Celebrating spring in Llandaff Fields

Double pink cherry-blossom on the trees lining Llandaff Fields along Pen-Hill Road

Now that spring is here I am trying to get out and about more, even if at the moment I am revisiting old haunts more than finding new places to explore. On April 14 I went for a walk across Llandaff Fields and back, managing 4,000 steps. With my sedentary working-from-home lifestyle it was a start and I felt better for it.

April 2024 tree following – now I understand

Newish leaves on the Photinia davidsoniae in Thompson’s Park, Cardiff

I had trouble understanding why the tree I am following this year is classified as a Photinia, as it does not look much like the Photinia “Red Robin” seen in so many gardens.

But now I see, as the new leaves show a reddish tinge. The tree is in Thompson’s Park, right against the fence, and is a Photinia davidsoniae.

I have also proven to myself a point made by Hollis that the orange “berries” are actually pomes – see below.

Tree following link box for April 2024

Unfolding leaves of horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) this week

It’s that time again for the monthly tree-following get-together. It’s April and green is sprouting forth everywhere in South Wales at the moment.

After a wet March we are having April showers and again some strong winds. But at least the hours of daylight are increasing, along with the temperatures.

I have already been to visit the Photinia davidsoniae I am following in nearby Thompson’s Park and will post about it this week.

I hope you have all had a chance to inspect your trees and I look forward to seeing everyone’s news and pictures once again.

I’m sure you regular tree followers will have something to report. Point to any tree-related post you would like to share, using the link box below. And please don’t forget to leave a comment.

The link box is now open for contributions and will stay open until 7pm GMT on April 14.

If you are new to tree following, read all about the idea here.

Snapshots of the day: A bunch of bouquets

Vermilion roses

I have decided that I will try to make sure I always have flowers in the house from now on. I guess it’s because I was uplifted by the lovely bouquets my friends and relatives brought when I lost my husband recently…

Snapshots of the day: A winter visitor

Redwing (Turdus iliacus) in the garden this week

I was delighted this week to spot a flash of red in the garden as I looked through my study window. Grabbing my camera and zooming in I found it was a redwing (Turdus iliacus), the UK’s smallest thrush. Previously I have seen this species only when the weather has been very cold or there has been snow, so this was a surprise on a mild day.

While keeping an eye on the redwing I saw another colourful bird, a jay (Garrulus glandarius)

March 2024 tree following – a dull day

New leaves on the Photinia davidsoniae in Thompson’s Park, Cardiff

I usually visit the park in sunny weather, but this week I realised the benefits of visiting when the skies are grey, as I wasn’t “blinded by the light”…

The tree I am following in 2024 is in Thompson’s Park, right against the fence, and is apparently a rarity in this country, a Photinia davidsoniae.

There was some new leaf growth, although it does not have a red tinge as I had been led to believe. However, I did notice the thorns on the tree this time and its multi-stemmed nature.

Tree following link box for March 2024

Yew tree (Taxus baccata)

It’s that time again for the monthly tree-following get-together. It’s March and spring is definitely on its way here in South Wales.

There have been some clear, sunny days after February’s rain and there are daffodils and sprouting leaves everywhere.

I hope you have all had a chance to inspect your trees and I look forward to seeing everyone’s news and pictures once again.

I’m sure you regular tree followers will have something to report. Point to any tree-related post you would like to share, using the link box below. And please don’t forget to leave a comment.

The link box is now open for contributions and will stay open until 7pm GMT on March 14.

If you are new to tree following, read all about the idea here.

Intermission…

Feeding the nene (Hawaiian goose) at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in Llanelli

I don’t know how to do this.

You may have noticed that I have been neglecting this blog for quite a while now because of my caring responsibilities for my husband. He had been unwell for five or six years, first with meningitis, then prostate cancer – and in the middle of all that he had an “urgent” hip replacement much delayed because of Covid.

Sadly he has now passed away, just three days after going into a hospice. I am still in pieces in the limbo between his death and the funeral, although I have support from family and the practical arrangements are a welcome distraction.

Blogging may also help. I will continue with the tree-following and try to answer everyone’s comments more promptly. I also hope I may have time in future for more varied blog posts (I have hardly left the house since the pandemic lockdown).

We will “speak” again soon – remember to love each other…

February 2024 tree following – a new subject

Not much left – bare stalks of my new tree in February

I have finally decided on the tree I will follow in 2024. It’s in Thompson’s Park, so not far away, and is apparently a rarity in this country. I had seen it before when the orange berries were at their best in mid winter, but had not realised the species.

I found it on the Cardiff Council Parks website, which gives the following information:

It’s a Photinia davidsoniae, a small, multi-stem, thorny tree with oblanceolate leaves, dark green, leathery and glossy, up to 15cm long and tapering at both ends.

Tree following link box for February 2024

Liquidambar tree in winter, at night…

It’s that time again for the monthly tree-following get-together. It’s February already and I am still uncertain about which tree I will follow this year. I have two in mind so will try to decide this week.

I am rather housebound with my husband-caring duties at the moment, so just hoping I will be able to get out for an hour.

The weather has been changeable this month, alternating wet and windy and colder and drier.

I hope you have all had a chance to inspect your trees and I look forward to seeing everyone’s news and pictures once again.

I’m sure you regular tree followers will have something to report. Point to any tree-related post you would like to share, using the link box below. And please don’t forget to leave a comment.

The link box is now open for contributions and will stay open until 7pm GMT on February 14.

If you are new to tree following, read all about the idea here.