May blossom

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Spring is now in full swing here. One of the iconic flowers of spring is the May (Hawthorn) blossom. It covers the hedges (as long as they haven’t been cut too hard), and also individual bushes. The scent is quite strong as you walk past, especially on a sunny day of course. It’s a strange scent, somehow on the line between pleasant and unpleasant, very sweet and yet with an undertone almost like the sickly smell of some dead creature. Maybe that’s to attract flies. The flowers can be used to infuse a liqueur but again I think that’s something of an acquired taste! However the fresh young leaves are very palatable; they were often picked and eaten by children on their way to school, back in the days when children walked to school and were familiar with common plants. Maybe one day we will return to that happy situation. All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2021.