Very soon the moors are going to be awash with a sea of yellow gorse. It's 2years since it flowered at the correct time, the bad winter we had over 2years ago killed a lot of it off and it was so confused when it recovered it just flowered at all times of the year! So it is wonderful to see it starting to flower when it should, it's usually the first bit of colour over the moor when every thing is still drab and very dormant......
Best on black
Thank you for all your comments favs and get well wishes all are so welcome and appreciated.
I tried to photograph gorse yesterday as my G for Alphabet Feb but failed dismally - I can see now it's because I didn't have a foreground and back ground like you do - I love the photo and I love the natural history that you've shared with us too :)
@sailingmusic No relation. It's flowers are both very pea like but gorse is very thorny with a very scruffy bushy growth, it thrives and is very hardy on the moors but 2 years ago the winter was so severe it killed a lot of it off, it's now just recovering.
There was a programme on Radio 4 yesterday saying gorse can flower at any time of the year and that gorse flowers are edible - apparently they have a slight pea flavour.
Though I must admit I have never seen it looking this lovely at this time of year
@virtualbrownie it's so nice to hear what gorse does, although we find its from about February onwards its main season with the odd splurge here and there the rest of the year. In a month or so it will be a sea of yellow as you go over the moors. It's probably because it's such a bleak place to live!!
@ceilidh how lovely, I'm finding out more about gorse than I've known in years!! I didn't know it was called whin in Ireland thanks for the info Margaret😊.
Though I must admit I have never seen it looking this lovely at this time of year