inspired by a guelder rose

It takes us just five minutes to walk to the woodland on the edge of our housing estate. Here we are in a different world. Last week, we enjoyed stitchwort, scattered like stardust on the woodland floor. Now the petals are shriveled and the seedpods are forming. The sun is no longer able to penetrate the dense tree foliage above us and the bracken beneath is beginning to unfurl.

On the edge of the woodland, a white dog rose is in full bloom and this young guelder rose is showing its first flower.

We planted a guelder rose in Aberdeenshire. It was several years before it flowered and even then, there were very few berries for the birds to eat. We made sure it was one of the first shrubs we planted in this garden. No flowers yet, but I hope the warmer Cumbrian climate will speed things up a bit. The birds are waiting for the berries!