We are now in the fallow period between mowings and the churchyard is full of wildflowers and colour; a haven for wildlife. The closer you look, the more you see and hear.
The original churchyard, at the front of the church, is ablaze with Orange Hawkweed (Pilsosella aurantiaca). Colloquially it is known as Fox-and-Cubs. It is a native wildflower and tradition tells us that Hawks eat Hawkweed to sharpen their eyesight.
Every now and again, you find patches of Purple Clover, Speedwell, and the ubiquitous Daisy all intermingling with each other and the Hawkweed.
Walk around to the back of the Church and you are met with the glorious golden glow of the native Buttercups (ranunculus acris). Listen carefully and you can hear the faint, lazy buzzing of honeybees and other insects foraging around, looking for pollen.
If you wait quietly on Dommet’s Walk, you will be treated to the antics of the squirrels who have long since taken-up residence in the Yew tree, which is, as always, looking splendid.
The great Elms, near to the school wall continue to look majestic and are bursting with new growth, reaching for the skies. Indeed, they are now considerably higher than the church tower.
At the far end of the churchyard, in the shade of the hedgerows, and in the Wild Flower Meadow, there is an abundance of white Cowslip (anthriscus sylvestris) its clusters of white, frothy flowers resembling open umbrellas which sway gently in the breeze and will attract orange-tip butterflies and hoverflies.
The Wild Flower Meadow is currently a mass of various native grasses; an ideal place for native insects and creatures to enjoy. Before long, it will be a mass of colour as the wildflowers bloom.
VJC
The feature image for this post was taken on the morning of 29th May in the old part of the Churchyard of Ss Simon & Jude, Cockshutt.