“No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow” or so the saying goes. The nights are not drawing in as quickly as they did in winter, and the air feels a little warmer which can only mean one thing – spring is on the way. The season of spring is brighter and livelier, as the nature and wildlife begin to bloom. You’ll see spring flowers pushing their way up through the frozen ground, and eventually lambs bounding across lush green meadows.
Here is our guide on some of the first signs of spring to discover across England and Wales.
Snowdrops
Pretty snowdrops cover woodlands, meadows and gardens and signal the end of winter and the arrival of spring. Snowdrops have been associated with the arrival of spring for many years, and they were very popular in the victorian period (it was considered fashionable to have them growing in your garden) but many believe they were brought over much earlier by Norman monks. They were grown in churchyards for Candlemas day, which is Feburary 2nd. Have you spotted any yet? If so, share your photos on your social channels with the hashtag #YHANatureChallenge.
Ducklings
With spring comes new life. A new generation opens its eyes for its first glance of the world, including ducklings. With their downy feathers, little faces with beady eyes, and tiny quacks, is there anything cuter – seriously? You can expect a steady stream of fluffy ducklings from March onwards.
Daffodils
Ahh the Daffodil. Known to be one of the first signs that spring is making an appearance. These pretty yellow flowers blossom from late February to early April. Wordsworth’s poem “I wandered lonely as a cloud” was inspired by the beautiful daffodils that surprised him on a spring walk. Did you know that the Daffodil is the national flower of Wales? And if you spot the first daffodil of the season, your next year will supposedly be filled with wealth…
Longer and warmer days
Obvious but pleasant. The days are getting longer and often we wake up to beautiful sunshine peering through our window. Staying outdoors is a lot more pleasurable too as the temperature rises. Spring days also means that we can appreciate embracing the great outdoors that little bit more. Even though spring does still bring rain (and sometimes even snow) it’s well worth wrapping up and going to see the earth burst into life after hibernating under a blanket of snow.
Where’s your favourite place to spend a spring day?
