This spring has been marked by an extraordinary abundance of specific wildflowers. In February, snowdrops appeared in remarkable numbers, but April belonged to the dandelions. One of the most memorable sightings occurred while driving out of upper Dovedale, where a blanket of gold spread across the slope, capturing the eye before it moved toward Sheen Hill in Staffordshire. The term 'carpet' is often overused, but here it was entirely appropriate. Each bloom stood at roughly the same height as its neighbors, and when viewed from a low angle, the entire landscape was transformed into a single, glorious golden hue.
The Diversity of Dandelions
There is an irony in the dandelion's appearance. While they seem to form a democratic, self-levelling community, they are far from uniform. Britain is home to approximately 240 species of dandelions. The author expresses awe for his friend Baz Scampion, who co-published a book titled The Dandelions of Shetland, which he acknowledges is 'a little niche.' Yet, Scampion and his co-author deserve recognition for identifying 130 species on a single archipelago.
Bees and Dandelions
The author noted who appreciated April's dandelions as much as he did, and it was certainly not the mowing teams of local councils. The primary admirers were bumblebees and solitary bees from the genus Andrena. These bees provided another key moment during a dawn visit to Dovedale, where, accompanied by the songs of redstarts and willow warblers, entire dew-soaked fields glittered with the air-filled silver of dandelion clocks.
Buttercups Take Over
This month added a third encounter with golden abundance. Above the hamlet of Snitterton, a different kind of gold emerged. The author paced across fields where, as far as the eye could see to the hill crown and beyond, buttercups bloomed in hundreds of thousands. Unlike dandelions, the three common buttercup species do not maintain equal height, creating a vast, gold-stippled canvas reminiscent of Seurat rather than the dandelion's Rothko-like sweep of color. The scene was so beautiful that the author felt compelled to raise his hands aloft and swirl around in joy.
Under the Changing Skies: The Best of the Guardian's Country Diary, 2018-2024 is available now at guardianbookshop.com.
