greentapestry : "If You Go Down To The Woods Today"

Thursday 14 April 2011

"If You Go Down To The Woods Today"

Himself and I took to the hills last weekend where we went walking and garden visiting . The weather was simply glorious. We walked part of Wenlock Edge in Shropshire, where we came across various wild flowers including violets, celandines, primroses, cowslips as well as bluebells which were just beginning to open. What took my breath away were the carpets of wood anenomes, which I have never seen in such numbers before ~

'Wood Anemone'
"The wood anemone through dead oak leaves
And in the thickest woods now blooms anew,
And where the green briar and the bramble weaves
Thick clumps o'green, anemones thicker grew,
And weeping flowers in thousands pearled in dew
People the woods and brakes, hid hollows there,
White, yellow and purple - hued the wide wood through.
What pretty drooping weeping flowers they are:
The clipt-frilled leaves, the slender stalk they bear 
On which the drooping flower hangs weeping dew,
How beautiful through April time and May
The woods look, filled with wild anemone;
And every little spinney now looks gay
With flowers mid brushwood and the huge oak tree"
~ John Clare,1793 -1864

More from Shropshire to follow.

12 comments:

  1. How beautiful! It's a long time since I've visited Shropshire - must explore it again.

    There's something so special about anemones in the woods - like secret magical treasure!

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  2. What wonderful countryside you live in. Many years ago I did a NT Conservation Volunteer holiday at Wenlock Edge, it was hard work but a great week. The wood anemoes are lovely, what a great walk - lucky girl. R

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  3. They look so pretty. How lovely to find bluebells, I haven't seen any yet this year.

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  4. Glorious. I love woodland. I keep promising myself a trip to our local woods, and then chores get in the way - or it rains. I really mist get down there, bet the bluebells are out now.

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  5. They look like scattered stars on the forest floor. How enchanting. :)

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  6. I know exactly what you mean. Wood anenomes have a magical quality unlike almost any other flower. There's a glade in the woods here that has a carpet of them. I stumbled across it a few years ago and it's almost jaw dropping. Enchanted stuff.

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  7. Wonderful stuff! Glad I spotted your blog.

    Bertie

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  8. To są, piękne widoki. W zeszłym tygodniu też je oglądałam. Nie trzeba ogrodu żeby oglądać piękne kwiaty w naturalnym środowisku. Pozdrawiam

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  9. There is something special about the gardens that are only tended by mother nature. Beautiful!

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  10. What a lovely place for a walk!

    Saw your lovely tulips on your last post. I have planted so many in the last two years--it's always a chore in the fall since I plant them in my garden beds, but oh so worth it in the spring. Two new additions this year are 'Fur Elise' and 'Professor Rontgren' (not sure of the spelling). But the prettiest of all are the ones I can't remember the names to:)

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  11. You must be enjoying Shropshire Anna - the weather is perfect for hill walking.

    Wonderful to see some John Clare - he was just so in tune with nature.

    Lovely wood anenomes!

    Jeanne
    x

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All your comments are much appreciated and treasured. I wil try to reply to everyone who leaves a comment, but it may take me a few days, especially when I start spending more time in the garden and at the lottie. I know that you will understand :) I am sure that I will also visit your blog if I have not already done so. If you have any specific questions I will either reply to them here or you can email me at : thegreentapestry@gmail.com

Namasté

- Anna.