The large trees protect the young shrubs, which in turn are crucial for the propagation of all those species that are so important in the undergrowth, such as butcher's broom, scented violets, cyclamen and ivy. In short, the perfect refuge for squirrels, shy hedgehogs, mischievous badgers, blackbirds, tits, sparrows, herons, owls, barn owls... not forgetting all the insect friends we try to shelter.
The first sign of the forest's reawakening is the timely flowering of the snowdrops, followed by the daffodils, which, together with the viburnums, add fragrance to the air. The first delicate leaves of the deciduous species colour the park in bright green. The deep blue anemones are appearing and all the lively wild flowers are in bloom, brightening up the undergrowth with their pastel colours... even the biennial wandering moonwort is putting on a show - where will it flower this year? Obviously the badger has woken up and the first damages are already visible.
At the beginning, it is the irises that dominate the scene, then slowly, as the temperature rises, the scent of microphyll sage and cysts spreads through the air, and the Agapanthus, reeds, Persicaria, Acanthus and hydrangeas explode. The moles are a little tired, or perhaps they are suffering for the heat, but the attack by parasites brings to an unspeakable biodiversity... we are not discouraged and count the ladybirds! Then the spell of the great heat and everything stops... all that remains is to water to the song of the cicadas.
The queen of this season is the Olea fragrans, a memory of childhood for us. The breeze from the lake spreads the scent of the flowering of the centuries-old specimens along the boundary wall and we confidently await the growth of the young specimens planted in the wooded garden. At the pond, the water lilies and other aquatic plants continue to bloom tirelessly (the ones that survive the incursions of the lake ducks). The forest comes back to life and many plants give us a second bloom.
Berries, berries, berries... the ones the birds leave behind! The Sarcococca confusa is in bloom and the whole garden smells of it, provided that the moles stopped digging tunnels under their roots during Spring. Then the flowering of the Helleborus, those spontaneously grown and all the others planted by us. It is cold, but the Winter sunsets over the lake are a wonder. The days are getting longer and it's time for the Calicanthus to shine.
