It is this time of year when our Hawthorns transform from a dry, messy tangle of thorny branches into a beautiful intense vivid green speck against the still wintery leafless backdrop.
A large variety of mushrooms still enjoy the humid conditions.
one of the bigger Hawthorn on the farm has taken the not very common tree shape with a mere single trunk and has grown to more than 5 meters.
its unusual thick single trunk houses a large variety of Lichens.
traditionally in Portugal, this hardy plant was used as a base for the grafting of both Apples and Pears.
first Elderberry to flower.
most Hawthorns germinate spontaneously thanks to the work of birds who feed on their fruit and then spread the seeds. this young plant grows at the base of a Cork Oak.
I do my part of the job, germinating plants from seeds, or just relocating them into pots, when and if needed.
even though they are present all throughout the farm spontaneously, we sometimes plant them in strategic locations.
in this case, just against an ugly, bare block wall which is the neighbor´s, right on our limit. these plants grow fast and thick and even leafless are visually more pleasing than the grey cement.
Another new bamboo shoot I spotted this morning.
two plants, growing side by side, having different genetics.
it is very common to see the genetic differences between plants as some are in a very advances stage while others fall behind.
this is true for the time when leaves come out, flowering and fruiting.
fungi decomposing a dead branch.
before long, these specks of vivid intense green will almost disappear behind the abundance of small white flowers, all teeming with bees and other insects. fruits mature in summer and are collected around August and are used for the production of (among other things) a tincture used in the support of a healthy heart function.
the weather today finally allows me for some work in and around the nursery 🌱
a common Hawthorn base normally have many trunks all tangled together. it is often used as a hedge, that if worked properly, can become so thick and dense at the bottom, that it would keep out even the wild boars.
A bright colored fungi on a decaying oak branch.
showing off a bright vivid green against the darker Cork Oak foliage.
thank you for stopping by 🙏
wishing us all a peaceful rest of the week.
