Here Again!

With apologies to those who have been used to getting news of Sun Rising through these blog posts – although irregular, I was managing to put a note out now and then!

Over the last months, the whole system has been down, and I have not had the resources to get it up and running again.  But now, thanks to David’s time and patience, we are back on line.

Please forgive the interlude then, and I shall do my best to keep postings more frequent from here on.

Yellow Flowers

It was in March that the first of the daffodils came out at Sun Rising, and almost immediately the site was covered with a foot of snow.  I worried that many of them wouldn’t make it through that very cold period, but over a month later there are still daffodils out.

yellow spring

Now the dandelions are coming out!  And yes, there are still too many of them at Sun Rising.  We have removed some, but there are  areas which are again becoming monocultures, which isn’t good for the ecosystem.  Nonetheless, they do look beautiful for a while!

The larger cherries are coming into flower as well, offering some white flowers to the profusion of yellow, but the soft new leaves of the hawthorn and willow are still almost yellow.  After a burst of spring rain, the place just sparkles in the sunlight, every flower shining with its yellow brilliance.

Spring’s Buds

After a few beautifully warm March days, we have the soft drizzle once again.  For those who feel the damp in their bones, these are difficult days, full of aches and niggles, and when we are coping with grief as well grey skies don’t help.

What does help, I think, are the signs of spring that so reassure us that ahead of us lie warm dry days.  At the burial ground, along with the snowdrops and primroses, the first daffodils have flower buds swelling which, with another day of sunshine, will burst open in all their golden glory.

Other buds are also full of promise.  The cherries are pushing out their spiky leaf buds, the red leaf buds on the roses are beginning too, and the black leaf buds of the ash are growing every day.  On the hawthorn, the leaf buds are pinky red, and the creamy buds on the blackthorn are suddenly spreading over their grey thorny twigs: these are flower buds, and in a few weeks with a little more sunshine they will open bringing a froth of white to the hedgerows.

Flowerbuds on the Blackthorn

Flowerbuds on the Blackthorn at Sun Rising

I know we could all use some warm dry weather.  Until it comes, let us find strength in nature’s beauty and her promise of renewal!

New Life

This new fall of snow has been quite different from that which fell in January.  Light and fluffy, it has settled on the lightest twigs and branches, and creating a canopy over the winter grass and natural litter under which little creatures can find shelter from the cold wind.  Under such a canopy the first snowdrops are coming through at Sun Rising.  Most are still hidden by the snow covering, but some are breaking through.  In this photo you can see the space under the snow.

snowdrops

The snow is starting to melt now so should cause no more disturbance to visitors.  However, after the very wet year, summer and winter, the ground is still waterlogged making it hard to keep the standards of tidiness and care that we aim for: nature is really getting the upper hand with respect to mud.
We’d ask visitors, too, to watch where they put their feet now if walking off the stone paths and tracks, for there are now the leaves of snowdrops, daffodils and other early arrivals, peaking through the earth.  A heavy foot can damage or destroy the plant all too easily.

Winter Blessings

The beauty of winter is now evident at Sun Rising, with deep hoar frost and layers of snow bring a very necessary freeze to the earth and plants.  Of course, it is also leaving visitors and funerals thoroughly frozen, but we are doing what we can to inspire our fellow human beings to wrap up in a dozen layers, and feel a little of nature’s wonder.

Frosty Saplings

Frosty Saplings

If you are intending to visit the burial ground during this period of snow and ice, please be aware that the lane is not treated with salt, and can be slippery.  Because of the toxicity of the salt, we use it very sparingly at the burial ground, as well, and the floor of the Roundhouse may also be icy.

Christmas Morning

Sun Rising is always a wonderful place to be on Christmas Day.  This year, with a break in the rain and the weather mild and still (we even had a rainbow), there was a steady stream of visitors, come to spend time with loved ones in the peace and beauty of the nature reserve.  I spend a few hours in the Roundhouse, with thermoses of hot tea and coffee, and mince pies warming on the brazier, for those who would like something.  Many of course return home or go on to family for the day, but some have a day alone.  Either way, it is good to share a little time at Sun Rising.

Christmas Morning Mince Pies

Christmas Morning Mince Pies

From all of us at Sun Rising, we wish you blessings for the new year.  May it be filled with a growing peace.

Winter Colours

The frost has been beautiful at Sun Rising, with a softening of the greens and greys under white hoar frost, and then a few days ago we had a few inches of snow, looking brilliant against the last of the rose hips.

First of the Snow

First of the Snow

It has been perfect weather for tree planting.  Over the past few weeks we have put in about 120 trees, all native deciduous species, as memorial trees and around the nature reserve, in sunshine, with frost underfoot.  What an honour to be a part of this beautiful project in this beautiful landscape.

The Nature Reserve.

Wild Service Trees

The Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis) was fairly common on the clay soil of south Warwickshire at one time.  It was called the checker tree, and the fruits are edible.  Indeed, they are said to taste rather like dates, although I’ve yet to try one.  Once they were regularly planted because they were used in the brewery trade, to flavour the beer – when hops became the staple, across the nation, the checker wasn’t deemed such a useful tree.

It is a beautiful tree though, and we are so happy to be reintroducing it to its native landscape at Sun Rising.  They are elegant, straight trees, with large maple like leaves, and this year, when the autumn leaf colour has been so exceptional, the wild service tree has been one of the most exquisite.

Autumn colour of the Wild Service Tree

Autumn colour of the Wild Service Tree

The other trees with remarkable colour this year have been the guelder rose, whose leaves have gone deep burgundy red, and the blackthorn, surprisingly, with a vibrant pale gold that seems to shimmer even without sunshine.  As the last of the leaves disappear in the storms, we are happy to be approaching tree planting time, and full of hope for another generation of trees.

Friends of SR Greetings Cards

We are very happy to present a series of 12 photographs of Sun Rising as blank greetings cards for sale in aid of The Friends of Sun Rising, our charity.  The full set of 12 can be found here : Friends of SR Cards Set or have a look at our Friends webpage.  Here’s an example …

Common Blue

Common Blue taken by Emma Restall Orr

The cards are £1.50 each or £15 for a full set of 12.  I have yet to work out postage and packing for those who would like them sent, and we’ve not yet got an online shop working!  So simply get in touch if you would like to buy some : Contact Us.

Autumn

With beautiful blue skies, the burial ground has a sense now of quietly waiting for autumn.  The first leaves are starting to fall, the field maple and viburnum turning gold and red, the younger saplings having already dropped their foliage.  When the sun is not warming the skin the winds can be chilly.  After such a wet summer, these are sunny days we must make the most of: in a month the leaves will have gone and the nights will be long and cold.  I particularly liked this photograph, which I thought gave a real feel for the dignity of this time of year.

Teasel and Ash

Teasel and Ash