Simple winter scenes

snow fence

Winter in the United Kingdom is quiet. Organisms retreat underground or migrate to less harsh climates. Only simple winter scenes remain, painted in broad figures with a restricted palette of colors. The complexity of summer is temporarily washed away.

field

Fields are seas of black soil, prepared for spring planting.

bracken

Coastal landscapes are brown, dominated by the decomposing fronds of the bracken fern, Pteridium aquilinum.

storm

Harvested fields are golden, covered by the stems and chaff of last year’s growth.

sheep

Pastures are under frost with only few species of grass still green at the surface.

ox 2

These simple scenes do not endure. As the earth moves along its orbit, the skies brighten, and the air warms. The frost melts, and the ice retreats.

ox 1

Little by little, the memories of the previous year return. And a few species begin to flower, ushering in the spring.

gorse

The gorse (Ulex europaeus) puts out a few tentative flowers, transforming coastal landscapes from uniform dark grays to mosaics of yellow and green.

crocus

And the first spring Crocus blooms begin to appear. I am glad for the return of a little life to these landscapes, and for the lengthening of the days.

One Comment

  1. I had started observing nature since last year (during spring) and now again as spring has arrived, I am enjoying the beautiful flowers and new butterflies and ladybugs coming out of their pupae…

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