Last week I showed the first daff tips in our garden. Today there are these: This is a Hazel tree. We were warned that there was a high level of pollen in the air— this is why. It is another sign of Spring innit.
Sjoerd has a Hazelnut or called a cobnut tree or European Filbert, showing foliage botanicals called catkins. Hark! Your Hazelnut flowers are emerging! I am obsessed with these blossoms. They are actually clusters of flowers called “catkins,” with separate “male” and “female” structures. I fight these trees every year. A royal pain really for announcing to every squirrel in the county, “Dinner Here!”. But the dogs luv the nuts too. Once the squirrels cracks them open from the outer shell in the trees the nuts fall to the ground and they are free pickens for all. Natures little helpers. Well maybe not so much. More like natures little nightmares. Calling all squirrels… Well I know there’s more than one way to look at nature. I know Sjoerd could not have possibly imagined I would go off and let something become an influence and relate a tiny innocent catkin to my squirrel wars that beast I have fought for years.
Very nice, Sjoerd! I saw some daffs starting to emerge from the ground, and some elephant garlic (they were sold as allium flowers, but I'm pretty sure they are just elephant garlic). It's a challenge to my mind, harbingers of Spring before New Year's.
