Spring is about to spring!

Tomorrow is the first day of Spring so I thought we could celebrate it, just a tad early!

We have arrived in Leeds this morning and we have come to see the beautifully manicured gardens of St Gemma's Hospice, the largest hospice and a teaching centre in hospice care. It is a haven of peace and quiet and a place where anyone can experience the different garden zones, the sounds of water and birdsong. This was filmed last year in May. It is garden to unwind and reminisce in, but also ideas to move forward with to inspire and for us to think about in our gardens too. Our gardens that can also promote relaxation, memories and thoughts, beauty and stillness, calm and order.

Tomorrow is the official first day of Spring so let's celebrate by listening to The Rite of Spring

Two interesting British Spring traditions which we may not of come across before. There are very many of course and I just looked at these for now and may be we shall dip into others over the Spring period.

Tichborne Dole

An unusual spring tradition dates back to the 12th century and is known as the Tichborne Dole. It takes place in Hampshire near Alresford every year on the 25th of March. It celebrates a certain Lady Maybela who, on her deathbed, made her husband Sir Roger de Tichborne promise her he would be kind to the poor and that he would hand out some wheat flour to them. It was to be a gift, a dole, given in her memory for those people who arrived in Tichborne to mark the Feast of the Annunciation. Sir Roger de Tichborne said he would give this flour to make bread from, as much land as she could encompass so though dying Lady Maybela is said to have crawled around 23 acres and that area of land is still known as The Crawls!This was to happen every year on this day. The custom – although interrupted in 1796 – has survived until this day, well possibly not through the Pandemic.

Orange and Lemons

At the end of March, there is an annual Oranges and Lemons celebration which takes place at the school Following the church afternoon service, recalling the traditional nursery rhyme, the pupils of St Clements Danes School are presented with an orange and lemon.

Finally a trip back to the Tulip gardens.

This should offer us a real splash of colour in the Springtime and something to settle down with and may be inspire us as well.