Country diary: A carpet of green to rouse beasts unseen | Derek Niemann

Frome, Somerset: In the woods, a chive-like scent hangs in the air - it's ramsons, or, for good reason, bear's garlicAmong the ancient woods of the west, ghosts of creatures long gone linger in an odour that grows stronger by the day. That first whiff came in February with a lift of a chill breeze. Or was it stirred by the brush of a blackbird's wing? Either way, a jolt of recognition made me exclaim in soft exultation: "Bärlauch!"The leaves poking up at that winter's tail were no more than fingernail extensions. Today, the hand-length spears make sprays that splay outwards, lapping and overlapping each other, carpeting the slopes to the exclusion of all else. A feast of greens. Continue reading...