21st.
In this puritan era where anything that distracts from the the purposes of commerce is frowned upon, we have forgotten that, since the reform of the Catholic Calendar, May 1st is the Feast of St Joseph the Worker, the patron saint of workers. Seeding has been completed by this date and it was convenient to give farm labourers a day off. In France, the Fete de Travail is kept in the letter and the spirit "Saturday 1 May 2010 Le Premier Mai: Fête du Travail. Being a bank holiday, it rained. We knew everything was closed; even the Géant said ‘Fermeture Exceptionelle’. The boulangerie in the village was open for a short while in the morning, so I went down for croissants and a baguette. Got soaked on the way"

http://www.livingvillage.blogspot.co.uk/2010/05/week-in-aveyron.html

This was the time we had a puncture in France and were unable to buy a new tyre because everything was closed but it was hardly the end of the world!

Anyway, now at last and in spite of the rain, May blossom is coming out.

I caught a scent of it as I came in from walking the dog one evening earlier this week but what we really need is a few warmer afternoons and a bit less rain, then, as in previous years, the high hedge opposite our houses will erupt with the sight and scent of Spring and early Summer.

As well as the heady scent of May, the verges are filled with the stems and flowers of Cow Parsley, which as children we called Keck. It's a type of wild Chervil and, so long as you don't mix it up with similar-looking Poison Hemlock(!) and Fool's Parsley, you can feed it to horses. Cow Parsley adds to the almond-like perfume of the hedgerows at this time of year.

If only the rain would stop for a decent length of time.
 

You can't keep a good tree down

April was such a great month. Not only did we get an extended holiday because of Good Friday and Easter Monday/Tuesday, but these were followed by the royal wedding and the normal Spring bank holiday.

Like many people, we too the 2 extra days and made a lengthy break. With nowhere to fly off to and no major events to organise (e.g. Christmas), this was a really restful period; maybe good practice for retirement. We went to watch cricket (in the sun!), spent time getting the garden into shape and generally enjoyed ourselves.

Meanwhile, the village is looking forward to Summer - everywhere is greening up and blossom covers the hedgerows.

The vandalised elms have sprouted again - you can't keep a good tree down. My neighbour says they will never grow into proper trees but I wonder whether, if we take off all the shoots but one and create a single leader, we might get a result.

All the rest of the elms are burgeoning and will look magnificent in a few years time.

Across the road, the guy who broke into our house and disturbed Marea has set up a sort of playground for his children and they light bonfires on warm nights. Still, they haven't bothered us yet.

My favourite plant, cow parsley, (keck) is out everywhere and is at its best at this early stage.

It has a smell that brings back Summer every year. Marea and I both love this plant so much that I actually bought her a gold and silver brooch representing cow parsley for Christmas from Paula Bolton Jewellery http://www.paulabolton.net/acatalog/Hedgerow.html.

I've bought Marea lots of Paula Bolton jewellery in the past. She's a favourite designer.

The dandelions have all gone over but, from the look of this, we won't have to worry about not having any next year.

Sumer is icumen in;
Lhude sing cuccu!
 
http://www.pteratunes.org.uk/Music/Music/Lyrics/summerisicumenin.html