Wednesday, December 27, 2017

Spring in December ♥

With the thrill of Christmas over and us all feeling smothered by a bout of coughs and colds which just won't shift, we decided that a good dose of fresh air was just what we needed. The Christmas weather was a complete washout, meaning that my great plans of a lovely family Christmas Day walk went out the window, so when the forecast showed just one sunny day this week, we couldn't wait to get out the door and blow away the cobwebs.

Going to one of our favourite haunts - the beautiful Fota House and Gardens, we took the opportunity to let the boys blow off some steam and try to fend off the sickness with some cool, fresh air.

As we rounded the path to enter the most scenic part of the gardens something wonderful caught my eye - a bush of hot pink rhododendrons in bloom. This particular bush is always a favourite of mine to see in spring and it makes for a great photo opportunity spot... but seeing it in all it's glory on Christmas week left me with a feeling of mixed emotions - joy at colour creeping back into the landscape (flowers are one of my favourite things in life after all) and sadness at what could have caused the spring blooms to blossom in December, far before their intended time.

As we walked throughout the gardens the hot pink rhododendrons weren't the only flowers putting on a show. I spotted what I think are bushes of jasmine in full bloom (I'm in desperate need of a flower encyclopedia!), their sweet and beautiful scent filling the cold air, as well as other shocking pink flowers dotted here and there. In our haste I forgot to check the patch where the snowdrops and daffodils shoot up every year, but I wouldn't be surprised if they're already rearing their dainty heads too.

While it's absolutely lovely to see flowers in bloom again, I can't help but feel worried about nature and how it's suffering due to the actions of mankind. When I shared the picture of Beau and I looking up at the rhododendrons on my main Instagram gallery, a follower of mine from South Africa expressed her concern at the effects of global warming on nature and the seasons and I completely agree with her.

I'm someone who has always followed the Gaelic calendar regarding the seasons, as this is what I was taught in primary school and it makes perfect sense when it comes to nature and various festivals (mid-summer for instance) during the year. However, as the years go by the calendar of nature becomes more and more skewered with daffodils in December and snow showers in April... it would be foolish and naive to think that the world isn't changing and not in a good way.

I'm just left hoping that some blooms will be left for spring and summer.
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2 comments

  1. I found it quite disturbing walking through town at 2am after a night out recently and the wind gusts were warm,in the middle of December!

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    Replies
    1. It's just crazy and quite scary to think what's to come.

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