A mess of primroses

I had a meeting this morning with the farmer and woodland manager of most of the land that surrounds the nature reserve. It was a very helpful catch-up on our mutual plans and we discussed a number of areas of co-operation. Afterwards, I couldn't resist a short walk around the southern part of the reserve before going on to another commitment.

It was one of those bright sunny early spring mornings that lull you into a false sense of expectation. Surely I would find the first early dog violets out as well as birds building nests. Neither was the case and within half an hour there was a darkening sky and hail shower, just to remind me it's not really spring properly yet. However, I did find some nice clusters of primroses on a south-facing bank and, as ever, they were just entrancing. Somehow, the colour combinations and the brazen flower discs make them seem so exotic and perfect when you happen across them at this time of the year. Get a little closer and each clump is a bit of a mess with strands of dead grass leaves, fallen twigs and flowers and leaves already partly eaten. I like this far more than the neat clumps of garden primulas and quickly imagine the lovely little bee-flies that will soon be hovering and sun bathing all over them.