Fork & Spade: A community food digest for April gazettenet.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from gazettenet.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Mickey Rathbun: As winter wanes, admire the humble snowdrop
Symbol of spring Oleg Elkov Getty Images/iStockphoto
Published: 3/1/2018 10:38:38 PM
Every year, as winter tarries a bit too long in my garden, I am heartened by the sight of snowbells (Galanthus) nodding their bell-shaped heads above the frozen earth. The snowbells were planted by the original owner of our house, an avid gardener and garden club member, back in the 1960s. Since then they have multiplied and spread far and wide. I do nothing for them except to admire them, which seems to suit them nicely.
A recent article in Horticulture magazine opened my eyes to a whole new aspect of the snowdrop. While I gaze contentedly on my drifts of snowdrops, troops of Galanthophiles from all over the world are gathering each February at special gardens in the United Kingdom to admire rare species of Galanthus that can fetch prices of more than $1,000 (yes, for a single plant!).
Happy and healthy New Year! I just realized that Iâm one of the people that took an interest in birds during the pandemic. Watching birds sure does calm the soul; they donât seem to be angry, arrogant, rude, or looking for conflict.â NatureWatch saved me!â
â Anonymous Naturewatch Reader, North Berkshire. (aka Timothy Zelazo, Florida)
December was the month of reporting wrens to Naturewatch Thanks for your column! I ve been lucky enough to have a pair of Carolina wrens at my suet feeder every morning for about a week, at 7 am, here in Lanesborough.
â Chris E., Lanesborough I thought it was a fat version of what was seen in our yard before and never knew what it was, until I read the name in the paper.