Hush, Can you hear it?
The rustling in the grass,
Bringing you the welcome news
Winter's day is past.
Soft, Can you feel it?
The warm caressing breeze,
Telling you the sticky buds
Are bursting on the trees,
Look, Can you see them?
The primrose in the lane,
Now you must believe it –
Spring is here again.
– Poem by May Fenn
For me, it seems the whole of the city has woken up after a long and grey winter, from a time when it most certainly felt like everything and everyone was hiding away from its true self, or maybe just the rains! As I look out the window into the garden and the streets below, the world greets me with a palette of colour – from the blossom of the cherry trees to the new flowers standing proud.
The world that seemed dull and cold has come alive once again. We may never see the remarkable processes happening beneath our feet during the winter months, and may presume the natural world around us has stopped growing altogether, but within that cold hard ground the plants and trees were secretly preparing for rebirth. This is now well underway.
Bursting buds and leaf burst is triggered by the increased length of the day and warmer temperatures that occur during this time of year. This is a good sign of life, but this can also be a sign of a process happening too late or even too soon, giving us a stark reminder of our ever changing climate.
The old saying goes: “Ash before oak we’re in for a soak, oak before ash we’re in for a dash” – you will be happy to hear it was the oak this year! As I look to the months ahead I see my calendar filling up with tree site maintenance days, events and activities, and it certainly feels like an exciting time.
So take note! Spring always give hope for rejuvenation in our lives with a sense of renewed excitement and zest for life. But this should not stop during those cold, dark, wet and windy months past… oh, who am I kidding, spring has arrived and summer is in on its way, let's all get outside and enjoy every moment!
Simon Belham is the Project Officer for Forest for Peterborough.