Leaves

Every year I forget how different trees look with leaves on. Not so much trees in particular actually, but how different everything looks when they do. It's like putting the furniture back into a room.

I notice it most in the garden. Our apple trees are stealthily coming into leaf: they seem to change most quickly over night. Out on walks, many paths are actually brighter in the winter, when the leaves have fallen - an inversion that pleases me.

This afternoon we plan to go to Nymans (http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-nymansgarden2). It won't be the same if the sun isn't out but I hope we go anyway. I believe they also sell some plants there........

PS A couple of houses on our street have small areas of lawn in front of them which haven't been mown yet this year. Each is now studded with cuckoo flower (cardamine pratensis). Our next-door neighbour though, whose garden is wild from the half-point back, has none. I think they need mowing to simulate a meadow. I love this flower and have tried moving some into a border but they don't really like it. I'd like to leave a patch of grass - they just appear from nowhere round here if you leave it.