Snowdrop Appreciation

On Monday morning I woke up feeling just a smidgeon brighter that I have done in quite a while. So after the school drop off I decided to try and manage a short walk, just a gentle stroll up the high street, past the castle.......

....and on past the small sheep field. All of a sudden the sun broke through the clouds and I was so happy to see those shafts of soft light making their way to me through the trees, oh so welcome on this rather cold, gloomy February morning. I carried on walking, slowly, slowly, only a gentle hill but my body doesn't really allow me to do hills at the moment. Shuffle, shuffle, not too much further.....

....destination Snowdrop!

I love visiting this little patch every Winter, it's a small wild area where the very edge of the woods meets the road into the top of town.

Snowdrops are such unusual little flowers when you stop to look closely at them, and the effect of them carpeting the leafy ground in the depths of winter is stunning.

Truthfully, I would loved to have picked a few little sweet flowers to bring home with me. I could picture them all dainty in a teeny tiny little glass jar, nodding their sweet white heads and bringing me oodles of pleasure. But I know these are naughty thoughts and so I made myself content with capturing them on my camera.

I loitered around the wild patch at the side of the road, at the edge of the woods for quite a while, walking this way and that, pointing my camera, trying to capture the beauty of snowdrops-in-the-sunshine. I leaned over the fence, crouched down and stuck my arms through the fence. And then I straightened up and stood very still for a while, working out how my body was feeling, trying to decide what to do. Turn around and head back down into town? Or walk onwards and follow the pathway into the woodland?

I turned my back on the pavement and chose the muddy pathway, following this gloriously mossy stone wall which forms the top boundary of the woodland.

I am completely, crushingly in love with moss, and when I see it growing so joyfully over every standing-still brown thing, my heart honestly feels like it might implode with gladness. These vibrant green mounds take the edge off the pervading brown-ness of the winter woodland, they are just so full of life! I love it when moss shoots up these ultra-cute little things (what are they? Moss flowers? Moss seedheads? I want to know all about mossy goings on!), well I love those little shooty-up things most of all.

Ahh, here is the waterfall in the middle of the woodland - please note that I appear to be up above it rather than down beside it on the path there like I normally am. That would be because I managed to get myself completely lost following the mossy path, neglecting to turn at the point where I should have turned. I walked on and on and on, and it was raining, and my beloved red boots became caked in mud. I do not possess any sense of direction, the place in my brain where there should be a logical compass is just an empty space. I think I walked around the edge of the soggy woodland for about an hour until eventually, I ended up at a point that I recognised. It was waaaaay off the pathway that I should have been on, but at least it was familiar and I was able to descend  down the steep bank and pretend that I was never, ever lost at all. Just taking the scenic route.

I was very, very tired by this point, my legs had decided to mimic the tree trunks and turn themselves into lumps of wood.

But it had been such a lovely little unplanned walk, and the memories of the snowdrop carpet and mossy walls and tumbling water stayed with  me as I made my way slowly home.

The homeward route from the woods conveniently goes right past the local Bakery which has a brass door handle in he shape of a croissant. I decided that the only treatment for Wooden Leg Syndrome is a soft iced bun popped into a paper bag, and carried carefully home so that it can accompany a mug of steaming hot coffee. It worked a treat. Whilst I was sipping my coffee and scoffing my bun, I thought about the snowdrops all over again, and it reminded me about the calendar that hangs next to my desk....

....this lovely calendar was a free gift last year with one of my favourite magazines - Country Home and Interiors. I've been a subscriber to this magazine for almost a decade, and I can tell you that in recent years it has consistently provided me with a huge amount of inspirational, seasonal visual pleasure. The free annual calendar has also given me a lot of pleasure over the years - those of you who've been visiting me here for a while may remember my years of "Calendar Posts" where each month I would share seasonal images from my various calendars? The Country Homes calendar was always known as the Bossy Calendar, as each image was usually accompanied by a command to do something or other. It did used to make me laugh.

This year, the theme is country flowers, and I thoroughly approve of charting the months in this way. How lovely! The photos are beautiful, and the text for each month is as charmingly bossy as ever.

So here we have January, which features the humble snowdrop and the following command >

"At the start of the year, bring bunches of velvety white snowdrops inside from the garden to display alongside glowing candlelight."

Oh, ok then! Excepting that I don't have  bunches of snowdrops growing in my garden. I don't have a garden which grows bunches of anything really. And I couldn't bring myself to steal even one single stem of a snowdrop from the wild patch at the edge of the woods. I shall just have to make do with pictures instead.....

....these beautiful pages are from last months Country Living magazine (Feb).

Oh just look at those delightful mossy pots! I really wish I had some mossy posts and pretty snowdrops of my own.

These sweet little flowers fill me with delight, and even though the colours on these pages are very pale and muted, they are just so right for this time of year. I do love a spot of seasonal colour.

I was inspired to have a little play with my yarn pegs and channel some inner winter snowdrop vibes. Mmmm...very restful and calming, wouldn't you say? A pretty Winter palette for January.

Mind you, seeing as we are now into February, I'll have to think up something floral and Februaryish to share with you now. You never know, I might even obey the Bossy Calendar this month, there is an instruction to go and look for paperwhite narcissus.......

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Comments

[Jennifer R.]

I know this is a blog from two years ago, but I recently discovered something. If you take moss, put it in a blender with some water, then "paint" a surface outside (watering it occasionally), it will begin to grow.

[Sue Eamens]

In a hot Ozzie summer it's lovely to see such a cool calm colour pallet. Hoping to see one of your magical designs that uses it in the future.

