Rowan, Sorbus vilmorinii, at SIzergh gardens On this sunlit December morning Irene and Richard were walking to SIzergh'to buy a pint of milk!' We had met in June, sharing a find of fly orchid on Scout Scar. I suggested they look out for Sorbus Vilmorinii with its splendid crop of berries.
An Arctic front brings a heavy overnight frost and freezing temperatures. But the day is still and the sun shines so there are wonderful frost-effects at Sizergh gardens.
A crown of willow beside the icy lake glows rosy with young twigs and the sun shows willow catkins ready for spring on a day when winter takes hold. A robin walks on ice and others come confidingly close. Food-begging in harsh weather is not unusual so I have a small bag of oats in the pocket of my High Arctic duvet jacket ideal for sunlit winter chill.
Once again we hear bullfinch somewhere about the rowan whose pink berries begin to fade to white as Irene had reminded me they would. The lakeside spindle is now bare of leaves and fruit but close by is a Red Cascade spindle I've photographed through autumn. Its pink fruit-capsules have burst open and shed almost all their orange seeds and the capsules shrivel at the onset of winter. The sun doesn't yet reach the shrub so its withered fruits are back-lit but if I return later in the morning sunlight should warm them. The December sun sparkles on frost and the icy lake gleams brilliant.
Once again we hear bullfinch somewhere about the rowan whose pink berries begin to fade to white as Irene had reminded me they would. The lakeside spindle is now bare of leaves and fruit but close by is a Red Cascade spindle I've photographed through autumn. Its pink fruit-capsules have burst open and shed almost all their orange seeds and the capsules shrivel at the onset of winter. The sun doesn't yet reach the shrub so its withered fruits are back-lit but if I return later in the morning sunlight should warm them. The December sun sparkles on frost and the icy lake gleams brilliant.
It's a wonderful winter's day and the two of us have Sizergh gardens almost to ourselves. Too cold for some, says a volunteer gardener. We like to follow seasonal change and he agrees, being well-placed to make frequent close observations. November was exceptionally mild so the sudden arrival of an Arctic front is a shock. Reeds beside the lake have flagged and flopped to the earth, succumbing to winter chill. Frost crystals are beautiful in structure and I love to photograph the way they form on the last late flowers, on seed -heads and on fruit.
Ice crystals had formed on the low wall by the lake where rowan and spindle grow. A hole in the wall's fabric gave a foil of darkness. I love to study crystals of snow and ice, the pattern and the geometry.
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