One of my favorite scenes of spring is one I haven't actually shared on the blog before--the hedgerows in bloom. As we drive down the quiet roads of our region vistas of green fields bordered in hedges stretch on either side. Right now those hedges are full of the dainty lace of cow parsley and stunning, blooming hawthorn trees; the latter being one of the most magical trees of legend. You see a lot of hawthorn trees around Ireland because of the tales that surround them, they are often referred to as fairy trees and to cut one down is bad luck. This superstition is so ingrained that you still hear stories of golf courses or houses being structured in a manner as to accommodate hawthorn trees no one is willing to remove. When in blossom the hawthorns are incredibly striking, the flowers cover every side of the branches and from a distance the trees look as if they have been dusted in icing sugar. While I do love visiting the manicured gardens of decadent manor houses, I think my favorite types of blossoms and "gardens" happen when nature is left to its own devices; from bluebell woods to blossoming hawthorn trees and fields dotted with meadow thistles and wild angelica. There's no symmetry or flowers arranged in a dainty row, instead it's exuberant bursts of color and life; untamed and free.
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