Easter

You always know that Easter is on it's way, when the weather forecast mentions high winds, heavy rain, hail, sleet and snow. I hope things do not get too cold again as the hedgerows are full of flower buds at the moment and any hard frost will inevitably result in them being nipped off. Among the most common flowers which are showing at the moment, there are these tiny individuals.

They belong to the Hazel (Corylus avellana)trees and are the the female flowers, the male ones being the more familiar 'catkins' which dangle in the wind sending out clouds of pollen with each passing breeze. Getting close to the female flowers, you can see how attractive they are.

The Willow trees are also in flower now and are showing some beautiful yellow stamens, particularly when viewed against a sunny, blue sky.

Another yellow flower blooming in profusion at the moment are the Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara). This plant has been used for years as a treatment for coughs. The name 'Tussilago' means 'Cough Suppressant'. If dried and smoked, the plant is also supposed to be an effective treatment for other lung problems such as asthma - wouldn't like to try it though!

By the way, thought it was about time I had a change to the look of my blog. Do hope you like the new layout and colour theme.