I am very fond of Hawthorn. Country ways say that when the hawthorn blooms there will be no more frosts. I hope that is true as they are just beginning to open. The blooms are white initially, but after the bees have visited the flowers flush pink. So if you glance towards a Hawthorn you will know if she has been served by the colour of the flowers. My hedgerows here are full of this lovely tree and in a few weeks time the Elder will bloom with the Hawthorn and I will be surrounded by white flowers. The fragrance on the breeze will be heady, and I will be in paradise. Of course the garden will be full of bees to pollenate the blooms. In the autumn my garden will be dripping with berries and in winter I will have the honour of Redwings and Fieldfare coming to dine on them. This is a native tree. It is so important to have at least one native tree in your garden to help support the wildlife that uses it. When the Elder and Hawthorn bloom in a few weeks time will show you, but it is just a shame you won't be able to smell it!
25 comments:
Hawthorn, maybe that is what is blooming in some of the wooded areas here. I am terrible about tree names! Cheryl, we have the corn flower too, so I know that is the 3rd pic in the last post. The dusty miller is the silver-gray behind the tulips in the 1st picture. It's an annual where I live, but my be a perennial there.
Hello countrylady, thank you for the 'congrats' on my win .... You have a lovely blog, and a beautiful garden. Keep on blogging, I will visit again.
God Bless
Jeannie
I had no idea that hawthornes actually bloomed. I'm a tree lover, too, and I agree it's important to keep our native species. No wonder the birds love your home! It's probably listed in their "A Bird's Guide to Great Places to Stay." :)
I love Hawthorn trees too. We have some in our garden. What with all the rain we had in early spring it seems that every berry the hawthrons made last year sprouted. I should be outside hoeing them down.
Ah Beckie....I know the plant you mean now. Couldn't work out why a cornflower would be called dusty miller. We call it Senecio, it is a perennial here. It does well in my garden, actually a bit too well.
Tku jeannie, the garden and I are twinned souls. Will drop by your blog tonight.
Hi Rose.....That's exactly what Mr Practical says...have you been speaking to him????
How strange nature is Lisa....ours are usually completely stripped by the birds.
I might occasionally see a little berry sprouting.
Dear Cheryl,
Happy May Day.
The blooms of the Hawthorn onced graced many a home on May Day!
There is a Hawthorn Tree across the street from my house in the cemetry. I will visit this afternoon.
Thank you for telling about the white blooms turning pink after pollination. I know very little about all the trees. I just know I love them all.
It is very important we plant native! Our birds and our bugs depend on us!
I shall go fix my May wine.
Thinking May baskets and sunshine for you.
Sherry
Good morning and did i already tell you that Jeannie won the Tea Time Give Away and say THANK YOU for joining in the fun!
I hope we get no more frost too. The Hawthorn must be telling us something . . . good!
Thank you Sherry for the lovely message. We do not need to know lots of informaion about trees to love them. I always like to feel rather than to think.
Hope your walk to the Hawthorn tree was graced with the sunshine, that you give to many others.
Hi Becky.....I popped over to your blog and saw that Jeannie had won, it was fun to join in.
Hope that the sun is shining and a final end to those nasty frosts.
Beautiful post and very informational also. Have a great week.
Judy
I love hawthorn too. It grew all round our house when I was a child, but here I hardly ever see it. We do have a lot of elder though and every year I think I should start collecting the flowers to make wine. And never get round to it...
All creatures great and small...wonderful ladybirds; spectacular tulips; blackbird singing, an angel of a grandaughter...or was that really a magical fairy?; bees and wasps to pollinate your apple trees; and fantastic blossom on your hawthorn...I agree about planting native trees. Nearly all of mine are all natives as I want to encourage the local species to survive. What a happy time I've spent here again, dear Cheryl :)
Hi Judy....Glad that you enjoyed it.
Hi Sue.....I had a friend who made elderberry wine, it was lovely, but very heady.
I make cordial with the elderflowers which is lovely in the height of summer. Very refreshing.
Wildlife gardener, how kind of you to visit and always a pleasure. I am glad you have enjoyed walking my world. I must tell you last night I heard the frogs, they were croaking again today. It really did lift my spirit, I had been so worried about them. It may be late but at least they are about.
Very pretty! Does Hawthorn have a sweet fragrance or is it pungent?
Aiyana
Hi Aiyana....It seems like a cop out, but somewhere in between. Some people find it overpowering. I love it, just as well because I have trees and hedging with it in.
Oh, I envy you your hawthorns and elderberry - plants with history and magical stories.
They don't grow here in Canada (at least where I live).
Heard that bees are becoming scarce. Hope that's not really true.
Thanks for your kind comment on my blog.
Happy May Day.
Hi Wendy
Bees are becoming scarce world wide. There is a virus that is causing there decline. There are studies going on to try and find out what is causing it. Meanwhile they are asking people to help the bees by planting the blooms that attracts them. Not spraying in the garden. And trying to have more of a bee habitat in your garden.
oh, how brilliant that hawthorn blushes! I loved learning this.. thank you :-)
It is lovely hedgewitch, isn't it.
Thanks Cheryl for the info on bees. Sometimes I think items in the news are just put there to scare us away.
I don't spray in my garden (illegal in my town, but I wouldn't anyway). Will certainly plants bee-friendly bloom this year. Glad you told me.
Its a good thing to do Wendy, the bees need help. We need them more importantly, so good for you helping where you can. Have a great weekend.
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