Country diary: The sweet pre-spring scent of optimism | Carey Davies

Otley, West Yorkshire: These rich woods, which I grew up next to, have been bought out by local groups who know the true value of natureA cold north-westerly slices through bare trees of Weston Woods, and the sky is a slab of grey. But change is in the air. The light has a gathering confidence, even through the clouds; the piercing territorial call of a buzzard rings out; birdsong has thickened and brightened. We have entered that unsung season between winter and spring, the "prevernal".Another good omen: thousands of small green tongues have emerged from the damp soil. These leaves herald what will arrive here in a matter of weeks: the most extravagant display of wild garlic bloom I know of in this part of the world, an allium avalanche, where pearly white flowers swamp the wood in the hundreds of thousands. Walking through these drifts of pungent spring, snow stings the nose and startles the eyes. Continue reading...