Neither Frost Nor Snow
From a collection of poems called 'The Hedgerows Parade' A carnival of colour and activity that transforms the hedgerows throughout the seasons.
Visit collection: The Hedgerows ParadeSpecks of white neither frost nor snow
begin to claim the sparse hedgerows.
Blackthorns stir as the days get longer
buds pop open as the sun gets stronger.
Blossoms that appear as a dusting of snow
a drumroll to spring, in the ancient hedgerows.
As the first white blossoms start to fade
Leaves unfurl in a Mexican wave
Hedgerows thicken, life quickens
Bees on blossoms, birds in nests
Butterflies and insects full of zest
Spring’s crowning glory steals best in show
As garlands of May blossom drape
across the ancient hedgerows.
- Neither Frost Nor Snow
- The Hedgerows Parade
- Temple Ewell
- Kent UK
As the spring equinox dawns near and the days are gradually lengthening, a most welcome sight occurs in our ancient hedgerows. Starting as tiny white specks, which swell and open into the most beautiful display of blackthorn blossom, the blossom, always out before the leaves, provides an early source of nectar and pollen for our early insect dwellers. It also acts as a marker of where the sloes will be, come autumn.