April is definitely the cruellest of months.  We were gifted 3 delicious hot and sunny days. Fooled into thinking we’d got through the worst of the wet and the cold, we all sighed with relief and took off a few layers. And then the most cruel of winds came howling around the corner – bitter, brutal and relentless.  

I had to retreat from my early morning walk on the beach and find refuge in the more sheltered footpaths.  In all weathers and seasons over the past 10 years, I have never felt such a bitter cold, biting wind – a complete face freeze – if such a thing exists.

This small window of dry weather, after so many weeks of continual wet, had everyone reaching for their mowers and shears but the grass was long and remained sodden. And then the rain, thunder, and hail. Towards the end of the month the sun came back and the weather started to feel more settled.  It did, however, prove to be the perfect weather for hedgerows and trees to thrive.  Leaves were being unfurled on a daily basis and the lush green colours of Spring came into focus.  The blossom sadly did not fare so well. The flowering Cherry trees came out with a good show of blossom, joined by the Plum and Damson trees and then overnight the winds came and blew all the flowers off one side of the trees. It’s an annual event, the blossom never survives for more than a few days, and there is never a good show of fruit.  It was not a good site for these trees – I have since planted two other Plum trees in different areas of the field and garden.  I only have to wait another 3 to 5 years to see if they produce fruit!

A good range of birds were practising their singing quite regularly, getting heartier each day. All the local population were there: Robins, Blackbirds, Chiffchaffs, Wrens, Pheasants and Wood Pigeon. In addition to these regulars, the occasional Skylark, Blackcap and Common Firecrest were heard.  The regular wildflowers were also making their presence known, Violets, Gorse, Daisies, Pink Campions, Celandine, Stitchwort, Primroses and Alexanders all out in flower. Hordes of cleavers gathering in large patches across the hedges, and down by the river masses of Hemlock Water-dropwort mixed with wild Angelica are covering large areas of damp ground along the bank. The Ferns looked good and were relishing the damp and warm weather, they get on quietly colonising all of the shady parts of the land under the trees, a splendid array of greens shooting up from the rich humus of old leaves. Snails in their dozens appeared all over the field – White-lipped, Brown-lipped and the Striped Snail (possibly the Heath Snail).  What makes them appear in their gangs?  I have no idea, but they disappear within days. They are not like the massive Snails that appear a bit later in the season, the ones that eat every seedling I put in the garden or the allotment. I like these small versions. The fields around us were covered in Daffodils and the pickers began to appear in the early morning light.  The ground was sodden and thick with mud, the sort that gathers onto your boots and stays, weighing them down and making walking difficult – not remotely pleasant working conditions. And by the end of the month, the white scented May blossom had already settled on the branches, and when the sun shone in the early morning I could smell the delicious fragrance.

And then, on the morning of the 25th,, as I was sat having coffee in the yard ,in the warm sun, a Swallow swooped in, and then another, and then a third straight into the barn through the open window.  What a moment – we’ve had 3 weeks of North Easterly winds howling up and down the coast and these blessed creatures have got through it all. I hope we have plenty of food for them and I hope many more will arrive.