Blackthorn in Blossom
The glorious spring weather may be on hold after 2 weeks of non-stop sunshine but the countryside around Red House is still decorated by the greens of new leaves and whites of abundant blossoms. Most striking of these at the moment are the flowers of the blackthorn bushes which give the effect of a thick covering in snow. The blackthorns in the picture, which are growing in the moat field, look ready to produce a bumper crop of sloes which the birds will appreciate in the autumn. We encourage the growth of blackthorn, along with hawthorn, around the field borders, not only for the berry crop, but also as they provide excellent cover for wildlife.