Daffodils Growing Wild

I love going to churchyards. Old churchyards. The ones where there grass is left long, creating a look that some would call neglected. These are my favourites. Like this churchyard in the village next to ours where first, everything is covered in snowdrops and then slowly the narcissus pseudonarcissus starts to appear, by the hundreds, creating a wonderful carpet under the big trees, under the big church tower. 

I have been coming to this churchyard for over ten years now. I love seeing the sea of early Spring flowers, usually not meeting a soul, a quiet little village yet close to the motorway. Every year when I return, I hope that everything is just as it was the year before. It still is. They have daffodil teas. Another church not far from us, they do snowdrop teas. I always avoid these tea days but I visit on normal days, going either first thing in the morning, especially to Swyncombe, sometimes it’s frosty still, or I go in the evening, especially seeing the daffodils.

My other reason going early or late in the day is the light. I’m not someone who is keen on harsh sunshine, quite the contrary. I love quiet and the middle of the day light is anything but quiet for me. I look for the gentle, soft light that avoids harsh shadows but creates stillness. I like seeing the true colours of plants and not the bleached-out-by-the-sun colours. I think on this particular day here, with the daffodils, there was no sunshine at all, in that case, I’m happy to go during the day too.

I have turned this - my favourite from this day - into a print. If you click on the picture, it will take you right there.

This reminds me, I must go and check those snowdrops soon. And then the narcissus wilderness.