hawthorn blossom

[andy b]

there is a lot of hawthorn blossom around at the moment. this blossom really stands out from the surrounding greenery. a lovely sight, i think.

[ladylouise62]

Very nice - and it is lovely to see. There is a load by one of the bus stops I use and I love to sniff at it whilst I'm waiting - it has a lovely almond smell.

[rolf]

I agree lovely blossom, saw a fair bit of it today whilst I was out.

[Catherine]

Hi, Andy!

Is that not Blackthorn Blossom?
Google Image Result for http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_FuzLlbwO0P0/R6UPVZlCwcI/AAAAAAAABsc/7y3GhiwZOTA/s400/Blackthorn+blossom1.JPG

It's always first to show and appears well before the leaves do.

Hawthorn leaves come out before the flowers (normally in May), so are always there when the blossom is at its best!

[andy b]

seems i am mistaken catherine. the two bushes grow side by side along the canal towpath. i stand corrected.

[Catherine]

Sorry, Andy! I didn't mean to sound as if I was correcting you - rather putting my own thoughts into words in that post! To be honest, I know very little about Blackthorn!

I'd taken this first pic of the same blossom just before Easter, and had been meaning for ages to check what it was called. I had to look it up through Google (as you can see from the link I gave above!)

The Hawthorn is one of my favourite trees, being a bird magnet at most times of the year - whether they are looking for caterpillars, greenfly, berries, shelter, or just to bask in the winter sun on the topmost branches!

The second and third pics are of the Hawthorn tree we had in our Ayr garden. I really loved that tree!

[andy b]

no need to apologise catherine, i meant that i was'nt an expert and appreciated being rightly informed. as with the pic of your present garden,( 4 seasons in one day post ) your ayr garden is beautiful.

[Catherine]

Thanks, Andy! I'm afraid gardening is our main hobby now!

Our Ayr garden WAS beautiful to us, though am not sure the new owners of the place are as mad about gardening as we are!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nm8/set...7602624808973/

(This was our present one - less than two years ago - and then one year ago;
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nm8/set...7608350836768/. We did all the work ourselves!)

By coincidence, we bought a Clematis yeaterday. It is called Broughton Star, and, on looking up more info re. it on the web just now, I see that it was bred by the Vince and Sylvia Denny, clematis growers in - guess where? - somewhere near Preston in Lancashire!

http://www.clematis.hull.ac.uk/iclsf...fm?page=page18

[andy b]

catherine, the motorway junction32 at preston is called the broughton roundabout . broughton is a part of preston. hope your clematis gives you much pleasure, think of us lovely prestonians when you look at it!!: