Spring is in the air – already…
It’s that time again – for tree followers to get together for a monthly exchange of news. If you are new to tree following, you can find out all about it here.
In the northern hemisphere this is a great time to start a year of tree following, as “Now is the Sun come up from the south, With Oak, and Ash, and Thorn” – that’s from Kipling’s A Tree Song, by the way.
Here in Cardiff the hours of daylight are lengthening and a sunny sky makes all the difference after months of rain. There are even early signs of spring – the white flower pictured above is perhaps a member of the cherry (Prunus) family? I have also seen magnolias coming into bloom.
It may still be deep winter where you live – or mid summer if you are in the southern hemisphere. Whatever the conditions, I wonder what your tree is doing?
The February tree-following link box is now closed, but here are all the contributions we received this month…
Squirrelbasket – the pigeon tree
Alison – Blackberry Garden – Quince
Brian – Our Garden @19 – Apple – Worcester Pearmain
Tineke – ‘t Groentje – woodpecker in the Willow
Angie’s Garden Diaries – Betula ‘Crimson Frost’
Frances – Island Threads – Downy Willow
Tina – My Gardener Says – American sycamore
Caroline – Wild and Wonderful – Silver Birch and Acer negundo
Hollis – In the Company of Plants and Rocks – looking back at Cottonwood and Willow
Liz – guesting on Flighty’s Plot – Amelanchier
Erika – Tur i oturen – Birch in the snow
Annie – Earthstar – Dawn Redwood
Janet at Plantaliscious has found a new tree for 2016
There is also good news from Lucy Corrander at Loose and Leafy, who carried along the tree-following platform before me. She may have managed to get her laptop working again and could be posting occasionally.
Thank you to everyone – see you all again on March 7!
The Squirrelbasket 
Hi – thanks for hosting this again this month. It looks like Spring is continuing to be early – let’s hope we all avoid late frosts.
Thank you for continuing to contribute!
I’m crossing my fingers for your quince.
All the best 🙂
Wonderful idea. I photographed a tree a day last year as a photography project but they were different trees every day not the same one. I’m heading out now to find me a tree to follow. 🙂
Excellent. Thank you – and there’s no rush, you can start following in any month.
I look forward to seeing what you choose.
Even better if you post and link in before the link box closes next Sunday, but I can always add you in if you are just a little late.
All the best 🙂
I have found a tree – so many possibilities but she’s a rather special lady called Dawn. Working on my post. 🙂
Am I thinking dawn redwood? Maybe not, but I look forward to your post!
All the best 🙂
Hi Pat. I’ve just entered my link for my first post about my tree. You were right in your guess about what she is. 🙂
Thank you for joining us – I’ve been over to visit your post. Brilliant choice of tree – and great that you know its history.
All the best 🙂
So much new growth Pat it’s wonderful 🙂 One of my camelia’s has been in flower for a couple of weeks and is looking mighty fine.
Great! Camellias are supposed to flower in mid winter, but they don’t usually like wet weather – especially the white flowers, which go all brown. What colour is yours, I wonder?
All the best 🙂
I am following a Worcester Pearmain tree in our community orchard this year. It will be interesting to see if fruit production is affected by the mild winter.
Thank you for hosting the meme this year Pat.
Excellent – I have been to visit your post and I have changed your tree details on the tree following page.
I look forward to seeing those lovely red fruit.
All the best 🙂
The willow is still in winter sleep. Not so, all the birds living in and around it. A perfect time of year to observe them.
Yes, I love the woodpecker!
All the best 🙂
have posted this months tree
Lovely, I look forward to seeing more of your butterfly tree 🙂
hello Pat, I’m glad you are carrying on with tree following, I have written a tree post but was hesitating about joining this year, however having read a couple of tree following posts I’m in, I will be following one of my downy birches though not sure which yet, thanks for hosting, Frances
Brilliant! Hopefully everyone will get enthusiastic again as spring comes along.
All the best 🙂
This is such a wonderful meme! Since my tree hasn’t changed at all since last month, and is in a pot in the garage, I’ll resume my observations next month, and then through the rest of the year. I do so enjoy reading about trees from ’round the world. Thanks for hosting!
Thank you, Beth.
We’ll keep a place at the table for you next time…
All the best 🙂
I have just added my link which seems to be showing up. Thank you, Pat, for hosting. I love the idea of a ‘pigeon tree’!
Yes, the link is showing up OK and I have been over to visit your monthly wildlife posting.
Thanks for taking part.
Best wishes 🙂
I didn’t get very far with my juneberry search this month, so … I checked on my old friends. Nice to see them again!
Yes, I have been over to visit your blog – very nostalgic.
All the best in that juneberry hunt 🙂
Liz’s Amelanchier has just been posted and added to the list of links. I’ll be doing my young oak tree on Thursday. xx
Lovely. Thanks for that – and I will look forward to your own link later in the week.
All the best 🙂
I’ve just added my own Tree Following post and link as promised. xx
Excellent, I will pop over to have a look 🙂
[…] following is graciously hosted each month by Pat English at The Squirrel Basket. In her Cardiff, Wales location, trees have already broken dormancy and begun to […]
Pat, I’m amazed that you already have some trees blooming. I always forget how much milder your climate is in the UK, despite the fact that you are at a much more northerly latitude than I am in Maine. It is still mid-Winter here, with snow on the ground and arctic cold expected this weekend.
Thank goodness for the Gulf Stream/North Atlantic drift on this side of the pond!
We are due some sleet this weekend, but that’s about it.
I hope your spring comes eventually!
All the best 🙂
We have celandine here and tiny hawthorn leaves in places – but no blossom yet. (Further afield yet still in Dorset, daffodils have been flowering for ages.)
Lovely to hear from you!
Celandine is just coming out here, too. And snowdrops, crocus and daffodils all at the same time. Here in Wales we of course worry we will have no daffodils left for St David’s Day on March 1…
Keep on keeping on!
All the best 🙂
Thanks so much for hosting, I have been lousy at tree following these past few months, but am determined to make up for it, and have chosen a new tree. I can’t believe you have magnolias out already! I have fat buds on my ‘stellata’, but it is a long way off flowering.
I am delighted with your new tree and look forward to the blossom in spring.
I suppose you are a bit farther north than us, and our city beside the Severn Estuary does get warmed by the water and all the people…
Thanks for taking part.
All the best 🙂