greentapestry : A Poem For December

Saturday 1 December 2012

A Poem For December


Around the house the flakes fly faster, 
And all the berries now are gone 
From holly and cotoneaster 
Around the house. The flakes fly!--faster 
Shutting indoors that crumb-outcaster 
We used to see upon the lawn 
Around the house. The flakes fly faster, 
And all the berries now are gone! 


'Birds at Winter Nightfall' - Thomas Hardy, 1840 -1928

 The illustration is by Cicely Mary Barker.

16 comments:

  1. There's lots of cotoneaster berries left in my garden, the blackbirds love them.

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    1. The blackbirds do find them most tasty Jo - our residents have scoffed the lot already.

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  2. I have a huge cotoneaster tree in front of the bedroom window and the blackbirds and field fares sit in it and strip it of all its berries once winter sets in proper. It's a wonder they can fly after they have gorged themselves.

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    1. Oh would love to see field fares here Elaine. Perhaps they have a little siesta after eating and before attempting take off.

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  3. Thay's a lovely poem which I've never heard before.

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    1. Thanks for your comment Katarina - glad to have introduced you to a new to you poem :)

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  4. My cotoneaster berries are all gone now, mind you, my blackbirds are looking rather fat!

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    1. Some rather chubby blackbirds around here too Pauline but it will no doubt stand them in good stead, especially if we have a hard winter.

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  5. Like the poem. The blackbirds have devoured the cotoneaster berries in our garden early this year... does that mean it'll be a hard winter?!

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    1. Thanks Cathy. Not sure whether it means that we are in for a hard winter or whether they just could not resist such sweet juicy berries.

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  6. I think cotoneasters are quite under-appreciated plants. I once saw on a GW programme a garden near Leeds that had created a stunning hedge from a particular variety.

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    1. With flowers that are bee magnets and such glorious red berries they have a lot going for them WW. My mum has a small cotoneaster hedge (horizontalis I think) just in front of the garage - think it was more by accident than design but it looks great.

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  7. I love my Cotoneaster lacteus. It's in full berry right now and will remain that way until next April. The birds don't seem to like them. The Aronia berries, are a different story though. I'm always seeing robins munching on them.

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    1. Oh will have to look into cotoneaster lacteus forthwith Grace :)

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  8. No berries left here - too many hungry birds! I loved seeing that illustration, I remember it from a book my grandmother had and used to get out for me to read when we visited.

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    1. A special book for a special visitor Janet and no doubt a treat to look forward to when you visited your grandmother :)

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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.