[fiona]

Hi Lucy
I love the pictures of beautiful scenery you posted. You live in a beautiful place. Love the look of snowdrops carpet on ground...

Very pretty colour scheme for your crochet items...

Thanks
Fiona

[Lynn Rieck]

That's it! The color combination I've been looking for! Oh, how I love your eye for color, the way you know just what combination works best for the particular theme you have in mind. I'm still working on the costal afghan, my favorite combo. So reminds me of my summers as a child spent on a tiny island in Lake Erie. But this January color combo has got to be my second, if not first, favorite combo. The only thing missing is a spot of deep claret or similar color, Like that of a robin or Cardinal, the Ohio state bird. Yes, I think I've found my next project. Thank you so much.

[Jacki G.]

You are so blessed to live in such a beautiful place. Your photos and comments are wonderful. Wish I could accompany you on one of your lovely walks!

[Mary P]

I love following your walks; thank you for seeing the small, beautiful things!
Those structures on the moss in your photo are spore cases; they hold the developing spores like seed pods and then disperse them to start new mosses when the conditions are right. Different mosses have different shapes and colors. So many lovely forms!

[Louise]

Value so much that you can physically get to such a place and really enjoy it.
I love snowdrops and hope to plant some in a pot for next year as I really miss them.

[Danielle]

Is this the first time I see you suggest cream? :-)

[laura]

ciao! I am Laura from Monza - Italy.. you live in such a beautiful place..love it so much, thanks for your pictures!!

[Chris Lafargue-Bonet]

Thank you for a beautiful post.

[Cindy]

Lucy, if you haven't already, you must read The Signature of All Things, by Elizabeth Gilbert. The main character devotes much of her life to the study of MOSS! And it's a good story, too :)

[ff]

I love those little shooty up things too.

[matty]

Love love the walk... makes me homesick for a place I've never seen... I have snowdrops by my back door that came from a wee patch at an abandoned house. I guard them all winter, waiting for their little heads to pop up and say, "Welcome, Spring!" We are weeks from that, however, here in NC... Keep feeling better!

[Patti]

Hello Lucy... Thank you for your diligent efforts of sharing your world... it is my special times of coming here to enjoy how much we share!! And the love of coffee sweet rolls and crochet. xo

[Christina]

I am glad you managed a walk and I really enjoyed coming along. Snowdrops are just the best. I have over the years planted teeny tiny bulbs around our pear tree. It is so nice to see them appear. x

[Lynn Butler]

Hello Lucy! You made me laugh about the sticky bun cure for Wooden Leg syndrome! I find sugar and caffeine cures most ailments. You have been on my mind this past week as I have been crocheting my Sunny Granny Stripe blanket. Oh, how I love the color combinations. I have completed 2 sections already. I am even more impressed and awed in how you combine your colors. It truly is gift that you have. This is my first yarn pack from Wool Wharehouse and I will be purchasing more from them. They did a very fine job of getting it sent to me here in Southern California. Quick and efficient.

As always I enjoy your walks and pictures. I am getting ready to amble about my neighborhood. It's really about appreciating what you have and where you are.

Sending you lots of Sunny thoughts, Lynn

[Amy]

This poem, Snowdrop, by Ted Hughes, is one of my favourites.

Now is the globe shrunk tight
Round the mouse’s dulled wintering heart.
Weasel and crow, as if moulded in brass,
Move through an outer darkness
Not in their right minds,
With the other deaths. She, too, pursues her ends,
Brutal as the stars of this month,
Her pale head heavy as metal.

Thank you for reminding me of it Lucy, the colours you picked are beautiful. I'm predicting a snowdrop blanket!

[Ann]

Could you not tuck a few bulbs into your front garden? Over the years the clump(s) would get bigger. I love looking for snowdrops to appear, feels like Spring is on the way.

[E.]

Hello Lucy!
You have such an eye for color! Even if my tastes are quite different from yours, I still admire the quality and imagination in all your creations.
I love the January Palette pictured above. What kind of yarn is it? I would love to do something in that palette, and I trust your eye for color much more than mine!
By the way, this January Palette would be an interesting (and somewhat different) yarnpack to put together for sale, I'm sure you would find buyers for it.

[Sara S]

How to send bulbs through the mail? I have several "wild" patches of these beauties. They are so wild, they take over my garden from late February until early May. They spread like wildfire here in western New York. If you figure out how, I would be willing to share. 😊🌻

[Malama xida]

beautiful walk!!!

[Little Quiltsong]

Thank you for sharing your beautiful walk with us, with all the beautiful pictures. Love the end of the road treat you enjoyed :)!

[Marijke]

Laughing out loud about your bossy calendar and lack of bunches in your garden during my morning cappuccino. Good to see that you are dragging yourself outdoors in spite of everything and that you have not lost your eye for beauty. Thanks as always for the beautiful pictures.

[Caecilia]

Hi Lucy, do you know this (free) pattern?
It is in Dutch, but maybe you can read the instructions?
http://haakbaak.nl/pdf/1389_sneeuwklokjes.pdf
You can make your own snowdrops!
Have a nice day and be well!

[[email protected]]

Lovely post Lucy and Skipton is on my list of places to come to next time I am in Yorkshire. Your walk reminded me of a walk with hubby and our two dogs. We got lost in the norfolk countryside and several hours later arrived home exhausted even the dogs had had enough. Needless to say my husband s inner compass isnt that great either! Wooden leg syndrome definitely know what you mean x x take care pippa