One of our pollen trap locations is on a piece of shrub land off the beaten path, hidden away through some dense bracken growth. Today I approached through the usual way, but was struck by the vibrant green leaves suddenly covering the bushes, a complete contrast from when I was last there and it was all still purple-brown bramble shoots to clamber over.
As I climbed out of the bush and turned the corner, I gasped at the sight before me. All winter it had been a stretch of yellowed, dry and uncut grass with some twiggy shrubs... but now the whole site was surrounded by a backdrop of beautiful white blossom!
Our project started having been inspired by the Japanese microseasons, and I felt how this must be in Japan in Sakura hajimete saku, when the first cherry blossoms appear at the end of March, that amazing and short lived time when the country celebrates these beautiful trees. Only my celebration was in my secret location and only seen by me. I felt privileged.
The blossoms I can see are blackthorn, which appear before the leaves. But also there are new white buds swelling on a group of trees on the north side of the site, which I think are some kind of wild cherry. I can't wait to go back in a few weeks and see these bursting into bloom!
